Angel

I open my eyes. “Oh my…”

We’re in heaven.

We’re standing on gold bricks surrounded by cloud. There are fluffy white pillars lining the pathway toward a huge white and gold wall. Warm yellow light leaks from behind the wall. The sky is a clear, beautiful blue, and the sun shines bright but doesn’t make it too hot or cold in this new world.

I hear groans beside me and quickly help my friends up.

“Wow,” Erin says, staring around us.

“You can say that again,” Grayson gapes at the gold bricks.

“Wow,” Erin feels the white cloud. Grayson gives her a funny look.

“I can’t believe it worked!” Erin says, standing back up.

“Me neither. And guess what else is funky - the author, Benedict Gregson or whatever his name was, lied about the whole skin-melting heat thing. I didn’t feel a thing!” Grayson says.

“Cool,” Erin says.

“I think that’s where we need to go,” I say, pointing to the wall.

“Probably,” Grayson agrees. “Race y’all there!”

We let Grayson run ahead.

“You know what that means, Ludi,” Erin says. “Him not feeling the heat.”

“Yeah,” I say, staring after Grayson. “He’s not human.”

“I want to say wow again but I said it two times before and I’m running out of things to say!” Erin says in one breath.

The wall was just for show - we walked straight through it. And now we were staring at gorgeous castles lining a gold brick pathway. At the end of the pathway, there was a castle bigger than any.

“That should be where the gods reside,” I say.

“We don’t want the gods we want the Angels, though.” Grayson says.

“Gods are more powerful,” I say.

“But the gods might just send us back to earth. If you explain who your mother is to the Angels they might be more willing to help out.” Erin explains.

“True,” I say. “Where do you think the Angels might be?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never been in heaven before,” Grayson says. I roll my eyes at him.

“Oooh, look, the Barebones! I used to know Lucia Barebone!” Erin points to a small yellow plaque that reads Barebone.

“Don’t go in there, unless Lucia’s dead she won’t be in there.” Grayson says. Erin slumps.

“I forgot where we are,” She said. “Well, I forgot that everyone here except for us is dead.”

“Maybe the Angels are near the gods.” I say.

“Maybe we should stay away from the gods that would send us back home,” Grayson says.

“You looking for the Angels, y’all?”

We spin around and see a small girl with pale blond hair and hazel eyes.

“Uh, yeah,” Grayson says. Erin tilts her head.

“I know you from somewhere,” Erin mutters.

“I died a little while ago when I was still really small.” The girl says shortly. “But I overheard that you’re lookin’ for the Angels, and I know where they are.”

I step toward her. “Can you take us there?”

“I feel so bad for that little girl,” Erin says sadly. “She died too young.”

“She seems happy here,” Grayson says lightly.

“At least we know where the Angels are,” I say. “On the biggest hill.”

“Wherever that is,” Erin says.

Grayson points in the distance to a large hill growing out of the fluffy cloud ground. “There it is,” He says, grinning at Erin.

“Let’s go, Lora can’t wait much longer for us.” I say, and start running toward the hill, Erin and Grayson chasing after me.

We end up walking, because the hill looks less steep far away. By the time we get to the top, we’re sweating and panting.

“We - made - it,” Erin pants. “I really hate climbing.”

“So where’s the castle?” Grayson asks. He doesn’t seem that tired, really. Weird.

“Oh, Angels GET OVER HERE!” Erin yelled in a sing-song voice. I raise an eyebrow at her and she grins.

Suddenly, a hole in the ground opens and we fall through it. Our voices all scream at the same time, and we don’t seem to be stopping. I snap open my wings with a cry of pain and Erin my friends. My arms nearly drop them, but my scorched wings keep us in the air. I grit my teeth through the pain, and lower us down to the dark ground.

Erin and Grayson shakily sit down. “We almost died,” Erin says. “How many more times is that going to happen this year?”

I groan with pain as my wings go back inside me. “Hopefully after I heal my wing,” I say, rubbing my arms.

“Thanks for saving us, Ludi,” Grayson says.

“No problemo,” I say a little weakly.

“So where are we?” Erin asks. “Is this where the Angels are? Why’s it so dark?”

“Do you think the little girl trapped us?” Grayson asks. “Maybe she knew we weren’t… dead.”

“Yet,” Erin muttered, looking above us at the tiny speck of light.

“I don’t think she’d trap us. If she’s in heaven, she should be good, right?” I say. “I think… We’ll just have to fly out and find some angel wandering around maybe.”

“Angel?” says a voice.

Grayson, Erin and I whip around so our backs are together. I can feel them shaking. Or maybe it’s just me, who knows.

“Who said that,” Grayson’s voice doesn’t sound fearful. He sounds dangerous, a little.

“I did,” Says the voice again. It sounds female.

