I nod, though my eyes stay firmly fixed on his scythe. Ascythe. Isn’t that what the Grim Reaper carries? Or is that a sickle? I’m not too certain I know the difference between the two, actually... Abaddon’s weapon could be either.
“There’s a hidden door in the corner of the back room. If you press on the wall, it’ll open for you. Go all the way down the turret and into the basement. I’ll come get you when the alarm is dismissed.”
He doesn’t wait for me to agree before striding across the room, forcing his balcony doors open with a gust of wind.
When he bursts into flight, I swear the stone castle quakes from the intensity.
I wait approximately thirty seconds before I decide to sayfuck itto Abaddon’s order.
There’s an invasion. I know it. One glance out the window reveals a sky muddied with a swarm of locusts, all but confirming my suspicions. I can’t imagine there’s anything other than the Adversary that would trigger the entire army to mobilize.
But why?
Maybe they’re here for me. They could, somehow, know that I got close to deworming my biblical parasite yesterday. I struggle to imagine them having effective spies in the Abyss, but anything seems to be possible these days. It’s an even more ballsy move for them to attack this place, but they could be getting desperate... or they could know for certain they’d win.
Shit.
I’ll be damned if I just sit here and wait for them to pluck me from the castle.
I throw my shoes on and bolt to Abaddon’s secret door, but not for the reason he said. It’s a staircase; I’m on the second floor. This is the same wing as the dining hall. With any luck, there will be another door to the first floor, and I’ll be able to secretly find my way outside from there.
The stone wall moves out of the way, revealing a somewhat creepy, torchlit spiral staircase. But there’s no time for hesitation.
Barely avoiding tripping over my feet, I race down the stairs.
My luck holds out. I push open the first door I come across, and it spits me out in a pantry. The thought of Abaddon designing his castle to give him easy access to food just about makes me laugh; I can’t imagine him sneaking down here in his pajamas with the late-night munchies.
I race through an eerie, empty kitchen, into the dining hall, and out to the hallway. Adrenaline roars through my veins, clouding my mind but sharpening my instincts. If it wasn’t for the endless war drills I’ve been doing—attempting to reprogram all of myflight, fawn,andfreezeresponses into something that will actuallyfight—I probably would be knee-deep into a panic attack by now.
The uncanny hum becomes louder with each breath, reaching a roar before I’ve even made it to the iron-studded side door. My brain feels like it’s rattling around in my skull, but I persevere, pushing against the door without slowing down.
It doesn’t budge.
I hiss, glaring at the sharp explosion of pain in my shoulder like I’m not responsible for it. Because I’m really not. How am I supposed to know the door that’s never locked would suddenly be locked in an emergency! That’s a goddamn fire hazard. Do they seriously not have building codes in angel society?
Turn back towards the corridor, I let out a frustrated groan. The next closest door outside that I know of is the main entrance. And if we’re really under attack, I don’t have time for this.
I take a quick breath before bolting down the long halls as fast as I can sustain. It feels like an eternity before I finally reach the foyer. My lungs are burning, and I have to pause under the chandelier to catch my breath.
“I. Fucking. Hate. Running.”
Glancing up, I find two heavily armored locusts standing guard at the regal front doors, which I assume are also magically barred. They’re staring at me, likely due to the fact that I was just talking to myself. I doubt that’s something they see often around here.
I straighten, not bothering to act any less exhausted, and wave an unenthusiastic hand towards the doors. “I need you to let me out.”
“Miss Kae,” one says, “I apologize, but we’re currently under a lockdown.”
As if I can’t fucking tell.
For a brief moment, I pause to look up at the ceiling, mutteringcomplaints and expletives under my breath.
Then, I proceed to walk towards the bulky, male locusts. My face becomes flat in determination. The wheels inside my head start turning, working a lie into existence.
“I have to go to the training yard. Right now. It’s a direct order.”
They quickly look at each other, exchange a nod, and immediately move to open the door. I have to school the shock out of my expression; I genuinely didn’t think that would work. I might actually be getting better at bullshitting my way through life?—
As soon as the heavy metal doors part, a roar slips in that is absolutely deafening. I clasp my hands over my ears, but I’m a second too late. The vibrations in the air rattle my brain around in my skull, and I have to fight a wave of nausea just to look up.
