Chapter Ten
CHAPTER
TEN
Returning from the mortal realm felt to Yuri like shrugging out of a too-heavy coat and slipping into robes of the finest silk.
It meant escaping into a world untouched by demons or disease.
A world where the temperature was placid and the weather mild, where time felt less like a river and more like a pond, still and untroubled by the winds of mortal strife.
Though it was perched well above the highest cloud like an island in the sky, one would not find Sanctuary if they looked up.
Accessible only to angels, it was more instinct than location—a home one felt in their soul rather than mapped in the mind.
Yuri, like all his kind, carried the knowledge of it always, an unwavering compass that guided him home.
There was a serenity to the realm that was not found elsewhere.
Humans often tried to replicate what they knew of it from stories, building grand cathedrals they filled with stained glass and choirs that sounded almost divine.
Yet no matter how much the humans sought divinity, no mortal would ever achieve it.
Given what Yuri knew of their world, he understood why they were so desperate. Why they yearned for a home where they needn’t look over their shoulders.
If only they knew the truth.
As all angels did after their missions, Yuri arrived at the Celestial Palace to a grand hall illuminated by ambient light from no apparent source.
Many strolled the halls, Soldiers hurrying to gather weapons while Guardians and Heralds flickered in and out in a warm haze, going wherever duty summoned them.
Yuri’s eyes lingered with the Guardian angels as he tucked his wings in close and made his way through the palace, each step causing a faint shimmer.
To the naked eye, the palace had no floors.
It looked instead as though the angels walked upon the stars, leaving brief, luminous echoes beneath each step.
On gilded walls were great murals and moving stained glass depictions of the most legendary angels and their greatest achievements:
Gabriel freeing an enslaved human encampment from a horde of wrathborn.
Oriel driving his sword through Sloth’s heart, effectively killing one of the Original Sins and severing its entire line. One of the largest victories for the angels to date.
Once, Yuri had dreamed of being immortalized in these depictions. Of doing something grand enough to have the angels bear witness to him forevermore.
How young he had been. How naive.
Still, he couldn’t imagine a life spent anywhere else.
Here, Yuri had a routine. He had learned over the years all that was expected of him and delivered it without complaint.
Yuri was not a Guardian, subjected to the whims of the human race.
He was not a Herald, or a glorified errand boy.
He was a Soldier, and with that came a certain level of freedom.
Receive a mission. Kill demons. Return home and do it all over again.
It was a simple enough life, and so long as Yuri did what was asked of him, he could spend the rest of his free time doing whatever he wished.
As long as it followed the rules of Sanctuary.
He’d nearly made it down the hall when a soft light flashed behind him and another angel appeared—Loriel.
Yuri’s disciple swayed on his feet, the young angel’s eyes dazed and glossy as he collected himself.
He was a newer recruit, a Soldier in training whose hair was still more blond than it was white.
“And just where did you run off to?” Yuri turned to the boy, who was blinking clarity back into his eyes.
“I didn’t think you’d be back yet,” Lori admitted sheepishly, grimacing as Yuri stepped forward to brush ichor from the boy’s cheek. He took a good look at it before turning his thumb toward Lori with an arched brow. He didn’t even need to pose the question before an excuse came tumbling out.
“I swear I wasn’t fighting, I only went to observe—”
“We don’t swear on holy ground.” Lori’s hands, at least, were clean, which was progress. “The next time you go out into the mortal realm, clean yourself up before you return.”
The young angel hesitated, wiping at his face. “You’re not angry?”
Lori’s companion crawled slowly toward the exit, trying not to earn Yuri’s attention.
His heart ached at the sight of them—how long had it been since he’d been a new recruit?
He could almost envision a different face there across the hall, waiting for Yuri to join him for something that would undoubtedly get them both into trouble.
What had it been, a hundred years? A thousand? He’d lost count ages ago.
“You’re a Soldier,” he told Lori. “I can’t be angry at you for being curious about the battlefield. Just remember that you’ll have an eternity to be fighting on it.”
If it were up to him, Yuri would keep Lori locked within the walls of Sanctuary forever. The boy was soft and tender of heart, and Yuri wished constantly that he’d have been chosen for life as a Herald.
