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"It was Alastor," I began, the name feeling both foreign and familiar on my tongue. "In the cave."
Lily’s eyes widened. “Wait, what? We’re still talking about Theo, and you've done stuff with Alastor too? Zero to threesome is pretty radical, Sari!”
I glared at her. "I healed him," I admitted. "I'm not supposed to heal anyone other than humans."
"Alastor's far from human," Lily pointed out.
"Exactly." I met her gaze. "But at that moment, he needed help. And I... I just couldn't turn away."
"Sounds like you did the right thing to me," Lily said with a shrug. "Is that all?"
“Yes.”
“Mm. And yet you went from host commander to working in a Concordia team, and it’s clear you didn’t volunteer for the role. So, what did you do to end up here?”
I wasn’t sure what had gotten into me. Talking was making things feel easier, but also more complicated, as Lily just didn’t seem to understand the gravity of the matter at hand. And yet, I couldn’t help taking a breath and answering her question.
"I didn't report a group of deserters."
"Deserters?" Lily repeated. "You mean angels?"
"Exactly."
"Wow." She whistled low. "That's... actually badass."
"Or foolish," I countered. The memory of the decision pressed against my chest; a reminder of the line I'd dared to cross. “I had been dispatched to find them and bring them back, and I disobeyed orders.”
"You went against Gabriel. That’s impressive."
“It was wrong.”
“But you still didn’t tell him their location. Why didn't you rat them out?" Lily asked, her voice laced with genuine curiosity rather than judgement.
I sighed. "They were... content," I admitted. "Living lives they chose, free from… the rules. It felt wrong to end that."
"Happy, huh?" Lily's eyes softened. "And what would have happened if you'd played the tattletale?"
"Gabriel..." My voice trailed off as I wrestled with the words that would explain without painting him in a bad light. "He's not known for leniency. They would've served as... an example. The warriors need to know they cannot desert."
"An example," Lily repeated. She straightened up. “Wait, are you saying angels can’t leave the host? Even if they want to?”
I nodded. “It’s desertion.”
Lily frowned. “You have no choice in the matter? You serve for thousands of years until… what?”
“Death or the Rapture.”
“Wow,” she said, sinking back onto her cot, staring up at the canvas. “Wow, that’s… Sariel, that’s slavery.”
“Oh, no, it’s an honour, to fight the good fight against evil and darkness. To lead humanity into the light and drive out the…”
“Demons?” she asked, her tone sardonic.
I winced. “Um…”
Lily sat up. "Gabriel sounds like an asshole," she said bluntly.
"He's not," I snapped, more fiercely than intended. "You don't know him. He's under a lot of pressure."
