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“Where did you get it?” she asked, breaking the silence.
“Archangel Archson. She and Sylvester were able to find it and get it out. Don’t ask me how.”
“And how does it . . . work?” Maddy held the sword up higher. Immediately she could again feel its power flowing into her. The light reflecting off it was a brilliant golden hue.
“The evil and chaos of the demons can overwhelm an Angel fast. Their dark powers are often too strong. These Divine Swords were forged as equalizers. The Righteous Blade, they sometimes call it.” Jackson quickly pulled his sword from the sheath on his back. It made a smooth whoosh as he drew it in a flash. He sliced the dazzling blade deftly back and forth in the air in front of him before turning it over to examine it. Maddy noticed that GODSPEED was written distinctly on the hilt in gold, although the edges of the letters had slightly rounded with age. “When wielded by an Angel, a Divine Sword can slay a demon. The Dark Ones will fear them. And then they will fear us. For as long as we last, at least.”
“Jacks . . . ,” Maddy said. But she knew it was no good to try to sugarcoat their situation. Jacks was right. Even with the help of the Angels, they were all facing the end. What could forty Battle Angels do against an army? This was just how they would be facing their end. Everyone either hiding in a hole or coming out into the daylight to do what was right.
“I’ve betrayed the NAS, the Council, my stepfather,” Jackson said.
“It isn’t the first time,” she reminded him, her mind casting back to when Jacks saved her after Ethan McKinley’s party, sparking the whole train of events that led to the Angel hunt and showdown on the library tower. Where she’d saved him from his demon.
“But this is different, Maddy,” Jacks said. “I can feel it. It’s like I’ve taken a step forward in the dark, and my foot hasn’t landed yet. It just keeps going and going. And I don’t know when I will find solid ground. Or if I e
ver will.”
Maddy knew the exact feeling he was describing. It was the feeling she had during the premonition of the first demon attack, when she’d just kept falling, down into the abyss. It was absolutely terrifying.
Suddenly, a voice broke up her reverie. “What are you doing, Godspeed?” It was Tom.
He stood at the end of the hallway, hands on his hips.
“Tom, don’t—” Maddy rushed to step between them.
“Just giving Maddy something she should have had a long time ago,” Jacks said. He walked away without another word, and Tom watched him go.
Maddy glared at Tom. She didn’t need to say anything. And soon the pilot was left there, standing by himself.
• • •
The captain paced like a tiger in the bridge’s combat control room, binoculars hanging around his neck.
“Sorry about our earlier greeting, Godspeed. But there are protocols. I’m sure you understand,” Blake said, spinning around to face Jackson, who’d just joined the captain and a few of the Battle Angels in the combat control room. “Glad to have you and your Angels on board.” He reached forward and firmly shook hands with Jacks, who stood there solidly alongside Mitch.
On the captain’s side was his crew of elite fighter pilots, including Tom, who hung back slightly in the crowd. Maddy, in her flight suit, her hair drawn back into a ponytail, stood off to the side between the two groups. The pilots eyed the Angels warily. They had already been through battles. They were not going to be impressed just because some fancy Angels in black armor showed up.
But as for the Battle Angels, their presence—and intimidating appearance—was not to be taken lightly. Some of the most prestigious Guardians had joined Jacks, as well as a few of the most hardened Angel Disciplinary Council members. Emily Brightchurch was notably absent. The Angels looked squarely back at the pilots. They knew the consequences of leaving the sanctuary. There was no turning back for them.
“How do we know we can trust them?” said Tom, breaking the tense silence, saying what all the pilots were thinking. The air grew thick with unspoken accusations. Mitch started to step forward but held back when Jacks put up a hand.
The captain’s response was quick and to the point.
“Lieutenant Cooper, I know you have some strong opinions here. Some personal scores in the game,” Captain Blake said. “Son, personal grievances have no place in battle. This is war.”
“Sir, yes, sir,” Tom said begrudgingly, saluting. “But, sir, if I may, this isn’t personal. I’m thinking of our men. Sir.” He looked at Jackson out of the corner of his eye.
“You’re being borderline insubordinate, Lieutenant,” Captain Blake said, narrowing his eyes at Tom. “However, Lieutenant, just to amuse you and answer your question: there is no way of knowing whether we can trust the Angels.” Maddy watched Jacks take a long look at the line of stern-faced humans opposite him. “But we have no choice, do we? After what happened during the first wave, we’re lucky to still be on our feet. To be able to fight for our lives. And that’s what’s important. Not yesterday’s battles. But today’s.”
“Sir, where were they during the first wave, when Gonzo, Smitty, and Jamison got taken out?” an irate pilot asked. An angry murmur of voices among the pilots backed him up.
“That’ll be enough, Spader! What did I just—”
“Captain, may I speak?” said Jackson, stepping out of his line. Blake’s expression was severe, but he nodded at the Angel. “Thank you, sir. I just want to say that Spader is right. They’re all right. We should have been there. But we weren’t. We can’t bring your friends back. But we can fight now. And we will fight. Together. Humans and Angels.”
Maddy had never seen this side of Jackson before. It was a part of him she hadn’t even known had existed. A strange, foreign feeling swirled inside her.
“Now, let’s stop fighting and start planning,” Jackson said. “While we still have time.”
