Chapter One

The ground I landed on was soft, almost as if I were on silk. My fingers dug in, and I realized I was upon grass and soil. I could feel the fertile earth accumulate beneath my nails as I gouged and clenched into it. The sensation distracted me from the building agony in my back. But only for so long.

I heard my voice echoing across the universe as I wailed, the limbs bursting and tearing from my flesh, blood seeping and staining down my back. I could feel feathers bristling along my shoulders, my now-pale hair falling like a veil around my head. A dull throbbing made itself known on the sides of my skull, and my dirty hands brushed against tender horns. I tried withholding my gasps and my pain, the wings that lay bloodied and disgusting behind me throbbing and twitching as if they were a newborn.

I looked down at myself. I was covered in dark, nearly black, feathers with silver etchings and markings all along my arms and collarbone. My hands were replaced with clawed digits, the nails covered in soil I had held onto as the suffering of ascension was brought down upon me. I wept, star-like tears plitting softly to the grass. I realized that as I cried, instead of the tears refracting light and casting it out into the bright world around me, they really did resemble the sparkling of stars — tiny glitters and twinkles of beauty in each droplet. I sniffled, fresh air entering and exiting my lungs as I blinked away the tears. My wings had begun to grow somewhat compliant as I shifted a leg forward. I stumbled backward with a wince and a yelp of alarm.

My feet had been replaced by hooves, feathers along my bare legs ruffling in my panic. I gripped my leg, examining the ungulated limb. My ankle shifted as I tried to move the toes that no longer existed, my hoof swiveling up and down and just barely able to twist side to side.

I let go of myself and brought my hand back to the earth. I pushed myself up, staggering as the weight of my wings nearly toppled me backward. They flared, forcing me upright as I stood stiff and hoping I could keep my balance. Were all new angels like this? I secretly hoped so, in fear my awkwardness would only solidify the inner feeling that I didn't belong.

Dejected by my own worries, I was finally able to focus on the area around me. There were deep green rolling hills, forests and plains, and mountains. A river burbled pleasantly nearby. The sun was bright and warm and sent an almost palpable wave of relief down my entire existence. My wings fluttered more freely behind me, the ache of their formation no longer plaguing me. I reopened my eyes after basking in Heaven's sun and glanced over my shoulder to my wings. The feathers were still damp with blood, and flecks of tendon and flesh speckled them. The sight was gory, my blood dripping from the longest feathers. I could feel it seeping past my feathers and against the tender muscles that twitched under my skin. I sucked in a breath and hesitantly made my way to the creek. I knelt, my wings instinctively spreading halfway to keep me from falling in. I looked over my reflection and my eyes widened.

My face had a simple pattern of pale brown-tinged feathers, mimicking the shade of my skin when I was alive. My eyes held no pupils or irises and I realized my expression was permanently contorted into a gaze of despair with minor fluctuations between my attempts at changing it. My eyebrows would raise a little, my eyes widen just a sliver, the corners of my mouth upturning a mere fraction.

I sighed, rubbing at my face. My eyes were a pale pastel purple, my hair lightened to an almost gray color with a purple hue. I ran my fingers through it, sitting back on my haunches as I sifted the pale locks through my fingers. My hair was real and soft, and I could feel it just as I had on Earth. I looked back up to the sky, gripping my hair a bit as I watched far away shimmering birds flitter away, singing songs I somehow understood.

Happiness, peace, love, acceptance.

I found myself dazed by their song. Heaven truly was a place of wonderment and prosperity. I stared after them as they drifted into the forested horizon, in which I hoped I'd never reach the end. This world was too beautiful to have a limit to it.

I perked up slightly as I heard footsteps behind me. I shifted around the best I could, yet my wings were clumsy and flopped flippantly into the river. It was a good thing they had, as the frigid water ebbed at the heat of my blood and began to wash it away downstream.

My eyes met with another angel's, their sclera a muted green and their face was a dusty but faded yellow like the terracotta back in Spain.

"Oh!" they exclaimed.

My eyes trailed over them, an odd throb of disappointment passing over my chest. Their body mimicked my own, the same dark color of our feathers and the same patterns. I glanced back up to their head and realized even our horns grew and bent the same way. The only way to tell us apart it seemed was by the different tinge of our feathers on our faces, our hair, and our eyes. I frowned.

