The searing sting on his cheek had long since faded, but Nico pressed a hand to the wound to feel the jolt of pain another time.
She scratched him.
Not once had Vanity ever raised a weapon against him like this. But when she struck, she planted her attack with intent and malice; enough to remove skin from where she touched in an effort to make him hurt. To wound him.
Wherever his sister was in that coldhearted facade, she had fallen so deep down into a sunken place that he wasn't sure if he could get her out.
But that was his sister. One third of his heart. For her, he would try, and try, and try again.
Early morning wind blew through Nico's hair as he came to the skyscraper's rooftop and got to work on one of the greenhouse's industrial windows. The lock to the door gave way with a rusty creak, and before he could slip through the crack, the last of his power collapsed in on itself. The world around him grew in size, its smells and sounds blaring at his fragile senses. A slight wave of nausea rocked him back and forth, and at last, he crawled on all four paws through the opening, into the garden.
Her tiny legs ached from the strain of leaping over sagging branches and prowling through tall brush. She needed a nap, but what spurred her onward was the last thing she heard in that abandoned lounge.
I can when I hold all the keys.
Luca pushed herself into a jog. Seokjin would be making his rounds at this time of sunrise, and if she wasn't too late she might still be able to find him somewhere near the clock. With an admirable roar, she bound through the last entanglement of garden and skidded to a stop.
Jin was in his pajamas, staring at the sky with Grey on his arm. She'd been resting her head on his shoulder until she noticed Luca. Lightly coughing and straightening herself up, she bent down to be closer to the cat's eye level.
"Luca? Is that a scratch on your cheek?"
Luca meowed instead of speaking. Frustrated with herself, she turned in circles as she tried to work out the proper words. Confronting Vanity stole more power than she anticipated. It had taken parts of her voice. She willed it back as best as she could.
"The book," Luca croaked. "I know who has the book."
:::
Grey rubbed her eyes, regretting not going back to sleep when she woke up so early this morning. Plenty of different thoughts stole her concentration before dawn, and none of them were willing to give sleep the rest of her time. Like the fact that Yoongi had a pet name for Variel, and in one night she mindlessly danced around her own grave by irritating two demons that were minding their business. Plus, the Koya chopsticks, the man in the hood sitting next to her and Yoongi at the bar that probably overheard everything, Yoongi's proposed fighting lessons.
By the time she removed herself from bed, she'd developed an intense desire to return to the 42nd floor where she could focus on anything else but herself. And by her luck, she also found a sleepy Jin a good hour before running into Luca.
Speaking of Luca... three claw marks formed striped on the side of her face, nearly shaving off a piece of her whiskers. That couldn't have been an accident. That was an attack. And it still looked raw even though it may have already dried.
Grey couldn't take her mind off of it as the cat paced on a library table, brilliant eyes withdrawn in thought. Jin took a seat next to Grey, holding her hand even though it wouldn't stop shaking in rage.
"Luca," she addressed her pet, "Where is the scratch from?"
"Please wait until the others arrive," she responded.
"I want to, but I can't sit here peacefully without knowing who hurt you."
Luca remained in her daze, a prisoner of her own mind. "It is only a scratch, there was nothing meant by it."
Jin laid a hand on Grey's shoulder. It stopped the girl from asking further questions, but it didn't stop her blood from boiling. The doors to the library opened slowly, Jungkook, Jimin, Hoseok, and Yoongi filing in one after the other. A few meters behind, Taehyung and Namjoon shuffled towards the reading tables. All of the angels and Grey rounded the table, each of them looking to Luca for further instruction.
"I have called this emergency meeting because I have discovered new information regarding Gatekeeper."
Namjoon trained his gaze on Grey while he asked, "How did you find that?"
Grey shifted in her seat, ignoring that sharp clarity in his eyes to listen to her pet.
"I sought out Vanity, she gave herself away."
Grey slammed her hand onto the table. "You sought her out? She scratched you?"
Luca avoided answering that. "I did not want to assume that she possessed the book, as I thought that if it was out of our reach then it was also out of hers. However, seeing that we have tirelessly searched the globe to no avail, it would logically lead to it being under someone's care."