“Lori!” another Soldier called to him from down the hall, her red hair only just beginning to turn to silver at the roots. “Something’s happening outside.”
She was joined by two other young angels whose names Yuri had never bothered to remember. They had a gleam in their eyes that he’d learned to distance himself from. One that had them looking down from Sanctuary whenever they had a spare moment, daydreaming of the mortal realm below.
Lori rose, his wings extended as he hovered beside the window and looked through.
“Everyone’s gathering.” He clapped Yuri on the shoulder. “Let’s see what the fuss is about.”
Yuri sighed and followed, but only because it was too crowded to slip away.
Voices stirred outside, nearly whipped into a frenzy by the time the angels made it to the palace courtyard. Normally he’d be able to see the crystalline lakes that surrounded the walkway, but there were too many angels around it now.
“Is it a new recruit?” Lori asked, craning his neck.
“There’s never this much excitement for a recruit.
” Yuri tried to stretch his wings, thinking to take to the skies for a better view.
But he wasn’t the only one, and his wings kept brushing against the others around him, none of them left with enough room to take flight.
Only after minutes of wandering to try to find a break in the crowd did he notice that the quiet hum of the choir forever playing through Sanctuary had quieted.
Its absence was like a held breath, the silence heavy and unnatural.
The courtyard, too, quieted, murmurs ceasing at the click of boots.
Commander Xadriel was formidable—a towering Soldier with gray wings nearly twice the size of Yuriel’s.
His long white hair nearly swept to the floor, tied at his mid-back with a single black ribbon.
His silver eyes were darker than most, as lethal as steel.
Every Soldier had been under their scrutiny at one point or another, and all heads bowed to the angel.
“Rhovar’s king has refused another Guardian,” someone murmured.
Yuri slid his eyes to the side, watching two Heralds conferring in the corner.
Yuri knew Heralds had some sort of divine and all-important purpose.
Selfishly, however, he preferred them for their gossip.
“I hear they’re going to pick someone new. A Soldier this time.”
So, it was a bonding, then. No wonder the angels were so riled.
“What about the one who was meant to bond with the boy?” asked one of the Heralds.
“Tyriel fell in battle not a month ago.”
Tyriel had gotten lucky. Yuri would not envy an angel chosen to spend a lifetime in the mortal realm, forever subjected to being plagued with the emotions of another soul.
Still, someone had to do it. An angel like Paldriel would be a good choice—someone kind and patient, with an unwavering heart.
Caiel, too, was worth consideration. He stood at the head of the crowd, squared shoulders making no secret of his hope.
He was an excellent swordsman with a jovial spirit who was well-suited for the camaraderie of mortal knights. They’d get along well.
Beside him, Lori looked on hopefully, his eyes gleaming. Whether it be for honor or for a chance to feed their curiosity of the mortal realm, every Soldier standing there yearned to be chosen.
Fools, Yuri thought. Better they be sent than me.
“Tomorrow, there’s to be a bonding ceremony.” The commander’s words cut through the silence. “Rhovar’s newest champion, Aurelie Chantelune, has felled an envyborn. Her success comes on the heels of an attack on the kingdom. Azriel is there now, but Rhovar finds itself in need of a Soldier.”
Caiel stepped forward, his wings nearly pure gold as he spread them to their full expanse to push aside those around him. “I will go.”
Xadriel’s gaze turned upon the angel, and it was a miracle that Caiel did not buckle beneath such a stare. He was the perfect fit, and yet the commander’s attention swayed just as easily as it had been earned.
“The choice has already been made.”
Yuri let the others step forward, his cloak pulled tight and wings curled inward to draw the least amount of attention to himself as the commander searched the crowd. He stiffened as every eye upon Xadriel’s massive gray wings turned toward him at once.
Yuri’s blood ran cold. It couldn’t be …
The commander’s eyes pinned him, and beneath that stare, Yuri no longer felt like a Soldier but a fledgling. “The one who will make this bond is Yuriel.”
His breath caught, a sharp hitch in the air. He tried to step back, but it was as if the ground itself conspired against him, holding him fast. There was no escape. No shadow deep enough to hide in.
Did Xadriel know what he’d done with the lustborn’s body? Was this punishment for his sympathy? For a mercy no Soldier should have granted?
No, surely there was no way he could have known …