We're all the same? Or were the two of us unlucky?Is this how they tell the difference between those who deserve to be here and those who don't?

"You… must be new," they said, taking a somewhat disturbed glance to my bloodied and fresh wings in the brook. Their gaze shifted back to me, their sorrowful lips upturning at the corners in a look I recognized as what must be equivalent to a smile. "My name is Claude."

"I am Vagatha," I said softly, my hands folding in my lap as I picked at the dirt that was lodged beneath my claws.

"It's a wonder to meet you," Claude said, stepping forward and kneeling in front of me. They were far more graceful on their hooves than I was. "I should probably show you around, since sitting in the meadows isn't really all we're here for. You just arrived, so the Powers are sure to cut you some slack though."

"The Powers?" I echoed, my brows furrowing.

Claude blinked as if my question made no sense to them.

"I'll show you," they said instead, their tone failing to match their befuddled expression. "Are you able to stand?"

I nodded, pressing my palms into the earth once more and adjusting my awkward legs beneath me. My wings flipped and helped push my body up. I only wobbled briefly before my hooves planted themselves firmly into the ground. I tucked my hair over my shoulder and tried giving Claude a smile. They reciprocated my expression and straightened up. They held out a hand and I saw a small silver bracelet on their wrist with the same swirling sigil that had been engraved frivolously in the pillars of the court back in the In-Between. I tilted my head a tad closer to it, but Claude chuckled and gripped one of my hands, slowly leading me away from the river and towards a grassy hill. My legs were tremendously uncooperative; I often had to latch onto Claude's arms and shoulders and nearly topple us both over in an attempt to stay upright. The parts I assumed were my knees and my ankles were not, and my body was struggling to understand. Claude was patient with me, murmuring assurances to me as they held me up.

"Thank you," I whispered to them, my wings attempting to fold against my back. The joints snapped softly, the muscles relaxing and cracking taut. They strained in the position. They jerked back into a disheveled half-spread state.

"You're really new," they pointed out, glancing back to my wings. "How long had you been sitting by that creek?"

"A few moments at best, I suppose," I admitted, focusing down at my hooves as we trudged up the hill. The wind caressed my hair and it drifted in the breeze. Claude had a small patchwork of brown locks upon their head, hardly covering the base of their horns. "I… I was brought here rather quickly."

Claude nodded, though their brows furrowed. "You must have a desirable soul then."

"What does that mean?"

"The soul assortment process usually takes years for the average person," they said, shrugging a bit. "Bad and good people are pretty standard. But desirable souls, such as yourself, are given higher priority and a swift judgment. Sometimes that can lead to a bit of anger for those still stuck in the In-Between, but they understand why we need the best of the best here before we sift through more… unqualified candidates."

I glanced up at Claude out of the corner of my eye. "I was murdered for sin, though."

"A lot of people are. It doesn't mean it was the right call."

My chest began to ache.

My father cursed my name, I wanted to say. He declared his bloodline tainted by my heresy.

I shouldn't be here.

My lips remained knit shut as I swallowed my pained words.

We reached the apex of the hill, and I stared over the small valley before us. There was a village with a fountain in the center of town. The houses were humble, and there were various dark-feathered angels wandering around. Some were clothed in brown and red robes, others adorned nothing. I glanced at Claude, who wore a simple brown tunic and maroon pants. My body was bare, and the realization quickly brought me to curl in on myself and let go of the angel beside me. They let me fall, my wings wrapping tightly around myself as shame stained my face.

"What's wrong?" Claude asked.

"I'm naked! They are naked!" I spat out, trembling. My arms couldn't decide whether to obscure my body or my quickly-heating cheeks. "It's indecent!"

Claude laughed with an air of disbelief edging their tone. "You are a strange newcomer, Vagatha. How did you only just now notice?"

I looked up at them, astonished. "I am the strange one? Have you no sense of humility? Forgive my language, but my God, Claude!"

Claude knelt beside me and placed a hand upon my shoulder. "My dear, Heaven is a place where sin is nonexistent. Naked or not, the vessel we are gifted with is incapable of indecency. Please, you mustn't be afraid." Their eyes grew a mite more gentle — less incredulous, even. "If it is truly an inhibition for you, I can fetch you some robes."