"What are you implying?" Jin asked.
"I am asking for your thoughts. Would you be willing to retrieve the book from my sister?"
Namjoon stilled, so did Hoseok and Jimin. Yoongi's eyes instantly darted from Grey's back to Luca, a gesture that Grey returned wholeheartedly from her own shock. Jin sighed while Taehyung covered his mouth and Jungkook clenched his jaw.
"Though I am your superior, I would never assign you all to a mission that you do not completely respect," Luca finished. "Taking the book would give us an advantage in returning to our realm. Gatekeeper is powerful enough to send at least two souls to another place. Whether their destinations can be different, I would have to discover for myself. But the Blood Moon approaches and it will provide a rapid influx of celestial power on top of the weapon's power. At this rate, without the blade, we are as close to surviving as we were when we first landed on this planet."
Each angel exchanged glances. Bewilderment, reservation, glimpses of fear dwelled in their eyes. So did flat-out rejection of the idea.
Hoseok's disapproval was the most obvious by his downturned, heart-shaped pout. "Did you think this all the way through?"
Taehyung growled, "With all due respect, hyung, watch your tone. That is our King."
"No," Luca interrupted Hoseok's rebuttal, "his frustration is warranted. I will not enforce titles or rank. We are in an extremely vulnerable state."
"How vulnerable?"
Everyone turned to Grey at her question. She sat back, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as the weight of the Council pressed on all sides of her. It was like they had forgotten she was in the room.
Namjoon leaned against the bookshelves. "If we really take into consideration the amount of time we've been on Earth--,"
"Be honest," Jin warned.
Joon nodded slowly, dimples sinking as he said, "Extremely."
"If you had to fight her right now, in this room, could you win?"
Jin rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, staring at them while considering the odds. It seemed like everyone in the room caught the movement, then burned into her with their gaze. Her cheeks reddened involuntarily.
"Not in a straight confrontation. We would need to plan carefully," Jin said.
Grey scoffed. "Is she really that strong?"
Hoseok crossed his arms. "Once she gets into your head, she has permanent control."
"Paralysis, hallucinations that appear to be real, hijacking bodies," Namjoon explained. "Anaphiel has powers that are equivalent to one another. For example, Hoseok's wings are just as valuable and strong as Jungkook's sword. We can best one another by exploiting weaknesses or openings for a strike. But if you hold our powers side by side, there is no winner. With that knowledge, say she gets into one of our bodies, our minds."
Grey had trouble picturing the angels fighting amongst one another, but she tried to conjure an image as Namjoon further painted the picture. "We'll use my mind for this hypothetical situation. I have an archive of knowledge on everyone's weaknesses and strengths. I know our plans, I know our backup plans. She not only gains that information, but can use me like a puppet to go after someone else."
Taehyung closed his eyes while Jimin said, "And how can you combat that?"
So, if they weren't careful, Vanity would know the entire layout of the attack. Not only that, but she would turn the Council against itself. She would pick them apart one by one if they had so much as a crack in their mental defenses. Going against her was going against oneself; a snake eating it's own tail.
She was Queen of Angels for a reason.
Then again, she was also Aelith, general of the Severed Realm. Maybe that made it ten times worse. Military experience, soldiers at her hand and foot, pure and concentrated hatred for everything good and pure in the world.
"Shit," Grey mumbled.
"Everything we've said is negative," Jungkook stepped forward, leaning onto the reading table next to Grey's head. She passively admired his flexing arms. "What do we have on our side?"
Luca sat on her hind legs. "You tell me. Unless we have already lost this much of our identities."
"We have a Wraith," Yoongi suggested, then yawned. Grey couldn't help but smile.
"Jungkook's right," she said. "Not that it's my place to comment, but everything you've said is about how you can't do this. I've seen your powers. You guys are amazing. She's a Scepter, but you guys are Archangels for crying out loud. There's power in numbers."
"She's so cute," Jimin said.
Luca and the other angels nodded collectively. While she was flattered, she frowned. "I'm not trying to be cute, I'm trying to make you open your eyes." She turned to Jungkook, "You saved my life in an alley by cutting a demon in half. Not horizontally, vertically. Down his spine."