“Are you an angel?” Erin says. She sounds the opposite of Grayson.

“Come closer, I can’t see you.” Grayson says sharply.

“You wouldn’t get to see me anyways, it’s too dark.” Says the voice sassily.

“Luana,” Says a second voice warningly.

“Sorry,” The first one grouches.

“Y’all making me nervous,” Erin whines.

“Sorry about that,” Says the second voice, smooth as silk and delicate as glass. There’s a sound like someone clapping, and the space we’re in is lit up by fireflies and glowing butterflies. I look around me, and I see several tall women wearing white dresses and large white, feathery wings behind them. They’re all blonde with blue eyes. They all look like Mom.

Except for one. Her hair is brown-red, and her eyes are hazel. She’s a little smaller, around our age. She stands with her hands on her hips, her wings a shade darker than the others and her eyes suspicious.

“What can we help you with, lost ones?” Asks the closest one to us, her voice the same silky tone as the second voice.

“If we can’t help you, we kick you out,” Warns the youngest one.

“Luana!” The tallest one growls. The youngest one rolls her eyes.

“We need your help getting my sister back,” I say.

The second angel sighs. “I’m sorry, dear, but if she’s died we can’t do anything about it-”

“She’s not dead!” Erin says. The youngest one raises an eyebrow.

The angel looks confused. “Um. Why would you need the Warriors’ help if she’s not dead?”

“Warriors?” Grayson frowns. “What are warriors?”

“Angels, basically.” Says the tallest one. “But that doesn’t answer my question - why do you need our help?”

“And how even did you get here?” Luana, the youngest one, says sassily. The Angels look frustrated.

“She’s been kidnapped by Salan and taken into Hell,” Grayson says, sighing. Luana stares at him, both eyebrows raised now.

“You expect us to believe that?” Luana asks, inspecting her nails and ignoring the warning glance the Angels send her.

“Yeah, we kinda need you to believe us,” Erin laughs nervously.

“We’ve heard of Salan,” Says the angel. “What would the angel killer want with your sister?”

“Uh,” I fidget with my hands. “Uh, funny story - he’s our uncle and she’s going evil so he wants her for his army or something so he can take over heaven.”

The cavern is quiet. For about three seconds. Before Luana bursts into laughter.

“Salan’s - niece and nephew - take over heaven!” She calms herself down. “I mean, come on guys, at least try to make it believable. We’re not that stupid. Well, some of us aren’t,” she adds in a low voice, glaring at a shorter angel beside her.

“It’s true!” Erin says, desperation creeping into her voice.

“How did you get here?” Luana snaps.

“Followed the instructions of Beethoven Gregson or whatever his name was,” Grayson says loftily. Luana narrows her eyes at him.

I hear the first angel mutter something under her breath that wasn’t angelic.

“Told you we shouldn’t have let Bernard live,” Luana shifts her weight onto one leg.

“Luana, do you need to go?” Asks the shorter angel.

“Away from you, yeah.” Luana retorts sharply.

“Please, you have to believe us. We need your help!” I say, Erin nodding.

There’s silence. Then -

“I think you should go,” Says the second angel firmly. “Yes. We need to… deal with some things here.”

I catch her sneak a glance at Luana, who looks supremely unconcerned.

Erin looks like she might cry. I feel her. “We’ve come all this way -”

“My sister is in Hell! You have to help us!” I exclaim.

Luana’s wings twitch, and her hair gets a little staticy. I swear her hazel eyes go darker.

“And what’s this about an attack on heaven? Not like the devils or demons have the wit to attack us.” Says a voice in the back. A few others mutter agreement.

A door snaps open behind us, adding light to the cavern. The light looks cold.

Luana groans and snaps her wings out. “Enough of this,” She snaps, and dives forward toward us.

I can fly. I’m pretty good at flying. Luana is an expert. She swoops past us, her wide wingspan taking us with her, as she soars out of the hill. There’s yelps from the rest of them, but Luana ignores them.

“What are you doing!” I scream, my voice mixing with Grayson’s yelps and Erin’s screeching.

“Saving your life!” Luana yells back. “You’re welcome!”

She swoops between castles, knocking the dead to the ground with the wind, until she soars upward and through the wall. There she lands us.

“Get down, get down!” Luana says, but there’s little ‘puff’ noises, and the next thing we know, we’re surrounded by the Warriors. They’re positioned to look like they’re standing in midair.

Luana’s wings twitch. I snap open mine and I feel my demonic tail flicking angrily.

“Luana. Return to the cavern. Let us deal with these intruders.” Demands the second Warrior.

I can see Luana’s face. She knows there’s no escaping this. Erin, Grayson and I do, too.

As the Angels descend closer, their wings growing terrifyingly sharp horns on the joints, Luana and I cover the group with our wings-

And then Erin transforms.