My face flushed darker with my arms still firmly wrapped around my body. I whipped my chin aside, squeezing my eyes shut. "Please," I mumbled, my voice straining in my throat. I couldn't bear to meet their gaze any longer.

Claude hummed and I felt their presence shift away, the soft crush of grass beneath their hooves fading as they retreated towards the village. I shook my head, the palpitations in my chest mimicking my heart, but the feeling was warmer and more prominent. My fingers clutched the feathers upon my chest. My hand drifted to my hair, hoping the long locks would obscure me enough to steady the embarrassment that tainted my cheeks in a ruddy glow.

I wasn't alone for long, the now-familiar gait of Claude approaching reaching me. I looked up from the grass around me and saw a simple purple dress in their claws. They had a small faux smile upon their lips as they held the garments out for me to take.

"Thank you," I said, graciously grabbing them from the angel. They merely nodded, an odd tilt to their eyebrows as they turned off to the side, offering me as much privacy as they could.

I unfolded myself from my crumpled state and held the dress out, letting it unfurl and waver in the breeze around us. The dress was embroidered with faint gilded thread and had muted tones of darker purple that reminded me of the night skies on Earth. It was hemmed with black lace. A single pale blue eye pattern was sewn into the sternum of the fabric.

"What is the eye for?" I asked, tilting the dress in my hands as I tried to think of how I could maneuver it around my new horns and wings.

"It's His Majesty's mark," Claude said. Their tone had grown somewhat off, a slight fervent haze to it. "He is truly a sight to behold, Vagatha. He has given us so much with this universe."

"God sounds just as wonderful as we learned on Earth," I noted, offering Claude a sideways smile as I finally tried to pull the dress over my head. Surprisingly, the dress slid easily over my horns and my wings seemed to phase through the fabric momentarily until it rested comfortably over my form. I smoothed out any wrinkles, the fabric concealing my body down to the midpoint of my legs. I sighed, grateful. Whether or not we were to be ashamed for being barren or fully clothed, it did not matter — this felt much better to me. "Will I get to meet Him one day?"

Claude turned around, peeking over their shoulder briefly to check if I had fully dressed before turning to face me head-on. "But of course! His Majesty never lets His title keep us away. Why, in just a few months, the Harvest will be taking place, and we will all receive His personal blessing!"

I smiled at Claude, inspired by their enthusiasm. My wings swayed somewhat, still refusing to fold completely against my back, but I no longer felt as if I were in a body that did not belong to me. We began to walk down to the village and I was slowly but surely gaining enough control of my legs to walk on my own. They remained close to my side just in case.

"The Harvest? Do we provide agriculture for Heaven?"

Claude's permanent frown seemed to strain against their teeth, though I could only guess that it reflected a grin. "In a way, we provide agriculture for the very universe we are grateful to live in, Vagatha." Their wings fluttered momentarily against their back and the feathers along their throat had raised.

I blinked at their body's reaction, a shiver of excitement slicing down my nerves in response. I would get to see God in person one day, and be praised for my assistance in the Harvest! What a wonderful notion. To be in such close proximity to absolute perfection… Why, I probably would have fainted if I were not so enthralled with the unfamiliarity of Heaven still, distracted by every fellow angel that I got to meet and see, and the utter beauty of the world we were allowed to live a peaceful afterlife in.

As we drew near to the village, Claude pulled me a bit closer with one of their wings. Their fingers interlaced with mine and I offered them a silent and questioning glance. They caught it, held onto it for a few moments as we passed by fellow dark-feathered angels with matching solemn expressions, and finally murmured to me as we were closer to the opposite side of the town.

"The angels here aren't very accustomed to mortal souls," they explained briefly. When my expression remained confused, the feathers between their eyes wrinkled somewhat as they scrunched their face. "This side of the ninth choir doesn't get mortals too frequently, and most find their way to the main city without passing through here."

"Why would it be an issue?" I asked aloud, tilting my head back over my shoulder and looking past Claude's protective wing over to the silently working angels. "We are all the same, aren't we?"