Jungkook awkwardly pushed off the table and rubbed absentmindedly at his shoulder. She turned to Jin. "You put me in your shadow tornado a while back when I first came to this skyscraper, and I was convinced you were stealing the air from my lungs. I forgive you for that."
"Namjoon," Grey called. The intelligent man raised his chin a bit to listen. "I heard a story about you killing irkans with chopsticks and a tablecloth. The chopstick part I might understand with the addition of superhuman force behind them. But the tablecloth? Tablecloths are better blankets than murder weapons."
He chuckled, a few others joining in. She sweetly detached herself from Jin and crossed her arms. "The seven of you are freaking lethal, and I don't need to see everyone's powers to know that."
"Thank you for that, Grey." Luca cleared her tiny throat. "It will be a challenge, I understand. Please, think this decision over throughout the day. If we are to move, we must move fast. We will reconvene this afternoon to further discuss. I hope for a clear answer before nightfall. Go forth into your day."
"I should have gotten coffee before this," Hoseok sighed. Yoongi clapped him on the back.
Grey and Jin stood from their seats. The other angels shuffled towards the exit, hushed conversations filling the library. As Grey was about to follow, Luca said, "Grey, stay behind."
She waited by the reading tables until the others were out of sight. The cat sighed.
"I will not apologize for seeking my sister. She is my blood, and together she and I are one of the three guiding stars. Our quarrels will remain between us."
Grey said, "I understand."
"As Namjoon informed you, we are in a very vulnerable state. Morale is low. We have not been exposed to such intense battle in years. If they enter Vanity's dwelling with this mindset, we will not stand a chance."
"What do you need me to do?"
"I am not asking you to love them, I am asking you to empower them. What you said at this table lightened the mood dramatically, and that is the effect of your presence. Pour your positivity and light into this household, and perhaps they will see past the risk towards the reward. Can you do that? If not for me, then at least for the sake of Gatekeeper."
Grey wrapped her arms around her cat, careful not to brush the scratch on her cheek. "For you, I'll do it."
"Thank you," Luca responded. Grey left her alone in the library. When the doors shut, a black cloud of smoke produced Yoongi. His smirk was exhilarating.
"Perfect timing," he teased.
"I can't believe it," she breathed, "We have to do this. We have to get the others to agree."
"It will take them more time and convincing. But, I can't say I don't understand how they feel. If you wouldn't have told me about Variel, I would have been the same. To convince them, you might have to tell them what you know."
"I'm not supposed to. The more people we leave out, the less messy this gets."
Yoongi said, "As you wish."
Grey nodded, her heart racing. "Six more Consent votes. Let's do it."
"Make that five."
Grey startled at the sudden voice behind her. Yoongi raised an eyebrow over her shoulder. Namjoon stepped from a nearby alcove.
"I want in."
"In on what?" Grey raised an eyebrow.
"Grey," Namjoon's seductive smile dripped with mischief. "I think you'll want my help."
Yoongi's mouth twitched. "How did you know?"
Joon pointedly smiled at Grey. "You both sat next to me at the bar."
Her lips parted in shock. The hooded man lost in his drink. That was Namjoon?
She shook her head. "How?"
"I might not have heard you if you hadn't made that noise on the staircase, but when I got back to the living room, the elevator was on the ground floor. I followed your car and slipped into the bar, assuming you would come inside--because who would go to a bar just to hang out in the front? You picked a booth near the back, which I thought you would."
"I don't know if that's genius or stalker-ish," she muttered.
He guffawed, rolling his eyes. "I don't know if calling out two demons on a leap of faith is admirable or suicidal."
"Enough," Yoongi barked. "All I need to know is if you're giving Consent."
Joon peered at Grey again. "Is Variel really in your head?"
"I can't make that up," Grey said.
"Then, yes. Let's make a trade. I take Grey, you convince someone else to take the mission."
"Fine," the Wraith stated. He disappeared in a cloud that smelled vaguely of wildfire smoke and ash. Namjoon beckoned for her to follow him with a jerk of his head down the hallway. She matched his pace, scanning the rest of the hall to make sure no one else spied on them.
