The angels bounce off the walls and clatter into the bannister.
Architecti catches her sister’s foot, swings her round and hurls her through the Veil tear.Her moth darts around the cut, flying up and down in rapid, jerking movements and then it settles.
The tear is gone.
And so is Interitus.
But the way Architecti is staring at me, I’m not sure that’s any better.
She flaps her wings, descending through the spiral until she reaches our level.She raises her hands, palms out, at us.
“I mean you no harm,” she says.
Midnight pushes me behind her.“What do you want?”
“To help.”
Midnight folds her arms, the scepticism rolling off her.
“What do you really want?”I say and gesture for her to come and talk to us in the corridor of the floor we’re on.
She lands gracefully and shrugs her wings away.
“What I really desire is to put a stop to my sister.”
“You took her moth, you left her powerless, what more do you need?”Midnight says, taking my hand and pushing me behind her.
Architecti smiles.It’s sad, and my chest hurts looking at her.“If you think that is enough to stop her, you are mistaken.Especially not when Lucy exists,” she says.
“What does that mean?”I ask.
“It means that you are a weapon.One that I created knowing you would have the power to defeat Interitus if the time came.”
“Why should I help you?”
“Because I am assuming you’ve not been able to get back to Ora?”
I shake my head.
Architecti nods, knowingly.“Then I am willing to give you a piece of my soul.You can return home, live your life with your… love.”She glances at Midnight, leaving those words hanging in the air so much heavier than they should be.
Midnight swallows hard.I file away her response for later.
“And all I have to do is help you stop your sister?”I ask.
Architecti shrugs.“It’s a little more complex than that.You need to learn to control your power, and then perhaps you can help me, yes.”
Midnight squeezes my wrist.“I don’t like it.If it sounds too good to be true…”
“I’m an angel, Midnight, what could you have to fear from me?”
“Tell that to Interitus.”
“She is fallen.I was pushed.I just want to help,” she shrugs.
I nudge Midnight.“We don’t have a choice.If I stay here, Interitus will keep hunting me.This is a win-win.Architecti wants rid of her, and so do we.”
Architecti’s smile broadens so much it lights up her entire face.She radiates light and warmth and yet, there is still a hardness beneath her gaze.I can’t quite pinpoint what, but there is something about her that unsettles me.