Claude's frown didn't attempt to twist against its permanent state. I waited for a response, but none came.

I decided to let go of my questions until we were fully passed through the town, and waited for Claude's wing to uncover my own and their hand to release mine. I stopped, brushing my hair out of my face.

"Are angels cruel here just as we humans are on Earth?" I dared to ask, though the question felt wrong as it left my lips, tasting of heresy. "This is Heaven — there should be no conflict between us." Claude's eyes grew conflicted, they raising their hands defensively.

"Absolutely not," they said sincerely. "It's just… Some of the angels here aren't humans like you, and it can be disorienting for them to meet a mortal." Their hooves shuffled and their brows furrowed a little. "We love and respect one another in Heaven, honest, but it's been difficult for Heavenborns to grow accustomed to mortals joining our realm, no matter how many years it's been."

I fidgeted with my hands, my brows furrowing. "Heavenborns… As in, they always lived here? And what do you mean 'ninth choir'? How many choirs are there?"

"Are you sure your soul was from a worthy enough place to get here so suddenly? How do you know nothing about our domain?"

"That isn't my fault!" I snapped, feeling the feathers on my shoulders bristle beneath my dress. I narrowed my eyes at Claude. "My church was clearly tainted, speaking of sins that didn't even matter to the judges in the In-Between." I took in a breath, realizing I had begun to shout at the only angel who I had properly met outside of Aisha. I steadied my temper. "Please, Claude."

Claude's eyebrows slanted a bit and their shoulders grew slack as they rubbed at their arms. "We should really keep going, but I suppose I can explain a little before we get to the city." They offered me a hand and I took it, allowing them to guide me through the expanding valley before us. Wildflowers danced in the wind, petals from flowering flora along the treeline weaving through the currents around us. Claude's demeanor had changed a bit, enough for a prick of worry to grow in my gut. I gave their hand a reassuring squeeze, and the slight pressure of their fingers holding my hand tighter was the only inclination they could feel me. The sun beat down on us, but in a way that only offered comfort and not unrelenting heat. I appreciated it — yet another thing I was blessed to receive than the horrible monstrosity that Hell's permanent torture must be like.

"Heavenborn angels have been around since the First Cherubim," Claude began softly, "one we aren't really allowed to speak of outside of the Harvest Cycle. I don't know why, none of the higher choirs will tell us angels." Their fingers twitched against my hand and my eyes remained locked onto them as we walked through the fields. "As for you and I, we're ninth choirs — Angels. We are the lowest choir and are often treated as such. From it, we are to learn humility, an often promising task for most of us infected with pride. Mortals are keener to draw in prideful sins, though that is not to blame you unfairly for it. Humans were simply destined to be created through evil.

"It's why repentance is so important to your churches and to the Justices," the angel continued, their body easing against mine. "If you beg for forgiveness and understand you are flawed, it is a wonderful revelation and sacrifice of your birth-given sins. However, Heavenborns aren't quite fond of the idea that one must beg to receive forgiveness — they often speak amongst themselves saying how only the truly worthiest of souls belong here, and that isn't, unfortunately, an uncommon opinion."

"To beg for forgiveness is to know you have done wrong," I countered hesitantly. "Isn't that worthy of some sort of forgiveness from God?"

"But of course," Claude agreed, turning a pale green eye to me. "As I said, it's really only the Heavenborns who feel this way, and perhaps if they were a little more active in the Harvests, they would begin to understand a mortal's true importance to the structure of our paradise." Claude's eyes suddenly lightened, the corners of their mouth twitching up. "Oh! The Harvests, Vagatha, you'll get to work with the Powers! Only ninth and eighth choirs are permitted to. They are wonderful teachers, maybe you and I will be able to work under the same one."

I tried to smile back at Claude, the notion of working alongside them in the future lighting a small warmth in my chest. Yet I found myself frowning once again as I turned my gaze from them and to my hooves trudging along the grass.

Heavenborn angels surely must know better than us humans, I thought, looking down to my hooves. It makes sense — their worries. If a corrupt human were to somehow get into paradise, what would that mean Heaven was promoting as a whole? Only that they accept evil just as Hell does….

