I don’t regret it, I don’t regret it, I don’t regret it.I repeat this in my mind, convincing myself that my decision was just. I shut my eyes and roll my head back to rest on my shoulders for a moment. I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t fully understand how my choice affected other angels. And while I testified to the Archangels, for a second, Itrulybelieved that the violation wouldn’t come to light. I thought wrong—nothing new.
I open my eyes and catch a glimpse of her through my peripheral vision. Her regal demeanor rivals the Archangels’. Her eyes, open and alert, remain on the Archangels as they deliberate. I see a calmness in her expression I didn’t see before… As though she’s given up and accepted whatever fate lies ahead of us.
Stephen sits on the stone bench across the room from us, pinning her with his malignant dark eyes. Instead of shying away, she turns to look at him, piercing him with her own gaze. I don’t know their history, but I find his glare foolish and petty. He appears to be around my age, if not a little older. Obviously, he died before me—otherwise, he wouldn’t be strutting around the headquarters this arrogantly—but his physical appearance doesn’t surpass the age of thirty.
His beady eyes—so brown they’re nearly black—continue to bore into Cleo’s. Finally, she looks away, glancing back at the Archangels with an unimpressed sigh. He narrows his eyes further before turning his attention toward me. Damn, where’sthe movie popcorn when you need it? I point my hand to my chest and mouth, “You mad at me, bro?”tossing him a shit-eating grin and raising a brow.
This is entertaining. Not as fun as messing with Jasper, but still fun.
Suddenly, someone clears their throat—Luke. The Archangels settle back into their thrones, except Annalise, who remains on her feet.
“Wouldn’t want to interrupt your staring contest,” Nial drawls, leaning back in his throne and flashing a quick look at Cleo before looking down. “We’ve deliberated and come to a decision. Please rise.”
He motions for us to stand. Annalise takes center stage now—it almost seems as though she’s been leading this procession. I wonder if they take turns leading Guardian rulings.
“Kai Greene, believe what you may, but you’re not the first Guardian who has crossed the veil to reveal himself. You certainly won’t be the last. Dozens of angels have revealed themselves intentionally to living beings on Earth. Some have revealed themselves with intentions to impress living beings, seeking glory. Others revealed themselves as a show of power, exerting dominance over the living."
I hear a soft gasp from beside me. Good, I’m not the only one who’s shocked.
"As Archangels, we do not reveal the identities of those who break this divine law. Instead, we tend to wipe them from afterlife existence, banishing them for taking advantage of their divine power in selfish ways. These banished beings become fallen angels—stripped of their divine light and forced to remain in the shadows of the land below for all eternity.”
I gulp, readying myself for impact. I’ve never been a fan of the dark.
“However, itisrare for an angel to cross over the veil to reveal themselves for the purpose in which you did. Therefore, we do not find it necessary to banish you from the realm permanently,” Jessenia affirms with a soft smile. A sigh of relief escapes me, while Stephen’s jaw drops in disbelief.
“You got me good. I thought I was about to be forced into a never-ending emo phase.” I push my hand through my hair nervously. They don’t laugh this time. Maybe they’re too old to understand that one.
“Despite your pure intentions, we must maintain order in the afterlife,” Jessenia replies, losing her smile. “We must punish you—and Cleo—for this act.”Damnit.
“We’ve determined the suitable punishments, which read as follows…” Luke holds out his hand, and a talisman flies into it from the pillar of light behind him. He begins to read.
“First, Mr. Greene will remain in the Middle Realm indefinitely.
“Secondly, Mr. Greene will work in the Library of the Sky indefinitely.
“Thirdly, Mr. Greene will not be awarded his wings indefinitely.
“And finally, Mr. Greene will be prohibited from visiting Earth indefinitely.”
The temperature in the room drops as my entire body tenses—the same way it did during the car accident right before I died and joined the stars.
Indefinitely.
Being forced to stay in the Middle Realm to work in a dusty-ass library for an indefinite amount of time sounds like my own personal hell. The Archangels know exactly what they’re doing.I can think of no worse way to spend my afterlife. Hell, being a dark fallen angel would’ve probably been more fulfilling than this.
“If I may, Your Grace,” Matt speaks up for the first time since the ruling started. Luke nods at him, permitting him to continue. “Not receiving his wings and being forced to stay in the Middle Realm seems a little harsh, given his pure intentions.”
“We must maintain order.” Luke tightens his jaw. “The fact of the matter is, Kai broke our most sacred divine law by crossing the veil and revealing himself to his sister. This cannot be undone. To avoid punishment, we’d need to revise the sacred rules, and we cannot do so without convening with the Seraphim in the realm above. As such, we cannot simply ignore this. He must be punished.”
“Quite frankly, he should be grateful we aren’t resorting to banishment,” Nial adds, narrowing his eyes. I press my lips together and nod my chin at Matt.Thanks, buddy, I know you tried, but I’m doomed either way.
“Moving on.” Luke clears his throat, turning his attention to Cleo. “Cleo, your punishment reads as follows:
“Cleo Graves will be suspended from her Watcher position from this day forward until we see fit. Instead, Ms. Graves will be tasked with watching the Guardian she failed to watch properly—Kai Greene.
“She will aid him in the Library of the Sky.
“She will ensure he does not travel between realms.”
