The unfamiliar smell of Dana's home felt lonesome as I waited in her bed for Ellie. There were only blinds covering a single window, and the room felt cramped, surrounded by unfamiliar knickknacks. As the morning birds began their songs, my thoughts raced, hoping that my mom would be alright when I finally returned home.
I listened intently to the footsteps on the floorboards outside as Dana's crisp words cut through the door. "That's not necessary," she declared firmly. I tried to keep quiet on the bed, but she questioned loudly, "Are you awake?" And before I could respond, she creeped open the door and poked her head in. Seeing me awake, she announced, "Someone's here to see you."
I followed her to the kitchen, where Dana sat in a chair and motioned for me to look toward the living room. My heart fluttered, hoping to see Ellie with news of what happened at my house. But my anticipation turned to fear when I laid eyes on the giant, cloaked figure with the scythe clasped in his palm.
At his side, a young boy with wings, wearing a loose olive green tunic that contrasted starkly with the taller man's grim black. His light brown-speckled wings twitched slightly, as if sensing my gaze, then turned with a small, shy smile. Both their hazel gazes glimmered with an unnatural light, but the giant had half his face wrapped. I assumed they were father and son, given how much they resembled each other.
"Good morning. I'm Uriel, and this is Adriel," the giant said with a deep voice, using his scythe like a cane. It was almost comical how small the weapon looked to the man, but it possessed a handle at its side for his young sidekick to hold on to.
"Did you sleep alright?" Uriel asked, and I simply nodded. "I apologize for these recent events; I realize it must feel overwhelming."
I finally replied, "I'll catch up on sleep when I get home." His pleasant expression shifted to something more serious.
"Unfortunately, those who were looking for you turned their attention to your family instead," he said.
"What do you mean?" I exclaimed, my blood racing in alarm as dread settled in my stomach.
"That's all I know," he answered. "I suspect they plan to lure you out."
"How can they do that if I don't even know where they are?" I questioned furiously.
"Arianna, I regret to say this, but it doesn't seem relevant to give you any more answers," he said.
Dana stepped in more confidently than I would have. "Oh? You're still having him do it?"
With my heart pounding, Uriel's gaze stayed on me as he spoke again. "I apologize once again, but you can't remain here. Your knowledge of this situation will only complicate matters when I take you back."
"Let her stay here with me," Dana proposed, clasping her hands around my shoulders. "She deserves to know what's going on."
He gave me a long, hard look before addressing her. "I understand, but I think it's too soon for someone so young to be aware of this much. At least consider coming with me to the police station," he tried to reason. "It would alleviate some stress if you were in the public's eye."
My shoulders slumped under Dana's hands as I looked away. Regardless of what was best for me, Dana still fought for me, saying, "I think it'd be best like this. If her mom's gone, then who else could get hurt if we let her out there with people who don't know the truth?"
"They're throwing Consumed Ones at us now," he pointed out. "One of you could become infected."
Dana shook her head. "What if people start seeing what's happening?"
He waved her off. "You worry too much about what humans see when they always dismiss it."
"It'll be easier to manage things here than when she's out there," Dana reasoned.
Uriel took a deep breath and returned his attention to me. "Fine then, you have a decision to make: go back or stay here where you can't be seen, or venture outside."
"You act like she'll be a prisoner here," Dana retorted.
His voice deepened looking at the freckle-faced woman seriously. "She'll be considered missing if she stays here in your care. It's on you if she's seen."
The more weight he put on my decision to stay, the more it sank into my core. As I looked up at the giant's face, all I could manage was, "What about my mom?"
"I'll do my best to figure out what we can do," he said.
My mind raced with a million questions swirling in my head. What was I going to do without her? Could I get her back? Was it too late? I had no idea who these people were, but I had the potential to accept Dana's help.
"Should I leave or should I stay?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"You could go now if you wish, knowing there are people looking after you," he replied and paused before adding, "Be sure of your choice."
Though I was still uncertain, I knew I needed the answers he had to give me. Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders.
"Yes. Just please tell me everything. I want to know what's happening."