Grey asked, "What are you going to help us do?"
He pressed his lips into a flat line, his dimples making him sightly even though he was obviously stressed. "Not much, but you'll need a plan. Distractions, decoys, escape routes. Yoongi can fight his way out of anything, but you need an extra pair of eyes--eyes that won't be lured into Vanity's tricks as easily as others."
They turned a corner, this hallway resembling a palace corridor more than a penthouse hall. The ceiling was higher, the walls far more grand. Statues of romantic men and women lined the walkway, the tile floors wide and glossy where they strode. He was taking her somewhere entirely new.
She said, "Vanity can't affect you?"
"She has weaknesses and strengths like everyone else. It was our job as Anaphiel to conceal them in the Eternal Realm from our enemies. If I can analyze what she's throwing at me, I have my own defenses."
In that case, Yoongi and Grey really did need him. Everyone did. At the end of the hall was a pair of enormous doors made of something dark. Grey couldn't put her finger on what until she could get closer. So, she casually tucked a curl behind her ear and struck up another conversation.
"I have this odd gratitude towards you," she admitted.
He pursed his lips, his silence encouraging her to elaborate.
"You and Yoongi. For supporting me in this, but I mean before the curse. You're the same you right now as you were back then."
He chuckled, "I am never going to throw myself at you, Grey."
"Why not?"
"Would you like me to?"
She blushed, averting her gaze to a statue at her side. "W-well, no."
"I'm not going to throw myself at you because you're too smart for that. There would be nothing easy between us. We'd always have to step up our games and our comebacks. Two clever people in one relationship? It's a challenge."
She looked up at him. "I like challenges."
"So do I."
He threw open the large doors with little more than a shove. Her eyes widened as she realized then they were made of iron. Nearly everything inside of this room was metallic and twinkling.
Different-sized swords hung from the walls in an ornate display, daggers and knives bordering those with varying hilts, pommels, blades. Bows and arrows were on the other side, maces, axes, and weapons she couldn't name decorated floor space. An armory. He'd taken her to their armory.
She gawked at a pair of Chinese fans with tiny blades protruding from the arch. He moved to an empty stand near the back of the room. It was wide and spacious, it's podium carved from gold.
"This is for Gatekeeper," he told her.
She said, "When you find it, it will look perfect sitting there."
"The point is to never let it touch this room. We find it and we get the hell out."
"That's a better option," she chided, "Same here."
Namjoon brushed dust off the shoulder of a breastplate that hung on a mannequin next to the empty display. "I brought you to the armory because you should know that we have one. Before you ask, no, you cannot use any of these."
Noted.
Joon went on, "The first part of being a warrior--consider this your first lesson--is discovering the cause that lives through whatever weapon you choose. It's the belief you relentlessly stand for, what you'd be willing to die for, that personifies what's in your hand. "
There were so many causes to choose from that they blended into one recurring problem: she was stuck in a land that wasn't entirely hers. An umbrella issue, which most likely wouldn't provide too much support if she stared an irkan hellbent on tasting her blood in the face. It was too vague, and one fight probably wouldn't find her a solution.
Grey asked, "How will I know when I've found that reason?"
"You'll know when that thing is so important to you it is equal to survival."
He skimmed the wall and plucked a dagger from the display. It was almost more white than silver, gleaming with a pearlescent flare when touched by light. No larger than Joon's hand, it was thin and razor-sharp. He walked it towards her and dropped it in her palm. "This is yours. A gift from me."
The weightless dagger was cold on her skin. Her fingers flexed and wrapped around it, finding their own grooves in the hilt. "One hell of a gift," she smirked.
"You need to defend yourself if you're going to be kicking people in the groin."
She laughed. "Stalker."
"Genius," he insisted. His grin was lighthearted, but responsible. Like he wanted to enjoy this, but really needed to translate the safety warnings first. He told her, "Keep it on you, always. Yoongi and I can teach you how to conceal it. Losing this means losing power over an opponent."
"Common sense," she stated.
