I quickly took my position, kneeling on the floor as the angels appeared.
My curiosity peaked as I raised my eyes to not one, not two, but all three archangels of old.
In that moment, on my knees, shaken by absolute fear, I realized we were in big trouble.
Chapter Seven
My vision was blurred by the radiant burning light in front of me. I silently wondered if I was the only one brave enough to try to make eye contact.
It was a complicated enough feat with only Michael standing before me, but with all three of the angels? Crap, good luck with that, most people figured it out after they lost their ability to see.
The echo of the trumpet reverberated through the marble-floored room, and then complete silence fell over the room. The only thing audible was the sound of my own breathing. A tiny bead of sweat rolled down my cheek. I watched as it splashed onto the floor, appearing to drop in slow motion.
“Rise.” Michael’s voice rang crisp in the air.
In unison we got to our feet. All of the Seekers were gathered in one place. It’s the only time of day this would happen, since we work at night.
Never in my existence has Michael stepped foot inside our training arena. He had his own area he used for special purposes, but he didn’t join us. That was another reason I knew they’d brought bad news.
My eyes flickered to Gabriel and Raphael, both were figures I had only seen in battle when absolutely necessary.
Gabriel brought messages to and from the heavenly courts. He didn’t fight often, but when he did, let’s just say he caused a ruckus. He wasn’t exactly a rule follower when it came to combat. He’d level an entire city to kill one Phantom if that’s what it took.
Raphael, on the other hand, was the Healer. He carried vials of medicine with him, not that many of us ever needed it, but in the rare case of humans working with us, he had, at times, had to use his powers to heal others.
El had given him the ability to heal anything, but with that power came a responsibility I would never want. It’s too easy to become corrupt with that kind of power.
Michael himself dealt with spiritual beings who’d become corrupted by power. The same beings that fought on the side of the Phantoms. The Fallen, was how they were known, though many humans just called them demons.
Gabriel’s white eyes pierced through me. He nodded and then gave a sad smile that I knew wasn’t just reserved for the situation, but for what we would have to do later. His long, white hair cascaded in waves down his back, free of the ties that Michael’s had. His heavily muscled body was clad in golden armor. Again, not a good sign.
Michael, too, was in full armor. Everything shone with gold and bronze. All three of them were carrying swords that came up past my waist.
“We have confirmation.” Gabriel spoke first, stepping forward. “The Watchers have been freed from the Abyss.”
“Why?” My bluntness shocked me. I closed my eyes, hoping nobody heard. Instead Gabriel approached me. I gulped. We’ve never actually had a conversation before.
“Athena.” The way he said my name made me believe it was the most beautiful thing to ever cross his lips. “Your questions will be answered soon, but I, for one, am curious.” His head tilted to the side. “Why so much fear?”
I wanted to yell at him that I wasn’t afraid, but I was. I was terrified, and I couldn’t explain why. Ever since I’d awakened, I’d had this sickening feeling that my dream, the Phantom, the Watchers — it’s all connected, and I couldn’t help but feel I was somehow the missing piece.
“I see…” He stepped back. Shoot, I’d forgotten they could read what I’m feeling and thinking. “I wondered the same thing, Athena. We shall talk later, you and I. Agreed?”
I nodded my head, because really, what else was I supposed to do? Say no to one of the Originals? No way. No, thank you.
“The information we’ve received has been given to us at great cost.” Michael reached out and patted Raphael on the shoulder. A single diamond-shaped tear fell from Raphael’s face. “We have lost many good humans in retrieving this information. May they rest in peace with El.”
“May they find El,” we said softly in unison.
Out of the corner of my eye, Adonis made a gesture toward Michael. I wasn’t quick enough to see Michael’s response, but he immediately looked to me, alarm in his eyes. He then whispered something to Gabriel, who nodded his head and looked down.
Awesome. So great to be left out of the loop.
“Within the next few hours we will brief each of you on your assignments. Please stay as close to Headquarters as possible. Each of you will work in teams. If you still have a partner, then you will work with your partner. If not, then we will assign you someone.” Michael took a deep breath, the brightness of his body starting to fade. “One final thing.” His eyes flickered to mine. “The leader of the Phantoms has elected a right-hand man.”