“It’s just . . . you could have brought it up?”
“She could have too,” I retorted as we flew past the Guild’s barrier, the security wards rippling along my wings as I flew into the open air.
“What?” he huffed as he glanced at me while we flew toward The Rift. “You’re three centuries old. You can’t be serious . . .”
My eyes narrowed at him. “What would you have me do? Just call her up and say ‘let’s talk about our starbound mark.’”
“If I haven’t said it before,” he replied, “she’s quite the lucky angel. With eloquent words like that, how could she possibly want anyone else?”
“Fuck off,” I muttered as we flew past the Lighthaven District, growing closer to the meeting point. Townhomes and apartments passed beneath us as we flew over a more residential district in Aurum Quarter. From this height, I could still spot young angels testing out their affinities in the streets as we flew past. “It just doesn’t feel like a conversation to have over the phone.”
“Well,” Eleana chimed in as she joined us mid-flight. “If you took my advice, you wouldn’t be in this position.”
“You gave me your adviceafterI’d already made the decision to wait to tell her we were starbound,” I bit out as I began to angle my wings down.
“So, she still hasn’t mentioned the mark?” Eleana mused from the other side of me as we flew closer to The Rift.
“No,” I snapped as I prepared to land. “And just to answer your other questions, she hasn’t mentioned it. I haven’t mentioned it. Wearestarbound. I’m not sure how I will bring up the topic when I see her, and I haven’t decided what I will say. Now, for the love of Aeternus, can we focus on the current mission at hand?”
“Remind me to stay on your good side today,” Axel replied as we touched down at the designated location, taking note of the number of soldiers moving about.
Glancing past Axel, I took in the lines of soldiers in flight formation, standing alongside the edge of The Rift. Even from here, you could hear the eerie howls drifting up the depths of the divide. Dark plumes of onyx fog swarmed the abyss as far as the eye could see. In the far distance, I swore I heard another scream drowning in its depths as The Rift claimed another victim.
“Shit, man,” Axel cursed beside me as he stared over the edge of the divide into pure darkness. “I’ve crossed this stars-damned Rift too many times for comfort this summer.”
I nodded beside him, every fiber in my being tensing as I stared into the depths, Elion’s voice sounding in the distance, calling the troops into formation as they began to prepare to take flight across The Rift.
It didn’t matter how well-trained the formations were, or how well they practiced their aerial flights. The likelihood of the units making it across The Rift and still being in the same formation was slim to none.
Not to mention, we hadnever, in the history of the divide, attempted to transport this many angels across The Rift at one time.
Axel and I headed over to our unit, joining the ranks alongside the Guild members chosen for this mission. I felt Elion’s presence before he stopped beside me, his eyes narrowing as he held my gaze.
“You lead according to the Guild’s code . . . you are spies, but more than that, you hold the values of the Aurelian Guild. You know what is expected of you—you have your orders from the Eternal—don’tlet me down. Don’t let the Guild down.” His eyes pierced mine, his tone tight as I nodded in acknowledgment of the orders.
Then the signal was called, and I lifted my wings, stretching them wide as I walked toward the edge of Aurum Quarter, flanked by Axel and Eleana. Together, we stepped off the edge and were swallowed up by the shrouds of darkness.
I don’t knowhow long we flew through the darkness, unable to see more than mere feet in front of ourselves as we followed the dim light glowing through the onyx fog. We’d only made it a few wing beats into the flight before I heard a disgruntled scream from up ahead. I felt wings beating on either side of me as we flew in formation, staying focused on the path forward. I prayed to the Eternal as we pushed deeper into the divide, waiting until, faintly in the distance, a glowing light seemed to appear, calling me to follow it.
Another scream rang out from our aerial cohort, and then shouts followed.
“Watch your wings!” some yelled from up ahead.
“There’s no stars-damned light!” another voice shouted. “I can’t see where I’m going!”
“Stick to formation!” I heard Axel’s voice from beside me, though based on the way his voice echoed in the mist, he was further away than he should have been.
“Watch your flank!” another voice shouted, then I heard a series of shouts. My eyes narrowed, unable to see anyone around me.
I found myself being thrown to the side, a visceral curse slipping from my lips as the angel in front of me collided into me, sending us spinning out of control.
Mist wrapped around me, the chill soaking through my bones as I struggled to regain control of my wings, the mist itself fighting against me as I spiraled downward.
“Fuck!” The word slipped from my lips as shrieks sounded around me, my wings fighting to stabilize as I spun out of control. Fear shot through me as I felt my body descending deeper into The Rift, the golden glow I’d been following disappearing from my vision.
With a disgruntled noise, I managed to stabilize my wings, my left wing twisting sharply at the forced movement, and I halted my spiral, slowly flapping my wings to hold myself steady. Narrowing my eyes, I found myself surrounded by pure darkness from all sides, the black mists sinking into me, attempting to claw into my very being.
My lips murmured as I prayed the light would reappear to guide me toward the other side. But I could do nothing as I stayed where I was, holding myself mid-air.
