Chapter 18

-Martin-

I won’t make it in time.

Yes you will, just keep going. Come on Martin, don’t give up yet, I keep telling myself, but I can already feel it in my gut. Something bad is going to happen, and someone is going to die. And I don’t need to be a Diviner to know that.

Tearing past the trees, I know this road like the back of my hand. I’ve ridden it many times when leaving and coming back from missions for the Duchess. I know it well, and I know that I’m close.

I’ll make it in time.

Urging my horse onwards, the beast snorts beneath me, his legs kicking up dust and stones in our wake as I lean forwards, body close to the animal and holding on to the reigns tightly. I won’t fall off. I won’t slow down. I won’t stop. I’ll keep going, until I reach Kossiq.

The mansion comes in to view, its old stones dark and foreboding as clouds rumble above the building, a God’s anger manifested in the weather. The rest of the skies are clear, but here, grey clouds block out the sun, lightning charging through them like my horse through the woods as I see the woman I once considered a mother.

She stands behind her tall glass windows, looking down on the scene below with disdain, observing my friends fighting for their lives like something as pathetic as a fly trying to escape a spider’s web.

“Kossiq!” I yell, catching the angel’s attention just as what I assume is Yvo’s body being possessed once more, raises his hands to the sky, bringing them down along with the lightning from the clouds.

Several guards and mercenaries are struck by the glass-like shards of lightning, instantly turning to dust as I force my horse closer, despite his obvious fear towards the situation. Kossiq grabs Yvo’s hand, and I grimace.

We’ll never make it out on one horse, all three of us. I hadn’t expected Yvo to help bust Kossiq out, I’d been planning on just attacking the building with the sword I have, but now I have to accommodate him as well.

Yvo brings down one last shard of lightning, keeping the guards in place for a moment as Kossiq runs towards me. He reaches out to me, and I grab his arm, pulling him up on the horse in front of me.

“Are you hurt?” I ask, my voice urgent as I try and work out how to get Yvo out of here too. “I’m fine, are you?” He asks quickly, pressing a hand to my chest, right over where he healed my stab wound. I nod, watching as Yvo’s body cracks, his fingertips turning to dust and trickling away on the wind.

“Is he going to die?” I whisper, and Kossiq nods. “Arche said he would. I don’t think- I don’t think we can help him,” he says, his voice catching, and I frown. “I don’t want to leave him,” I say quietly.

Before, I’ve never cared if I left someone to die, but I can’t leave Yvo, even after he betrayed us. “He can’t die like this, he’s the most skilled diviner, he’s being possessed by a literal Archangel, is there no way to save him?” I ask no one in particular, but to my surprise, Kossiq answers.

“Actually…there’s something I might be able to do,” he says cautiously, testing the waters with his idea. “What is it?” He glances up at me, and then to himself, before he runs a hand across his wings. “If it works, you’ll see.”

-Kossiq-

“Arche!” I shout, watching as Yvo’s body crumbles more as the Archangel tries to stagger towards us. “Just go, there’s no helping him now,” Arch says, and I can hear the pain in their voice from those words.

“No, we can save him. You can take him back with you,” I say, fixing Arche’s gaze with mine. “Are you crazy?! I can’t do that- even I don’t have the power to take a human, even if he is a Diviner, back with me!”

I nod, not letting Arche look away from me. “I know. And you can’t put a fallen angel back in the heavens. You can’t take a human, and you can’t take a fallen angel. But, what about a regular one?”

The Archangel stares at me, understanding slowly dawning on Yvo’s features. “That still wouldn’t be possible- I can’t make Yvo into an angel! That simply isn’t in my power!” They contest, and I shake my head.

“I’m not suggesting that. I’m telling you to- for fuck’s sake, Arche! Make me a human, and make Yvo an angel! Give him my wings!”

Martin tenses behind me, whilst Arche stares at me, stupefied. “I don’t think- I don’t know if I can do that,” they say quietly, and I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter, you have to try! We don’t have time; Yvo’s body is going to die, or more guards will arrive! You have to try now!”

Arche is silent for a moment, before slowly making their way towards us. Martin urges the horse onwards to meet them halfway, and I spread out my wings. “Do your magic bullshit or whatever, and transfer my power to Yvo!”

Arche still doesn’t look certain, but they reach out a crumbling hand towards my wings, touching the feathers lightly, before pressing a hand to Yvo’s chest. “Please, just make this work,” they whisper, before Yvo’s eyes go completely white, and a sharp pain radiates from his hand into my wings.

-Arche-

This will work. This has to work. Kossiq is giving me a chance, I have to take it. I desperately hold onto Yvo’s fading soul, what little remains of him after using so much of my power with his vessel of a body that can barely contain my power.

I think about what an angel is. A being of divine power, a guardian of the gates. A living being. A person with wings. I have the wings already, thanks to Kossiq. I have the divine power; I can use my own.

It’ll leave me weak, I might not even be an Archangel anymore, but I won’t be an angel either. I’ll be something in between, unable to fulfil either role. The heavens might never allow Yvo in, the heavens might never allow me in.

But it doesn’t matter.

I’ll save Yvo, even if it costs me everything I have.