Daystar (14 page)

Her wings vibrated into a blur.
 
She concentrated and touched each one of the Fallen.
 
Flames and electricity swirled around Berith’s head.
 
Andy vibrated with sonic power.
 
Paimon lit up with green light and radiation.
 
Helion twitched and grew dizzy.
 
Four wings of captured light returned to them in shades of blue, green, and white.
 
Their lamin sigils burned bright on their foreheads and fizzled, fading to nothing.
 
They were fallen angels no longer.
 

Helion looked over his shoulder to see he had four white wings.
 
“But I was not Archangel before.”

Dahlia folded her arms.
 
“Well you are now; one of Lucifer’s to replace Belial.”

Helion smiled and took Whitney’s hand.
 
Whitney looked him over.
 
“You’ve still got the crazy eye, black and blonde hair.”
 
She shook her head.
 
“Still a magpie.”

Andrealphus flapped his sky-blue wings, reveling in the sensation of power.
 
“We are his Archangels again.”

Berith nodded.
 
“No longer Fallen.”

Paimon leaned against Andy; he was still blind.
 
“What is our purpose now?
 
What is the point?”

Sunlight glowed on the horizon.
 
The morning star glittered, heralding the coming of the sun.
 
Dahlia let the light wash over her.
 
“Getting Lucifer, but first, there are a few things we need to set in order.
 
Come, let us go below.”

***

Michael and Uriel hovered directly above the new shield.
 
Samuel flew behind them; he swooped down to brush the surface.

Gabriel hung back.
 
“I would not if I were you.”

Samuel ignored him and touched it anyways.
 
The light and substance stabbed at his hand, jolting him with enough force to send him careening backwards.
 
Michael and Uriel watched him go.
 
The pair backed away from the shield in unison.

Uriel ordered one of his underlings to don a pendant and fly through the shield.
 
The angel did so without qualms.
 
The angel hit the shield and vaporized.
 
Uriel frowned.
 
“Unfortunate.”

Michael looked back at Gabriel.
 
“Explain this.
 
Explain again how you lost your machine.”

Gabriel scratched his head.
 
“Dahlia has her—”

“Ladriam, her name is
Ladriam
.
 
We do not call that thing
Dahlia
.”

Gabriel nodded.
 
“She was four-winged and very angry.”

“And you let her destroy the machine.”

Gabriel raised his eyes to stare into Michael’s.
 
“When have
you
gone alone against a Primangel in power?”

Michael leveled his spear at Gabriel.
 
“Learn when not to speak, what not to say.
 
How is it that the shield changed?”

Gabriel kept his eyes on the spear.
 
“She recollected the human energy and put it to use in the shield.
 
It is stronger now.”

Samuel rejoined the group.
 
He pointed at Raphael and Selaphiel.
 
“Why are they not punished?”

Uriel sneered.
 
“Yes, why is that, Michael?”

Michael looked annoyed.
 
“He does not wish it, there is a plan and Raphael can do naught else but heal that which is wounded.
 
I am sure she was an appealing triage patient.”
 
He glared at Raphael.
 
“Tell me, does she have two or three sets now?”

“Two,” Raphael spoke quietly.
 
“The third set can only be given by another Primangel at full-strength or one that is higher.”

Uriel smiled.
 
“That at least is something.
 
She is as strong as we are, but not more so.
 
We have more than—”

“No.”
 
Raphael shook his head.
 
“With two wings she will have the ability to restore the others to Archangel.”

Michael went pale.
 
“
What?!
 
I thought she needed their seed feathers!”

Selaphiel stepped in front of Raphael, silent.
 
Raphael spoke from around his shoulder, “Primangels can heal the others without needing seed feathers.
 
Did you not know?”

Michael snapped his teeth at Raphael.
 
“No!
 
Why did you not share this pertinent information?”

Raphael looked confused.
 
Selaphiel spoke in his place, “We knew that she could do this before, in the past when Furcas was damaged.
 
She restored him and granted him his second set of wings.
 
Perhaps you should have anticipated this?”
 

Michael grabbed Selaphiel by his throat.
 
“Do not speak to me like this!”

Selaphiel glared at him coldly and smiled.
 
“You were never one to think ahead or to consider consequences, just like your brother.”

Michael growled.
 
“You are far too pleased by this development.”

Selaphiel shrugged.
 
“I am pleased when prayer and plans are seen through, that is all.”

“What do you mean?”

Selaphiel looked away.
 
“Some things are fated and it is not my place, nor yours, to stand in the way of that.”

Uriel flew in closer.
 
“You know what will happen?”

Selaphiel looked him over.
 
“I can see the patterns.”

Jegudiel flashed into space.
 
He gaped at the scene.
 
“We are summoned back to the throne.”

***

Banners of black and blue hung from the towers in the City, the lights overhead burned red.
 
The new and restored Archangels stood on the Grand Promenade.
 
Around them wounded Lilliam waited on healers.
 
Medics rushed between groups.
 
Others focused on repairs to the City.
 