"I'm not sure," he said, pushing his lips to the side. "I know that's not something you want to hear, but you have a connection to our world. You are the reincarnation of an archon," he paused before clarifying, as Ellie did, "an angel who was punished alongside several others to reincarnate as humans. Her name was Saniel."
Saniel, I repeated silently. It felt so foreign even in my mind.
"What did she do?" I choked out. "To be punished?"
His unconcealed eye was distant as he spoke. "They were deemed a threat. I was able to get away before I shared their fate, but we were all given powerful tools called Celestial Guards, designed so no one outside of its holder can control it. But a new king provoked paranoia about their powers being used to start wars."
With every word he said, his emotions seemed more detached, as if he were recounting a fairy tale. His story hung in the air for only a moment before he continued.
"There was a boy taken before you. How long ago now?" Uriel asked Dana.
She looked up with a dread-filled expression. "It's been a couple of months now," she answered.
Uriel sighed heavily. "His name was Ken. We were told he was the reincarnation of Michael. His Guard was the sword."
"And do you know if he was taken by angels?" I asked.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Not personally. The reincarnations of the fallen are like relics to some. We recognize them by their eyes." His voice felt heavy, but hopeful. "It's rare to see one. Even rarer now to find anyone who can recognize them."
"Oh," I breathed, feeling uneasy at being seen as a living relic.
Uriel tried to be gentler. "Someone was watching over him once they saw him communicating with an angel. That's something we rarely do, especially with children."
"How old was he?" I asked, feeling guilty for being thankful it wasn't me.
Uriel glanced down at Adriel before the giant's expression grew pained. "Eleven," he finally said. "We have groups actively searching for the rest, but we don't know if he's the first or if others were taken."
"Was I almost taken?" I asked.
"You almost died," Uriel confirmed with a smile of all things. "But it went well. Better than expected, actually." He attempted to lighten the mood with a chuckle, but my face remained unimpressed. "One ability of the scythe is to transport humans through the gates into our worlds by taking the soul from their body without killing them," he added.
Uriel dug around in his cloak and in his one gloved hand offered me back my necklace. "Keep this on," he said. "This isn't just some accessory, it's protection from becoming attached to an archon."
"Attached?" I questioned, taking back the necklace.
"It's a practice between us and humans," he explained, adding, "like a guardian angel?" With a question in his voice as he looked at Dana, who nodded. "We share aeons, portions of our souls, that align with each other. Anyone can do it, but between an angel and a human, it's a symbiotic enhancement of both their powers. It's not meant to be harmful, but what happened the other night was much more forceful and dangerous.
"If someone tried it with you while wearing this," he gestured to the necklace in my hand, "the bond can't be made. They were probably sent to keep track of you until someone else arrives.
"After hearing everyone's side of what happened, I believe Zeekiel stepping in disrupted the merging process, and as well-intentioned as that was, it may have caused your body to fragment in the way it did. I've never seen anything like it before. You should have died when you lit up, but luckily Adriel managed to rescue you in time."
The giant patted the boy's head, leaning down to do so. "And everything fit back together perfectly."
The way he said that, with a cheer to uplift me, only made me more unsettled.
Suddenly a loud commotion interrupted our conversation. The back door slammed against the wall and the sound of chairs scrapping against the tile made us all turn towards the kitchen with stressful stances. Then an eerie stillness descended as we wondered what caused the disruption.
Dana was the first to reach the kitchen and shrieked, "What did you do to him?"
I only rushed in after hearing Dana's voice, nearly colliding with Zeekiel as he stood with his massive wings, blocking the view.
He looked over to Uriel and said, "Glad you're here. Your wings are going to flap when I tell you who I found lurking around." The dark-winged young man looked down at me briefly before turning back to Dana. "Isn't this the same guy you were looking for?"
"I don't know," she replied.
As Zeekiel shifted aside it revealed the man on the floor. His face was bruised and swollen, auburn curls shielding his eyes like a wounded lion. The four wings lay spread lifelessly across the floor; one set of wings was white and speckled gray, while the other was light brown.
He seemed conscious and moving, but made no effort to look at anyone.
Uriel moved closer, addressing the injured angel. "What brings someone like you all the way here?"
