Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 118699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 593(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 593(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
No. He frowned. Neha had a niece, did she not? One she’d raised? Yes, he recalled her now. Princess Mahiya. An angel lovely and with wings as stunning as a peacock’s fan.
Clearly, there were things he didn’t know about Neha and Mahiya’s relationship if Neha was as alone in her grief as Alexander’s spymaster had reported.
Aloud, he said, “Is there any risk it could be one of the other Sleepers?”
Caliane shook her head. “I’ve consulted with Jessamy in the time since the skies altered. She says the Library has no record of such a perturbing waking for any other archangel in our history.”
She clenched her hand around the hilt of the sword she wore at her hip, her sleeveless tunic a faded cream and her pants leathers of the same shade. “Archangels wake in myriad ways, but the signs are always a thing of wonder and beauty. This is . . . foul in a way that makes mortals whimper and hide and immortals do much the same.”
“It’s also not apt to be one of those who went into Sleep with Cassandra,” Suyin said in her quiet voice, while Elena Deveraux ducked to the side as if listening to someone else. “Antonicus alone was wounded in a way that relates to these colors.”
“None of the others were even close to waking when I rose,” Zanaya added.
Elena Deveraux returned her full attention to the meeting. “Our lead squadron just overflew the area where Cassandra’s fire opened in the territory—they report no disturbances,” she said. “We get that her past behavior is no predictor as to her location, but it seemed a good idea to confirm.”
Alexander nodded, well appreciating the caution of Raphael’s consort and Tower.
“Then Neha’s right.” This from Aegaeon. “We meet again after Elijah’s return.”
Alexander didn’t miss the fact that Aegaeon hadn’t mentioned Raphael. Not exactly a surprise; Aegaeon continued to be humiliated that his son chose to serve the Archangel of New York rather than join his own father’s court. Alexander was in full sympathy with young Illium. Because where Aegaeon had squandered his child’s love, Raphael had earned the powerful young angel’s loyalty.
Now, the Ancient was one of the first to vanish after they agreed to the interval.
Titus remained onscreen after the others all followed suit. “Alexander, Zan,” he said. “We’ve had no signs of the reborn threat over the past two weeks. It might be that the original creature has either gone back into hiding, or died in the same sickly way as some of the reborn it made.”
Next to Alexander, Zanaya frowned. “You don’t think it’s Antonicus anymore.” A statement.
“With the sky altering color now . . .” Titus shrugged. “Should the signs not have been present earlier if this was him?”
It was a good question. “Do you sense him as you did before we flew to the cairn?” Alexander asked Zanaya, aware she’d shared her discomfiting ability with Titus.
She made a face. “No, not as then . . . but I do continue to get random snatches of sensation. Always pointing in the same direction.” Glancing up at Titus, she said, “I would ask, my friend, that you not lower your vigilance.”
“Never,” Titus promised. “Not until you confirm you no longer sense anything. Because even if it isn’t Antonicus, it does appear to be a dangerously intelligent reborn.” He glanced to the left. “I can see the skies through my window. They look to be clearing of the accursed color. I might fly out and shake the edginess off my wings.”
“We’ll talk again, Titus,” Zanaya said.
Alexander nodded a good-bye to his friend, said, “Let us hope Elijah and young Rafe have good news for us.”
After they ended the conversation, Zanaya turned to him. “Young Rafe?”
Wincing, he pressed the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. “I try not to do that, and it usually only comes out in conversation with friends. I can’t stop thinking of him as Callie’s mischievous boy—he once flew to my Refuge stronghold and infiltrated it. He was a babe at the time.”
Laughter from Zanaya. “Oh, you must tell me this story. Why did he do so?”
“Because he’d decided to set himself a challenge.” Hands on his hips, Alexander shook his head, then, as the two of them walked side by side to Zanaya’s chambers, he told her the full story of Raphael’s quest. “He was a smart, fearless boy. I always liked him.” Which was partially why he was so mortified by what he’d almost done prior to his Sleep.
“Nadiel and Caliane,” he continued, “raised him with love, but also taught him to be clever and self-reliant. With the two of them unable to live together always, the boy was well used to switching strongholds and courts, and I think it gave him a flexibility of thought that many of our kind lack. He was also intrepid—he began to fly between the two courts on his own at around seventy years of age.”