The mood was morose.

Dahlia rubbed her temples.
 
“I am leaving.”

Helion frowned.
 
“But we just got back.”

“Yes, so
you
can rest.
 
I need to go.”

Berith stabbed a finger her direction.
 
“You are not storming Heaven alone.”

Dahlia shook her head.
 
“Of course I am not.
 
I have things to set in order.”

Belial eyed her.
 
“Someone should go with you then if that is
all
you have to do.”

“Why?”

Andy stood next to Belial.
 
“So you don’t storm Heaven on your own.”

“I just said—”

“We know what you said,” Apple spoke from Berith’s side.
 
“But Lucifer lied in the past, I’m sure you can too.”

Dahlia folded her arms.
 
“Fine.
 
Whitney and Helion.”

Belial shook her head.
 
“No way—”

“Why not?”

“My brother is a pushover and no offense, Whitney, but you’re new to this, not exactly in full possession of your strengths.”
 
Belial grimaced as pain grew in her chest.
 
“None of your Archons are ready, Dahlia.
 
This type of power is new, even to me.”

Dahlia nodded.
 
“So spend some time here getting used to it.
 
If you do not think Helion and Whitney are enough then Berith, you and Apple come with me too.”

Belial nodded, mollified.
 
“That is better.”

Dahlia looked to Apple and Berith.
 
“That is, if you desire to.”

Apple opened her wings.
 
“Let’s go!”

Berith smiled at his fiancée.
 
“Your mother will kill you if you do not say hello before leaving.
 
After all of this.”

Apple waved to the air.
 
“She’ll be fine—”

Daphne materialized behind her daughter and wrapped her in a hug.
 
“No I won’t be fine.
 
You become an Archangel and suddenly family doesn’t matter anymore?”

Apple blushed.
 
“Of course it matters!
 
But I have power now; I can really do things to help!”

Helion rubbed Whitney’s shoulders as she rested against him.
 
“What are we going to do?”

Dahlia looked towards the ceiling.
 
“I have some promises to keep.
 
We still have threats on the surface.”

Belial flicked out her talons.
 
“Now that we do not have the machine to worry about we can kill all of the humans right?”
 
She grinned.
 
“I want to go to the surface too!”

Dahlia cut the air with her hand.
 
“That ends now.
 
The animosity stops.”
 
She looked past her Fallen to the Lilliam royalty.
 
“No more killing, no more warring.”

Berith frowned.
 
“But they are designed to kill Lilliam.”

Dahlia nodded.
 
“I am well aware, but they are my body and blood and I am going to put a stop to that in my own fashion.
 
This is not a vote.
 
This is my decision and you will all obey it.”

One by one, they bowed their heads.
 
Dahlia nodded.
 
“We leave shortly.”
 
She grabbed Andy and Belial and pulled them away from the group.
 
She spoke quietly, “You two must watch over Paimon.
 
Do not let him out of your sight for a second.”

Andy frowned.
 
“You think he will try to kill himself?”

Dahlia nodded.
 
“I know he will.
 
If it were me in his place, I would do the same.
 
Will you both promise me this?”

Belial nodded.
 
“Yes.”
 
She held back tears.
 
“He is our family.”

Dahlia released them.
 
“We should be back before the sun goes down above.”

Andy took a deep breath.
 
“When do we…should we…have a service for Furcas today, soon?”

Dahlia stared at her hands searching for something there.
 
“Midday tomorrow when the sun is at its zenith above this place.
 
We shall hold it then.”
 
She left them and walked back to the others.

Tracy and her husband Nodin joined the Lilliam on the Promenade.
 
Tracy gaped at Dahlia.
 
“I want to fly too!
 
Why does
Whitney
get wings?”

Dahlia rolled her eyes.
 
“Throw yourself off a cliff; I am sure you will fly long enough for someone to catch you before you hit the ground.”

Tracy rubbed her heavily pregnant abdomen.
 
“I have not been lucky the last few hours.”

Nodin pointed at her knees and bare feet.
 
“She has been stubbing her toes, and she tripped twice.”

Tracy pointed to her horns.
 
“I got a chip!”

Dahlia put her hands to Tracy’s stomach.
 
“I do not think that is unlucky, I think that is normal.”

“But I am not normal, I am lucky in everything,”

Dahlia smirked.
 
“Your child is cancelling that out.”

Tracy leaned on her husband.
 
“Our child is going to be bad luck?”

Dahlia shrugged.
 
“Seems that way; perhaps anti-luck might be a better term.”
 
She pointed.
 
“I can change her.”

“Her?
 
No.”
 
Tracy rubbed her stomach.
 
“Don’t change her.
 
Anti-luck we can deal with.”

Whitney laughed.
 
“Now you’ll have regular luck like the rest of us.”

Tracy glared and flipped her off.
 
“Whatever,
corpse
.”

“Hey, I’m not undead anymore!”

Celeste jumped on Whitney’s back and pulled her to the ground.
 
“When did you get these?”