Page 37 of Saints & Sinners

“Cherubs are omniscient deities.” His eyes gleamed. “We hold the knowledge of every book in this library and of any human we first meet. Ask me anything, and I shall provide the adequate answer.”

I stared at him for a long moment. It felt strange to speak to this small, ethereal creature, but I also felt comforted in its presence. After all, it had been the first I’d witnessed a cherub in front ofme. That was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I decided to test his words. “Alright,” I said slowly. “Tell me something interesting about the Celestials.”

“Celestials are beings divided by a distinct hierarchy.” The cherub smiled as he spoke, almost as if he enjoyed the chance to share his knowledge. “They operate within different orders: First, Second, Third and finally Fourth. Each one holds unique power and influence over the cosmos. The Demonic Celestials, however, have a hierarchy of six levels, each one ascending into darker corruption, such as the Ruler, the Overlords, the Archfiends, the Hellbound Knights, the Lesser demons and finally the corrupted souls.”

I was captivated by his words. Suddenly, I wanted to ask him every little thing as if I were speaking with someone claiming to be a fortune teller. I might as well have been.

“What are some of their powers like? Are they... similar to an Ascendant?” I doubted it.

“Demonic powers range from who and what they are. A lesser demon can possess one signature power, such as shadow manipulation, blood and soul magic, hellfire conjuration, or mind corruption based on their emotions. An overlord may hold all of those powers and more. The ruler—”

“Will have everything. Got it.” I chuckled. “Why don’t you tell me more about the Riftkeeper’s?” I asked, pushing a little further.

“Riftkeeper’s,” he replied, a note of caution creeping into his voice. “They are an organisation born from the ancient wars between angels and demons. They may be protectors of humanity, but their methods are often... ruthless, skirting the edge of cruelty. They believe the ends justify the means, which is why they are sometimes considered worse than the biblical monsters.”

I lifted a brow. “Worse?”

“It is a hypothesis, Miss Martin. Most have not had to encounter a Leviathan or the first beast, but they have Riftkeeper’s.”

I hummed. “Okay... and what about the Grand War?”

The cherub’s tone dropped, and his silvery eyes darkened just slightly. “The Grand War,” he spoke as though the words were sacred, “occurred after Lucifer’s fall, a declaration of war on all Celestial beings. It was a brutal clash between light and dark, ravaging humanity until the Seraphims established a truce to preserve mankind.”

“And do you have any books detailing the war?”

“Why, of course!” With a click of his fingers, a book materialised and fell into my hands. “The Remnants of the Grand War, written by the Archangel Gabriel in the year 803. Will that be all, Miss Martin, or do you require any more information?”

I shook my head, slightly dazed. “No—um—that will be all, thank you.”

“You are welcome, Miss Martin,” he replied, his head dipping in a small bow before he vanished in a faint puff of simmering smoke.

I blinked and glanced behind me as if someone else was there to see all of that. Although they probably wouldn’t be as stunned as I was right now. Puffing out a soft sigh, I looked back at the book in my hands. It was heavy, with leather bindings and silver accents running along the spine.

I flipped the book onto its first page, scanning the inked writing and sketches that resembled weapons.

Fascinated, I was just about to dive into the text when a shadow loomed over me, and I jumped once again, though this time nearly dropping the book on my feet. “Oh fu—” I started, only to stop when I looked up and saw it was Hunter, standing there, his head tilted as he watched me with that usual unreadableexpression of his. I instantly frowned. “Is it a habit of yours to suddenly appear when I would prefer not to see your face for the millionth time?” I asked.

There was a slight smirk on his lips. “Depends. Does it make you want to quit?”

I glowered. “Hardly.”

His eyes landed on the book in my hand, causing me to quickly close it so he didn’t read into it. “The Grand War?” He lifted a brow, and I huffed.

“I was bored,” I said, plopping the book down on a random shelf.

“Right.”

He didn’t believe me. I didn’t care. Well, I didn’twantto.

There was a moment of silence between us before he said, “I heard about what happened in Sariel’s class.”

I blinked, taken aback. “You did?”

He nodded, leaning against one of the shelves, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Veronica had some kind of vision. She blamed you.”

My hands clammed up, and the uneasy feeling of what happened in Sariel’s class began creeping up inside me. “Is that why you’re here then? To rub it in my face that someone else doesn’t want me here just as much as you do.”

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