Claude prattled for the rest of the journey we took to the city they spoke of. Most of what they talked about that I can remember was about how their life in Heaven had only made them more wonderful of a soul. I only had tuned them out because I was exhausted from the day, and by the time we had reached the city, the sun that once was overhead radiating gentle rays of peace was staining the horizon in blazing orange and gold. Claude's ramblings cut short and they gently shook my arm, gesturing ahead of us. I looked up from the grass and my eyes widened in awe.

The city was paved with marble and cobblestone, and a belltower loomed in the distance. The hazy glow of twilight reflected against the pale stone, casting the light to catch in each angel's silver halo. I realized then that the nearly-black feathers that adorned us all were hardly that in the slightest — some had gilded hues, others twinged with deep blues and greens and purples. There were shops and an amphitheater far in the valley outside of the city. Angels flew and walked about, calling greetings to one another, some carrying baskets and bags of goods they bought. There were even smaller angels fluttering like butterflies around the larger, squealing with happiness. With a strange pang of melancholy, I realized the small angels were children.

"Welcome to Prosperity, Vagatha," Claude proclaimed. "This is one of the mortal cities for humans, since, well, most Heavenborns keep to themselves."

There were so many people — people from all stages and walks of life, people who understood Earth like me. I pressed a hand to my chest, relief and comfort pulsing in my veins.

"It's beautiful," I whispered.

"Prosperity is only one of the many cities mortals have built to live in while inhabiting this choir," Claude said matter-of-factly, a smile on their lips. "Humans have a knack for creation as if you're all little gods. It's wonderful."

"We could not hope to be a thing like God except for his loyal worshippers," I told Claude, my smile matching their own. They perked up, their sorrowful green eyes widening a bit.

"You couldn't be any more perfect for this place," they chuckled. "Come on, I can set you up with Adson, and he'll guide you from there. He helps everyone."

Claude took my hand once more, both of us trotting excitedly down the small incline and into the cobblestone streets of Prosperity. I could hear wagon wheels carting down the roads that branched and splintered around the buildings, as well as faint music playing even further away. Hooves clicking and clacking against the stone and soft brushes of wings and the rustling of feathers all around. Voices of all fluctuations surrounded me, nearly drowning me beneath their torrent. Claude kept a tight grip on my fingers as we ducked and wove between patrons around us. My wings shoved awkwardly against my back, still uncertain how to fold completely and hoping I wouldn't disturb any of the fellow angels. I hoped they could forgive me for my unknowingness.

The city was full of angels with every space my eyes could flick to, I would see dark feathers joyfully spending their time with each other. I smiled, a beam of excitement shining over my face as I dreamed of mingling with my new peers. Claude had grown rather quiet the further we paced into Prosperity, and I realized that a small gap had formed between the endless sea of angels and ourselves. Some had paused in their activities, staring at Claude and myself with blank and unreadable eyes. Others offered us a brief moment of notice but then continued along their way. I didn't know which reaction made me feel better.

Neither feels all too pleasant, I thought, tucking my chin a little and allowing my hair to drift over my eyes as I kept pace with Claude.

Claude was rushing by all the angels now, their head tilting up slightly as they looked to the sky and the setting sun. Their wings were pressed firmly to their back and the feathers between their eyes were wrinkled somewhat. I could feel their claws jittering somewhat against my wrist.

"Is everything all right?" I asked softly, trying to lean closer to them as we rounded a corner.

"Oh sure," they answered, haste on their tongue. "Adson is usually one to rest after sundown, so I want to make sure you're able to speak with him before tomorrow."

"What happens tomorrow?"

Claude remained silent, their brows furrowing a tad more. I watched their expression, hoping to find anything behind the stagnant solemness that we each wore. But my efforts were fruitless and I continued to follow them in silence.

As Claude muttered under their breath directions and nearly silent belittlements on the city's odd structure, I turned my eyes up to the sky which had begun to fade into a deep purple with blooming bursts of orange and gold still coaxing the sun to rest behind the tops of the buildings. Faint glimmers of stars began to dust the sky of Heaven as if there were even further reaches beyond where we resided. I wanted to fly up and hug each and every star, basking in their warmth.