The four-winged angel looked up with shock in his swollen face, muttering in disbelief. "You know who I am?"
"Raziel," Uriel said, his gaze piercing, "and you're Sammael's."
Raziel's head dropped at Uriel's last remark. "Please, I need someone to believe me," he said, turning his gaze back to Zeekiel. "I didn't come here to hurt anyone."
Uriel loomed over the angel as he questioned, "What's Sammael's interest in the reincarnations suddenly?"
"He plans to revive Mother using the Celestial Guards," Raziel said. "All the holders are needed to summon and activate them."
I watched the room tense as everyone processed Raziel's words. "I see," Uriel said, bringing a gloved hand to lips. "I assume that means the reincarnations need to be whole again?"
Zeekiel kept his glare on his bruised prisoner when his words punched into the conversation as dense as the heat in voice. "That bitch isn't coming back." He was so angry that I wondered who he meant that set him off like that.
Uriel waved a hand at him in a motion to calm down while Raziel continued. "There's a bigger problem if this plan succeeds, the amount of energy needed could rupture The Kingdom from the source. If that happens, it will throw the rest of the Worlds connected into darkness."
A moment of silence passed in the room and I wanted so badly to ask about my mom, but as I glanced at everyone in the room, they seemed to be in thought. Except Zeekiel, who was attempting to throw more punches with his eyes at Raziel. It was scary how dark his gaze was.
Uriel finally asked, "And what does Sammael intend to do once the Guard holders aren't needed anymore? He accomplished getting rid of them; is he just going to let us all be or does he intend to send us all back into the cycle?"
"I can't tell you for sure, but turning you all into monsters would be a more effective way this time around," Raziel warned.
The giant released a long, grumbled breath. "I agree with Zeekiel that Saniel can't return, but we can't be holding off a swarm forever."
I felt like I stopped breathing for a moment while Zeekiel's eyes finally shifted away from Raziel to me. It was brief, but I caught it and understood then, Saniel was "that bitch".
"An army," the beaten four-winged angel corrected. "More will come. Those were still only scouts. They know you have groups just like this protecting the rest of the reincarnations. Let me help."
"How long do we have?" Uriel pressed.
"When I left, there was no one coming; but when they do, I'd estimate about twenty of this world's day rotations," Raziel replied.
In the lull, I asked, "Do you know where they took my mom?"
Raziel cast a brief glance my way, responding with a half-hearted apology. "Sorry, no. But if she's alive, I advise we not look for her," he warned.
"If?" I said, my stomach dropping.
Zeekiel scoffed, eyes narrowing. "We?" His tone was skeptical. "I don't recommend you stay out here longer than you need to, or one of those Consumed Ones you released last night is going to devour you."
Raziel explained, "I didn't release it. It was after me. You lunged at me, and I lost control. If you'd just let me handle it, it wouldn't have gone inside."
"How'd you even get that thing on you? Did you know who it was?" Zeekiel asked.
"I didn't. They're being used to test a cure for the sickness. Either someone knew I was deserting, or it was a coincidence," Raziel said.
"Coincidence," the dark-winged young man muttered.
"What kind of cure?" Uriel asked, his voice a low rumble.
"It's liquefying them into containers," Raziel replied.
Zeekiel grimaced in disgust. "They'll throw you in there too, the moment you get inked."
"Inked? Why would you say it like that?" Raziel asked, his bloated face twisting with confusion.
"Because when you tell someone they're 'sick,' you imply there's a cure. Ink reminds you how permanent it is."
Raziel rolled his focus to Uriel. "Please let me help."
"We don't need you," Zeekiel insisted with a sneer.
"If he wishes to stay and help, then I'll take him back to Gibel," Uriel said. "Zeekiel, I'd like you to stay here. And be good," the giant scythe wielder instructed.
He turned to me and added, "You should get more rest."
Raziel painfully stood up on his own and staggered toward Uriel's side. The giant nodded at his young companion, who grabbed the lower part of the scythe with one hand and offered me a wordless wave before vanishing.
I stared at the empty spot, feeling a mixture of awe and loneliness. Zeekiel muttered something about going outside while Dana rummaged through her empty cabinets for anything edible.