"As for your physicality, you have a great body." He did not acknowledge the way she suggestively raised an eyebrow. "But you can't hold a candle to Vanity in strength, speed, or endurance. You'll crumble without her laying a finger on you."
Ouch.
She furrowed her brows as Joon approached slowly. "Humans are not made to withstand celestial attacks let alone contact. For you to hold somewhat strong, these next few days are going to be insufferable. We'll see how well you handle it."
Grey squared her shoulders, eyeing him fearlessly. "I'll do my best."
He smiled genuinely, one finger playfully lifting her chin. "That's the spirit. I always told you you were dangerous."
:::
This was Grey's first time sitting with a dagger in her pocket. She shimmied in her seat, the sides of her jacket swinging from the new weight. It hit against her stomach, and when one of the sharp ends caught her shirt, she stopped moving so much. Namjoon and Yoongi positioned themselves behind her chair. They were a surprisingly sturdy backbone against the tension in the library. Taehyung and Jimin sat on the edge of the table. Jin and Hoseok leaned against shelves. Jungkook pet Luca's back from his seat.
"The floor is now open for discussion," Luca announced.
Hoseok immediately began pacing. "There is a risk to every step we take in her direction. I don't think we've fully considered all of them."
"Taking risks comes with great rewards." Jungkook crossed his arms in his lap. "You told me that."
"I believe that, but there are great costs to the mission. Not only could we leave empty-handed, we could leave without a member. I prefer death over losing one of you."
Jin nodded. "I agree. I would not be able to live with myself if something happened and I had no control over the situation."
"We lose our lives in a few months or we lose control," Taehyung said. "There isn't victory for us unless we do something different."
Yoongi's head lulled to the side. "He has a point. It might have helped our decision had we learned of the book's location in the past hundred years when we had power to spare or we figured we would come out limping in the worst case scenario. But we learned it now, and I can't find peace with passing away knowing that I never grabbed for something within arm's reach that could have saved me."
Namjoon put his hands in his pockets and faced the group. He said, "This isn't just about us. We have a human we're responsible for. Our reservation should not stop us from fulfilling our promise to her."
"Technically," Luca reminded, "the lot of you promised her protection, not passage home. That is my responsibility to Grey."
"What prince would I be if I didn't share the sentiments of my King?" Joon challenged the entire room with a glance. Grey bit the inside of her cheek. It was the best she could do to keep from smirking. Her team was damn good.
"Is anyone else tired of feeling like they're dying?" Yoongi inquired. "We need a purpose. Something to put us back on the right path."
"Rage against the dying of the light," Hoseok mumbled. "Do not go gentle into that good night."
"Dylan Thomas," Joon quoted. Hobi nodded.
"Let's get off our asses and do something," Yoongi urged. "It's time we paid her a visit. If not for what she's done to us, then for the havoc she's wreaked on others. I won't say their names."
Jimin asked, "We're just going for the book, right? We might miss her if we go at a good time."
"Right," Joon nodded, "Just the book."
"I don't mind running into her," Taehyung's deep blue eyes wavered with what seemed to be memories. Grey wondered what forged such a determined look. What could he possibly be thinking about that spurred him directly to aggression? "She's stolen from us long enough."
"I want to do it for Grey."
Everyone's head swiveled to Jungkook. "She deserves this."
"She's also my motivation," Jin confessed. "I failed to serve her once. It will not happen again."
"Thank you," she breathed.
"Any last thoughts before we take a vote?"
Grey found Hoseok. "Do it for Rin. She would encourage you just as much as I do."
Almost imperceptibly, he inhaled a sharp breath. After, he turned his attention to the library windows and the setting sun.
"One more thing," Grey sat up straight and declared, "I come with you." A chorus of disapproval roared through the sitting area, and if she hadn't expected this, she might have backed down. Even Luca chirped incessantly, her tail going straight.
"That's out of the question," Jin shouted.
Taehyung's lips were pressed in a flat line as he held his hand out. "No."
"Absolutely not," Jungkook said, leaning back in his seat.
"There aren't any words to describe how opposed I am to that idea," Jin added.