I was unceremoniously tugged into a dark building, my view of the stars winking out of sight in an instant. Now, I blinked in the dark, lifting my free hand to rub slightly at my eyes and tuck my hair over my shoulder as my legs were given time to rest.

The room Claude and I now stood in was covered in muddled rays of mostly-obscured light that bounced across cushions and chairs and dark maroon walls, as well as illuminating quite possibly a thousand and one rolled-up scrolls. My wings gave a hopeful flick, and it took all my strength to keep them uncomfortably folded against my back. The last thing I needed was to be seen as different and clumsy. The air was heavy with a stench of smoke and dust. A shudder rolled up my spine, a sudden shooting pain in my lungs. My own screams filled my head. The odor of my boiling blood and my melting flesh nearly sent me to vomit. I staggered, clasping a hand over my mouth, and braced myself against a desk buried in books and papers. The desk scuffed against the floor, a squeal of its wood scraping the wood floors causing Claude to stiffen and whip towards me.

"Vag—"

"Who thought it would be wise to come to see me after hours? I spend all blasted day from sunrise to sunset with you feathered ticks, and you all come running last minute—"

The new voice had come from a small stairwell that led into the shadows of the building. Claude backed up a few paces to stand beside me, their eyes wide and their claws jittering in front of them. A pale glow began to accumulate near the top of the stairs, and as the figure descended the glow grew brighter.

The angel who stood at the base of the stairwell was much taller than Claude or myself, and they had two large horns that curled from their head. A jagged X of a scar was sliced over their right eye, and their body seemed to be littered with various dashes and slashes from countless more old wounds. They narrowed their eye down at us, a wave of displeasure wafting off them as they readjusted the waistband of the black pants they wore.

"Claude," the angel muttered less than enthusiastically.

"Adson!" my companion proclaimed, spreading open their arms and mustering up a grin as much as their face would allow. "How are you? How was your day?"

"My day had been fine when it ended nearly twenty minutes ago," Adson snarled softly, the feathers along his shoulders bristling. He took a few steps towards us. "Before you and… your friend showed up."

As my eyes darted cautiously to the wretched scar that slashed over his eye, I found myself noticing more and more differences between us and him, my curiosity bubbling beneath my unease. Adson's feathers seemed to be a shade lighter than our own, and his markings were unique to him that I hadn't seen on any angel before now — he had jagged slashes of dark feathers along his arms, stomach, and the edges of his face. His face had the same pattern of pale feathers that Claude and I adorned, but everything about Adson felt different. However, his remaining eye allowed me to gain a sense of familiarity, as it too was devoid of a pupil or iris and only held a pastel pink sclera. I also realized, with a quick jolt of horror, it appeared that Adson's lips were sewn together, a white glow composing the inside of his mouth as the lips pulled against the sutures but were unable to break free.

"Is that a different choir?" I whispered to Claude. They merely nodded before turning their attention back to Adson.

"Ah, come on," Claude wheedled, meeting Adson halfway in the cluttered room. "I just need you to assign this angel here to my sector and I won't bother you for at least another three months."

Adson raised an incredulous brow, crossing his arms and focusing his gaze on me. However, after Claude's promise, a flicker of something passed briefly over the barren space of their sclera.

"How long has it been here?"

Claude deflated a bit. "At least a day now."

Adson's eye narrowed and his mouth strained into the shape of a grimace, the stitches stretching over the bright void of his mouth. One of his claws tapped at his arm. He stood in silence, glaring at us. "...Fine. Just stop looking at me like that. You, come here." Adson beckoned me forward, taking a few steps around a desk and beginning to rummage through the scrolls around us.

Fear must have been etched across my feathers because as Adson and Claude looked at me still frozen against the desk, Adson's eye twitched. Claude reached out a tentative hand, taking my fingers into theirs.

"It'll be fine, Vags," they murmured. "We have to get this done as soon as we can, ok?"

I couldn't find any strength to speak as I nodded. I brushed past Claude and stepped over to the side of Adson, tugging at the sleeves of my dress. My head bowed, my wings seemed to understand in the moment to press close to my back and make me appear smaller. To me, these movements were not of my own volition, as if my body had decided to become meek in the face of a new choir.

