XIV. Void, II

Issa was adamant about trying to fly without help. After all, what was she going to do if he passed out again? Edvardiel insisted that it wasn't going to work from the ground the first time so they'd gone up to the roof. It had finally stopped snowing and the air was warmer.

"You realise this makes us target practice?" Issa said, looking around at the row of crumbling, blackened houses around them as she balanced on the slanted roof.

For someone perched on the edge of a loose tile, Edvardiel seemed remarkably at ease. The sun came out from behind the clouds, highlighting the red in his hair and the gold in his skin. "I'll keep a lookout, don't worry. Just focus on trying to fly."

The command made her mind snap to the task.

"Watch your directives," she grumbled.

"Sorry," he said, the word slipping out again like clockwork. "Anyway, I've never flown with glory myself—I don't have enough of it. But I know how it works. You flood your body with glory and imagine going up."

She reached for the great river of glory thrumming underneath her skin, imagining herself in the skies, but apart from a few pitiful flashes of gold, nothing happened.

Edvardiel nodded approvingly. "You're doing well."

He was too nice of a teacher.

"I'm not flying," she said flatly.

"Everyone has to start somewhere."

"You make it sound like everyone can do this," she muttered.

"You're right," Edvardiel said. "What you're trying to do is extremely difficult. Most angels can't fly without their wings. It's a coveted skill even among them."

"Them?" Issa said. "You're an angel too, Edvardiel."

Discomfort flashed through their bond but he continued as though she'd never spoken. "The only angel I know who's capable of flying long distances without his wings is Michael. It's his speciality."

That was wild.

"You're telling me I've amplified your glory so much that I can generate the same amount as the king of angels himself?"

Edvardiel smirked and pride flashed through their bond. "Pretty much."

Issa stared. "You're fucking with me."

"I'm dead serious."

"How is that possible?"

"I've thought about that," Edvardiel said. "My theory is that you're combining the powers of both Heaven and Hell. Lilith's power is in your body and now mine is as well. Because they're opposites, they repel each other and the concoction generates an explosive amount of power."

She wasn't sure that made sense. "How much of that did you pull out of your ass?"

He laughed. "All of it. All right, let's get back to flying. We have to hurry."

Edvardiel was an excellent teacher—encouraging and eternally patient, but she was simply talentless in the art of flying. She tried and tried and tried.

"You have to feel the glory," Edvardiel called out.

Issa had no fucking clue what glory felt like. All she knew was that she was failing over and over again. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means believe in yourself," he said. "Believe that you can soar up to the Heavens."

Issa gritted her teeth. Maybe she'd dare to imagine such a thing after a couple of lifetimes in Hell.

"I give up," she said, wiping the sweat off her brow. "I'm not made for this. I'm not made for flying. Just order me to fly and let's go look for your damn wings."

Edvardiel tilted his head and took several steps across the broken roof tiles, light as air. "It takes time," he said, landing behind her. "You're doing well. Let's try one last time."

"Here." His arms came around her from behind and her stomach did a strange flip. "Do you want to close your eyes?" His voice was melted butter in her ear and she appreciated, not for the first time, how soft and deep it was.

She did.

"Now, just try and feel." He guided her arms out, his fingertips brushing her skin, sending tingles through her body, and then she felt it.

Weightless joy.

She opened her eyes and saw that she was flying.

"I did it!" she said, ecstatic. "I'm doing it!"

Edvardiel's answering smile was brilliant.

"Wait, how do I get down? How do I get—" She panicked and her glow went out like a candle. Fast as a whip, Edvardiel caught her.

"I've got you." His grip was precise as he manoeuvred her into his arms, holding her while still perfectly balanced on the very edges of the roof. Impressive. If this was him while sickly and running out of glory, she wondered what he was like before.

"You really are a seraph," she said, unable to keep the awe from her voice.

"I thought I was more guardian angel," he said, his arms still tightly wrapped around her.

"Well, yeah. It fits better," she said. "You're more cuddly than murderous."

His voice was gentle. "You don't really know me."

"I think having a magical bond that gives me access to all of your emotions makes that debatable."

He harrumphed. "Do you want to try flying again?"

Issa shook her head. "We'd both be dead by the time I manage to fly properly on my own. Come on, let's just go."

They flew the same way they'd escaped the demons, Edvardiel's arms enfolding her in his warmth. Thankfully, it had stopped snowing and the sun was out. The water seemed to do wonders for his health because he no longer looked sickly but thrilled.

At least one of them was happy to be in the air.

Issa was grateful that his commands worked for flying because she couldn't imagine doing this on her own. She had no idea how anyone managed to fly with or without wings. Despite Edvardiel's control, the sheer height made her queasy and every time her feet left the ground, she felt wildly out of her element.

"How does anyone learn to do this?" Issa said, craning her neck to look at him. "Did someone teach you?"

Edvardiel hesitated and she felt the underpinnings of sorrow aching in his chest before he shoved it back down. "No."

She should've stopped then but she couldn't help herself. "So you learned to fly on your own?"

"An angel doesn't have to be taught to fly," he said. "They just can. It's innate."

That answer didn't sit right with her. He'd been too good at teaching, too patient. He'd foreseen her mistakes before she'd made them.

"I'm not asking about other angels, Edvardiel," she said. "I'm asking about you."

He was quiet for so long, she thought he wasn't going to answer.

"Yes," he said reluctantly. "I learned it on my own."

She covered his arms where they rested around her waist. "I think," she said. "You have to believe in yourself."