"Now, now," Luca meowed loudly to silence the crowd. "Surely there must be a logical explanation for this term you are proposing, Grey. I suggest you plead your case."
"Fine." She stood, Namjoon and Yoongi flanking her sides like bodyguards. "Vanity is my largest threat to survival. She is in a position of power with this book and taking that removes half of her authority over Anaphiel. Twice she has tried to have me executed, and every nightstalker I've encountered has a direct tie to her command. Think of my value towards your plan."
Unmoved, Jimin stared at her like she had a third eye.
"Grey does have assets," Namjoon purposefully kept his gaze on the floor as he spoke. "A human won't be detected as easily as one of us if we let a hint of our powers slip. She's basically invisible. Which, shouldn't be the case because Vanity could always see pure heart auras, but at the ball she specifically mentioned noticing Grey's ring."
Grey gasped. "I totally forgot! She has my ring too!"
"The book is more important than the ring," Jungkook noted.
"True," Grey shrugged, "But if I found it, I could take it back and we all get a little bit of freedom again because I don't smell like a fresh piece of meat for irkans."
Jin said, "That's not why we're going to Vanity. We need to keep our focus narrowed."
"Okay, okay," she switched her weight to her other hip, "I won't get the ring."
Before anyone else could jump down her throat, Namjoon finished his analysis. "She's got the legs of a runner, she's intelligent, she's also mortal. Her adrenaline rush can carry her to the finish line."
Luca sighed heavily. "I severely dislike playing Devil's advocate, but, she is a pure heart bearer. She does possess angelic qualities. They are likely dormant thanks to her mortal nature, however I doubt they are completely lost."
"I have never seen a human unlock those properties," Hoseok answered.
"No human we have ever met has volunteered to join you in battle either," Luca remarked. She observed Grey, who had a feeling she was about to learn yet another grueling twist to this impossible dimension.
"What properties?"
"Nothing ornate. Nothing too supernatural. Enhanced speed, enhanced strength." Luca's tail swished back and forth.
"I could have used that a long time ago," Grey said.
"Well, you believe there is nothing special about you; therefore, nothing is special. Angelic properties are awakened by love and empowerment, this I have already told you. The faith you put in Anaphiel that strengthens them is the same faith you would need in yourself to evoke the proper response. A difficult task for the fragile nature of human self-esteem, but not impossible."
"So, just telling myself I'm strong and fast is enough then."
Luca's ears twitched. "You must believe it with your entire being. That would aid you against Vanity's antics and lackeys if you were included on this quest."
Grey slammed her fist on the table. "That's enough motivation. I can do that."
"Easy there, tiger," Jimin said. The soft, upturned quirk of his lips added fuel to her fire.
"The Eternal Realm uplifts those pure of heart and places upon them special blessings. Those blessings gift them with traits similar to us. The difference is that they were born from dust, and we were born from stars. If she does not come in contact with the Queen, she can survive perfectly well with newfound agility. Of course, Grey, I do think this is a very unwise decision on your part."
Luca's proclamation created a loaded silence; a cloud black and swollen with an incoming storm.
At last, Grey said, "I don't care. Let me prove to you that I can do it."
"And if you do not succeed?" Luca asked.
"You all get the book without me. The book is your mission. I'm another piece on the board."
Wary yet pleased, the cat addressed the entirety of the Council.
"It is time for us to cast our favors, youngest to eldest. Do not include Grey in your vote. She will be on her own journey while we prepare."
And like that, Anaphiel agreed to go for the book; Grey agreed to go in for the kill.
Because whether they approved or not, she was going to shove this dagger through Vanity's heart.
:::
(A/N) Bewitching reader,
When I said I wouldn't go over 3500 words, I lied through my teeth. LMFAO
I sincerely apologize for being a detail freak.
But can we celebrate the fact that I updated ON TIME?
Plus, Tear the Sky has officially passed 5,000 reads! It could not have been done without your support. You are the reason. None of this is me, or my victory. It's ours, and I want to share it together. We did it, guys!
Next release: 8/21 (August 21st) -- maybe earlier like on the 20th if I'm lucky, keep an eye out
With love,
M