We were all in colossalrot.
The wingtower was amess. Sofas had been torn. Gilded pillars had been dented. Tables had been broken. Glass shards had shattered throughout the great room. There was evidence of fire, water, earth, wind, and even metallic damage. Shredded wing feathers covered the floor. Worst of all.
There was golden blood everywhere. And several bodies lay sprawled in contorted fashions that confirmed they were no longer alive.
Among the dead were angels I didn’t recognize from Seventh Choir—but their robes had the Incense Order insignia—and Xadari Legionnaires who had the Fallenspawn mark, but weren’t from the Talons unit.
I bit my lip at the carnage. Stars. This was my doing. I’d started the fight that ended in this.
I looked up and found Farasee Esau, Davithius, and Kaelthos glaring between all of us. All the Seraphim had remained in theirfyusedforms. Most had arms raised with weapons drawn.
All the Talons were in offensive stances, glares on their faces, with their own ethèr drawn. We looked like we’d been stalled in the middle of a war zone. In all this, Ellabeth was still nowhere to be found. And the Farasees noticed.
“Where is Ellabeth Riventhelle?” Kaelthos asked, eyes searching diligently for her.
“She is resting in the mending chamber.”
We all turned to find Raephim Zara floating—head held high in her pristine blue robes—perched by her doors.
“Ellabeth came back from the trial…wounded. So I have been tending to her.” She leveled a look at Dakairi.
Hot rage filled my chest. The Farasees turned around themselves, glaring around, mainly at the Xadari Talons.
Farasee Davithius spoke up after assessing just how much damage we had done to the tower and to each other.
“How do you expect to win against the Fallen, when you are so busy destroying each other?”
“I’ll rot in the Hèls before Iwork withFallen,” an angel spat. Their smoke insignia was in the shape of a six. They were from First Dominion, Sixth Choir.
“This isn’t even your wingtower, Ascendant,” Davithius barked. “All of you who aren’t in Seventh Choir. Out.Now.”
Several angels got up and obeyed, immediately, flying out of our wingtower.
“As for the rest of you, wings down.”
No one moved.
I kept an eye on Quazar, while trying to keep the other on Farasee Kaelthos, who oddly, was staring at me. I kept my expression neutral, refusing to give away anything. My gut had been right. That boar of an angelhadhurt Ellabeth. Or at the very least, endangered her to where she was wounded enough to be laid up with our Raephim. I fumed for my best friend.Finding where Dakairi was floating, he and I made eye contact. I promised vengeance for Ellabeth. Dakairi simply winked at me.
This wasn’t over.
“Wingsdown.”
Davithius barked the order this time. Ifyusedback into my Seraphim skin, eyes still dancing between Quazar and Kaelthos. I hovered in the air, refusing to stand in the blood bathing the floors.
“This is disappointing and unacceptable,” Davithius began.
“Presbitari, they started it,” Daelun said easily, dropping to one of the broken couches.
“We just chose to finish it,” Omarion said, crossing his arms.
“Mess with one in our Choir,” Isandra said, raising her chin.
Amayah’s small voice filled the space after her. “And you mess with us all.”
Not an angel from Seventh Choir had avoided getting bloody.
“What say you, Anathelle?” Kaelthos asked.