"Usually, it's just me around here," she commented, but I was barely listening, still trying to shake the goosebumps crawling down my body.
I felt present but rejected my surroundings as reality. I was too tired to eat but forced myself through the motions of eating before collapsing onto the couch.
While I attempted to watch television, I quickly slipped into a dreamless sleep. When my eyes fluttered open again, I was back home for the briefest of a second. Pulling my wary consciousness awake it was like I could almost smell my room.
But I wasn't. I was lying back on Dana's bed and the realization that I wouldn't be returning home anytime soon hit me hard. I shook off the thought and looked up at the dimming sunlight through the cracks of the blinds.
A memory of my mom's forehead kisses lingered. I felt it so vividly I could almost feel the warmth of her face radiating against my skin. It made me long for the comfort of home, but I had to abide by the restrictions I agreed to with Uriel. I couldn't leave or even be seen.
Wearily, I made my way into the kitchen and immediately regretted not checking myself in a mirror first. I could smell the food from the room, but I didn't expect anyone else to be waiting.
The room was quiet as Ellie and Zeekiel sat at the table — neither one willing to face each other with their heads turned away. They looked different outside their hero identities. Zeekiel lacked his wings, and Ellie wore an oversized floral top and jeans.
I slinked over to Dana's side, pretending to be interested in what she was cooking. "Feeling better?" Dana asked, being the first to speak.
I didn't remember declaring I wasn't well, but I said yes anyway. "Who moved me?" I asked, giving Zeekiel an accusatory look.
"They told me to," he said, nudging his chin toward Ellie. "I was going to wake you up; you were snoring."
I was sweating with embarrassment. "I'm sorry," I echoed into my hands, covering my face. "I didn't even know I snored."
Ellie slanted her eyes at Zeekiel before explaining, "Dana said you needed sleep." She reached for the chair next to her and handed me a bag. "I came because she asked me to pick these up for you."
I recognized it as a shopping bag of clothes. I expected it to be some of my things, but upon opening it, I found plain T-shirts and shorts in my size, all with tags. "Thank you," I said, attempting to be appreciative. "Am I not allowed to have anything from my house?"
"Best not," Dana answered. "Was there something you wanted?"
"Nothing," I said, though I wished I had my sketchpad.
"Are you sure? I promised Uriel you'd be comfortable here. If there's anything you need, let me know."
"I was just asking. Thank you, though," I repeated. The gesture was kind and thoughtful. There was even another bag containing shoes (though a bit too big) and hygiene products. Still, the implication of being restricted from retrieving my belongings added to my feeling of being a prisoner of my own making.
Dana gestured for me to sit, saying food was almost ready. I took a seat between Ellie and Zeekiel and asked out loud, "How long was I asleep?"
Even if it was just Dana talking to me, that was preferable to the silence.
"Quite a while," Dana replied.
"Where is everyone?" I asked.
"Dealing with the prince," Ellie sighed, shooting Zeekiel a pointed look.
"And what should I have done instead?" he asked, shaking his head.
"You knew who he was and just brought him here!" she accused.
I hummed in confusion. "Seems like I missed something," I said and then regretted it when they gave me annoyed looks.
Ellie insisted everything was fine, but Zeekiel clarified, "Ellie's upset I caught that guy earlier."
I nodded. "So Raziel can't be trusted?" I asked.
Zeekiel looked at Ellie before replying, "I don't trust him. But Gibel and Uriel are taking him seriously."
The metal lady rolled her eyes. "You shouldn't have brought him here. He works for the King."
"That's who?" I asked, shifting my eyes between them.
"Sammael," Zeekiel answered briefly. "The guy supposedly hunting down reincarnations."
Zeekiel and Ellie's guarded responses only made me feel like an intruder in a world I wasn't a part of. I struggled to understand, but I sensed they were also struggling to explain. At that moment, Dana set down dishes for everyone but Zeekiel and asked, "Tell me how the sauce is."
It felt so mundane compared to the questions I was asking, but I accepted the task, tasting Dana's recipe like a food critic. That evening, I asked endless questions about cooking. And by the end of the night, I knew the perfect way to boil pasta.