Adson's feathers relaxed a bit along his shoulders, his agitation visually disappearing except for the disgruntled tilt of his lips. He fished out a scroll from a pile, though from my perspective it looked just like any of the rest, holding nothing more significant and nothing less.

"Vagatha Poveda, eh?" he muttered, unfurling the scroll a bit.

"Y—... yes," I mumbled, my head still lowered and unable to meet his gaze.

"All right, this'll only take a minute. Lucky for you Claude was the one who found you."

I managed to force my chin up a bit, waves of questions pouring through my head as I looked over the back of the scroll that Adson continued to unfurl. It was blank on the side I could see, leaving me lost in its sand and quickly becoming buried under my curiosity.

And fear, I realized, my fingers gripping my sleeve a little tighter. A throb pulsed against the inside of my chest, an ache making itself apparent.

"Pretty standard mortal junk," Adson said after a moment, his eye half-lidded. "Adultery, bouts of gluttony, murdered for it. The usual for the last several decades."

Claude perked up, their wings giving a slight flutter. "So she's free to go?"

Adson merely nodded, glancing back down to me. I could only guess he stood nearly a head taller than myself. "I don't see why not. Says her judgment was quick enough to quell any suspicion anyway." Adson rolled up the scroll and tossed it aside, stretching his arms over his head. The accumulation of feathers on his chest fluffed briefly as he groaned. "You really need to get better at timing, Claude. I do this all day, actually stop by once when I'm willingly helping you little things."

Claude smiled at him, despite the larger angel's sour tone. "I can't make any promises. I'll see you in a few months, all right?"

Adson waved a hand, though his voice had lightened a bit as he shooed us away. "Yeah yeah, you'll see the whole bloody paradise then." He crinkled the feathers between his eyes, almost sounding playful. "Maybe you'll find another angel to bother and finally I can get some peace and quiet."

"I'll be seeing you, Adson," Claude called over their shoulder, their wings jittering happily against their back.

"Farewell, Claude."

We both stepped out of the building, the hush of night bringing me to look back up at the stars. Claude let out a loud sigh, their posture deflating as they rubbed at their face.

"Is everything all right?" I asked, reaching towards them in worry. I still didn't quite understand what had just happened, but I was intrigued by the way the two spoke to one another, and Adson's importance.

"Oh, Heavens yes," Claude breathed, straightening up and flaring their wings. They stretched over their head, and I blinked at the misshapen and oddly jagged feathers. I decided to stay quiet as Claude continued. "Adson usually sends fools like me away if he's cranky enough. But I suppose my dastardly charm set us in his favor tonight."

"You are far from charming," I poked at them, igniting a flare on their behalf.

"Come now, I just helped you!" they protested, hooking their arm with mine and leading me down the street. "You and I, Vags, we'll be working together from now on."

The roads now glimmered with misty silver light that seeped and dripped from floating spheres over marble pillars that dotted the edges of the paths. The orbs levitated in silence, little particles wisping around them and glimmering into nothingness as they strayed too far. The light felt like the moon back on Earth, however, it was more present and far brighter.

I hummed, comfortable with the thought of spending time with Claude. I rather enjoyed their presence. My mind flickered briefly back to Adson as we turned off his road. "Claude?"

"Hm?"

"What kind of angel is Adson?"

Claude smiled. "He's an Archangel."

My eyes widened, suddenly understanding why I had been so meek. "He must be of great power then. What an honor to meet him."

Claude's brow raised and they tilted their head. "I suppose?"

"Was it not an archangel soldier who had befallen Lucifer?" I prodded, tilting my own.

A flicker of genuine terror and confusion passed over Claude's face and they paused in their tracks. I turned to face them.

"What's wrong?"

They stayed silent, their eyes searching mine.

"Claude?"

They blinked, snapping from their daze and reaching a hand to their face. They ran their fingers through their feathers and forced up a thin smile. "Mortals are so odd, I truly am baffled by what they have been teaching in the name of His Majesty."

"God?"

Claude nodded. They entwined my arm with theirs once more as we continued down the street. "You have much to learn, Vagatha."

Something about their tone eased a blade of ice beneath my skin. I stared down at our arms in the darkness of the night. It seemed as if we were the only two angels out and about walking at this hour, though sunset had not been that long ago.

"You have much, much to learn."