Page 59 of Wings of Deception

Triumph flows as I hurl the rock toward the closest demon with all my might. But instead of the massive slab of earth I expect to hit it, a handful of fist-sized rocks ping off its enormous frame.

The beast lets out a sound that has my hackles rising. Is it … laughing at me? The demon I hit with my pebbles turns to the other one, the odd gurgling sound growing louder.Okay, rude.

Using their momentary distraction, I try to figure out a game plan. If they’re this slow on land, how much worse will they be in water? I need to get to Somersault Falls, but first I have to lose these two laughing fucktards.

I might not be able to use my angelic gifts properly in a fight, but I think I’ve learned enough in combat class to take these fuckers down. The more I believe it, the more likely it’ll be true, right? Manifestation and the power of positive thinking. Let’s hope it works, or I’ll be demon chow in a matter of minutes.

With a rush of speed, I spin, arching to the side and slamming my heel into the knees of the first demon. The laughter turns sour as its knees hit the dirt, finally bringing it to a level I can reach to punch it in its stupid, smug face.

I haul back my arm, fist locked, and throw my punch right as the demon swivels its head to look at me. There’s a sickening crunch and blinding pain in my hand, but the asshole falls to the ground in a heap.

The second demon doesn’t let me have my victory dance, advancing toward me with a snarl.Not laughing now, are we, Mr. Bigshot?

It swipes a claw-tipped hand my way, but I dance out of reach with an almost gleeful snort. Zeke might hate me, but damn can that angel teach. I feel invincible, like every ounce of grueling training we’ve done over the past few weeks is finally paying off.

The thought is short-lived, however, when I get a little too cocky. Instead of falling for my tricks again, the demon anticipates my movement and lands a cutting blow to my thigh. Blood oozes from the wound, coating my leggings. Fucker! These were my comfiest pair.

I let out a shriek of indignation before coming at the creature with everything I have. This time, I don’t bother trying to trick it with fake moves. I overwhelm it. A punch to the gut has it keeled over, the perfect position for me to throw a dirty elbow into its angry face.

I put as much force into it as I can, surprising myself when the demon literally gets air and crashes into the bushes in front of the main hall.

Holy shit. I can do that?

Not wanting to waste any more time, I tuck that little nugget of information away for later. If I survive, I’ll think on my wicked strength tomorrow, but for now, I have to get to the water.

I take one more glance around campus, hoping to find … something. The Guild? Demons retreating? I don’t know. But what I don’t expect is the horde of snarling monsters heading straight for me. Some are in the sky, flying faster than my eyes can track, while others lope across the ground on massive legs.

Fuck, I can’t fight off twenty demons at once. I need help!

I duck into the ring of trees next to me, racing up the hill toward the Falls. If I can just make it there, maybe I’ll be alright. But I only make it to the crest of the hill near the old well when I’m surrounded.

Demons drop from the sky, joining their friends as they close in on me. What the fuck do I do? They didn’t teach us this shit. Hell, we were told to leave the fighting to the trained members of the Guild, but where the fuck are they?

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Fear wells up inside me, bubbling over and taking me to my knees. As if on instinct, my wings escape from my back, curling around me until I’m wrapped in a cocoon.

I try to slow my breathing, to think of a plan … anything to get me out of here alive. I’m not ready to die, and I definitely don’t want to be torn apart by fucking demons when I do.

A sound filters in through the walls of my wings. It’s faint, muffled by the feathers, but it sounds like my name. When I hear it again, I know without a doubt that there’s someone out there calling for me. Is it a trick? A mind game played by those beasts to get me out of my protective cage?

“Hayliel!”

This time, I recognize the voice. But it isn’t just one voice, it’s multiple. Raphael and Theo call for me, sounding almost pained. Then I hear Dina’s voice and even, to my surprise, Zeke’s. They sound worried. For me.

Something shifts inside me. I have people that care about me. I’m not alone, and my friends are out there with those creatures. They could get hurt, or worse. How many angels have those monsters taken from us already today? No fucking more.

Burning anger washes away the fear, and my muscles tense as I strain to hold in my rage. But if holding back means the angels I care about get hurt, I won’t.

All at once I stand, unfurling my wings on a scream that seems to come from the very depth of my being. Light flashes bright behind my eyes, and I almost collapse to the ground. As the light fades, I’m left panting, limbs shaking, and not entirely sure what the fuck just happened.

The twenty demons that surrounded me before are gone. Ashes lie in their wake, floating on the breeze and coating the grassy hill in soot. Without meaning to, I let a piece of it fall into my hand, not fully understanding what’s going on.

The beat of my heart roars in my ears, growing louder while my brain tries to catch up. But it’s not my heart making that noise. Tearing my gaze away from the smoldering remains, I find my classmates staring at me in open-mouthed shock. It’s not a look I’m used to seeing. There’s no disdain or anger on their faces. Instead, it almost looks like awe. But why? I hid beneath my wings like a coward. I couldn’t protect myself, let alone anyone else.

Where had that bright light come from, and how the fuck did it destroy the demons?

No one speaks. No one moves. I search the crowd of onlookers for the familiar faces of my friends. They had been calling for me, right? Or was that all a dream?

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