Morningstar snorted, but remained at Lucian’s side.
The group headed for the main door; movement outside minimal. Uriel eyed the windows higher up in the building for signs of life. Were their guards now?
As they opened the door a familiar human female paused and looked up. Her eyes widened at Morningstar and Lucian’s forms, mouth forming a big ‘O.’ Uriel recognized her as one of the helpers, but had little interaction with her after he woke up.
“We no longer serve non-humans here,” she said after a moment, a touch of fear in her voice.
“Where’s Wade?” Uriel asked. He needed confirmation. Maybe the seraph had survived despite Uriel’s instincts screaming otherwise.
She blanched. Her gaze flitted away from them.
“Where?” Uriel demanded again.
“Out back. There’s a spot off into the trees…”
Uriel glared at her a moment longer before spinning on his heel and heading out the door and around the building. The others followed, keeping close, but silent. The broken part of the gym left rubble of brick and open air to the remains of the building. Uriel kept going to the back and out a well-worn path into the woods.
They were first greeted with a human graveyard. The stretch of cross-shaped headstones made Uriel cringe, but each grave had a name, none of which was Wade. The path continued beyond the graveyard and the scent of decay trickled to his nose making his stomach roil. He walked down the trail, heart breaking more with every step. Another three dozen meters and a natural sort of ravine dipped the landscape off into the trees.
He stopped at the edge, peering down at dirt-stained wings. Not one, but easily a dozen. Raphael made a horrified sound, and gripped Uriel tight.
“Fuck,” Lucian cursed. Morningstar said nothing, but let Lucian hold him.
Uriel’s gaze paused on a swatch of bright red hair. Rage bubbled with the strength of his monster returning and he longed to transform into the beast and destroy them all. If he had magic in that moment, several centuries of accrued shadows, he may have done exactly that, but empty, all he had was his anger. He cursed the catalyst for a half second for gracing them all with useless emotions, but turned his gaze back toward the building.
“Hate is persistent,” Lucian whispered. “Some of it always slips through.”
“It’s often best to cut out the tumor while it’s still small,” Morningstar said, his focus on Uriel.
Uriel agreed, nodding for a second and stepping away from Raphael. He headed for the building. Would Raphael hate him for what he was about to do? It wouldn’t be the first time he visited horrors on the mortal races. He glanced at Raphael, whom he loved with everything he was. But Raphael, fists clenched at his side, appeared angry too, ready to punish. Even healers could be monsters.
Their eyes met and they nodded to each other, hearts in agreement as they turned to the building ready to show them the reality of their many stories of avenging angels.
Uriel arrived in the celestial realm, the sniveling doctor at his feet. He dropped the wounded human in the center court of the realm, staining all their white brightness with thick red blood. A dozen seraphim gasped in horror. Their white perfection blemished by the dark seeping stain of coming death for the human.
“Who gave him power?” Uriel demanded, spreading his wings, the navy, purple, and maroon feathers lined in silver cast a thousand shadows of color over everything. He traced the doctor’s power back to this pocket of the realm. Someone here betrayed everything he’d meant for his creation.
The seraphim stared at him, shocked, but not afraid. They hadn’t Fallen yet, their touch of mortal emotions was minimal. Uriel decided to change that. He thought to be benevolent like the catalyst and give his creation the choice, but he wasn’t that kind. Raphael hadn’t come with him. His lover stayed behind to tend the bodies of the Fallen and give them proper rest. Lucian and Morningstar transferred the few survivors remaining after Uriel destroyed the entire encampment of structures and anyone related to the hospital or guarding, to another human settlement.
No one answered him.
“Who gave this worm power?” Uriel demanded again.
“Your kind doesn’t belong here,” one of the seraphim said, turning away to offer his back to Uriel. “Take your filth away.”
Uriel stared at him another half second then grabbed the seraph, opened a portal, and hurled him into the human realm, ripping his celestial light from him. The magic Uriel took from the human doctor and a handful of his assistants gave him the strength to peel the light from the seraph and force him to Fall. He vanished from the celestial realm, cast into another unknown space, and Uriel didn’t care.
“Anyone else?”
They stared at him annoyed, some turning back to books of blank pages or staring into the light. Uriel snarled and flipped the table, scattering the blank pretense ofgoodnessthey represented. One by one he plucked the light from all of them, sending them into a Fall and another plane of existence, taking more magic until he felt like he’d burst from all the rage.
He caught a few dozen seraphim. The doctor died at their feet, blood spreading through the realm as if it would stain the source of light.
Raphael appeared, stepping free of a portal and wrapped his arms around Uriel. “Enough,” Raphael begged.
Uriel hesitated. The celestial realm looked like a war zone, filled with ruin, scattered white feathers, and blood, but Uriel had barely touched it. Lucian and Morningstar appeared a moment later out of a portal, Morningstar flushed, lips swollen.
“Fuck, you’re like a super battery boost,” Lucian muttered then gaped at the mess. “Okay, Uriel rage is reminiscent of biblical stories of Jesus. Duly noted. Don’t piss off the guardian seraph.”
