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AN EAR-PIERCING SCREECH, not quite like anything I've heard before, shudders through the sky. The loud, quivering echo sounds a bit like a banshee's cry, but not quite. I whirl around to inspect the terrible noise, and it's not what I expect. I see Mikayla in the distance, running from a formless shade.
“Mikey!” I shout her name, but she's screaming so much, I'm not sure she can hear me. “Mikey... how are you...?”
My questions can wait—first, I need to save her. I raise my sword and chase her pursuer. My wings appear and expand, boosting my speed. When I'm within range, I twirl my weapon, discharging ripples of water from the blade. The attacking demon is caught in a paralyzing eddy, and as it swirls, I drive my sword through its dark, undulating center.
Realizing I've put down her attacker, Mikayla spins around and asks, “Sander, what was that?” Pointing at a trio of hog-nosed demons, she asks, “What are those?”
“They're shadowlings... or demons, if you prefer the more familiar term. I'll explain more once the battle is over.”
Mikayla's fear catches the eye of one of the hog-nosed demons, who, with a snort, charges toward us. I stop him with a paralyzing bubble and finish him off with a sparkling shard of ice.
“What's going on?” Mikayla wails. “And... Sander, it might not be a good time to tell you this, but I'm having major problems with Lisa and Timuthy!”
I take out the remaining hog-nosed demons with two well-timed thrusts, then I focus my attention on Mikayla. The battle has been winding down for some time, so even if I left, I'm sure Jophiel and Ariel could handle the rest.
“You warped here, didn't you?” I ask.
“I... guess so?”
“That's impressive, Mikey. Really impressive,” I commend her. “It's not good that you showed up in the middle of a battle, but I have to say, your warping skills are highly unusual. Many students don't master the skill until much later.”
“I wouldn't say I've mastered it. It's spontaneous. I don't even know how it happens!”
I wrap an arm around Mikey's shoulders and lead her away from the remaining demons. “So... you said there was an issue with Lisa?” I catch her staring at my wings. It's not the first time she's seen them, but it might be the last time I can convince her that I'm not an Archangel. After everything she's witnessed, doesn't she deserve to know the truth?
Mikey rambles, “Timuthy didn't want to drive in the rain at night, so he stopped at a crappy motel. Lisa thought the motel was gross and she was scared of Timuthy's driving, so she tried to hitchhike again. Well, it was a bad idea, because these creepy guys pulled over and made some really inappropriate requests. Timuthy tried to defend her, but the guys started beating him up. Like... I think he's getting beat up as we speak.”
“Then we should return to Timuthy immediately!” I reply. “Why didn't you send me a message? I could have come sooner.”
“I was going to, but I accidentally warped.”
If the situation is as dire as Mikayla thinks it is, I shouldn't waste any more time with talk. I touch her arm and take her back to Lisa and Timuthy, and their clash in front of the hotel. The latter is on the ground, getting kicked in the ribs. His glasses are cracked, his hair is a mess, and his face is dotted with blood.
I can think of few things I like less than a bully. I roll up my sleeves, eager to exact revenge on my charge's offenders.
One of the two men is chasing Lisa, so I decide to deal with him first—after all, Lisa is our charge, not Timuthy. Though I sympathize with the boy and his pain, Lisa's safety is my first priority.
In a flash, my sword is back in my hand and pointing at her attacker. I send a paralyzing bubble in his direction, and when it pops on his back, he freezes and falls flat on his face. I wouldn't be surprised if he shattered a few teeth or broke his nose in the fall.
As Lisa hurries away, I turn my wrath on Timuthy's attacker. I swing my blade in an upward arc, unleashing a giant gust of wind that not only knocks the bully away from Timuthy, it sends him rolling across the pavement. For a few seconds, he looks like a human leaf, caught in a whirlwind. When he smacks into the side of his truck, an accidental chuckle slips out of me. I probably shouldn't laugh, but it was strangely satisfying.
Timuthy flees, limping slightly. At the same time, both of his bullies scramble back to their truck, whimpering like frightened children. I don't think they were expecting the sudden paralysis or the inexplicable tumble.
“Wow, you really took care of them!” Mikey commends me. “Good job.”
My wings disappear, and the truck roars away, screeching as it turns. Mikayla is going to have questions, so I should probably prepare some answers.
Mikey asks, “Did you see how fast they took off? I'm not gonna lie, it was kind of funny.”
“While I take no pleasure in hurting humans... I can't say they didn't deserve it.” I glance in the direction of the motel, where Lisa and Timuthy reunite with a surprising hug. We're not that close to them, but I can hear their conversation.
Lisa says, “I think I almost had a heart attack! Gosh, are you okay?” She affectionately cradles both of Timuthy's cheeks as she checks his injuries. “You're obviously not okay. That was a stupid question.”
“I'm just glad you're safe,” Timuthy says. “Those guys were brain dead idiots. They didn't hurt you, did they?”
Mikayla and I follow them into the motel room, where they continue to fuss over each other for a few minutes or so. Lisa forces him to sit, and with a damp washcloth, she swabs away the blood on his face.
“What happened to those guys?” Timuthy asks, flinching as her warm cloth brushes one of his cuts. “One minute, they were beating me up, and the next m-minute...”
Lisa finishes his thought, “They ran away screaming. I don't know... it's like we had a guardian angel or something.”
I always smile when a human reaches that conclusion. It makes me feel like I've done good work for them.
“Hey... Sander...”
I already know what Mikayla is going to say, and there's no avoiding it. I answer her question before she can ask it.
“I'm an Archangel, Miss Frost,” I confess. “That's why I have wings, and that's why I was able to deal with those ruffians so... effectively.” Archangel instructors are hardly typical, but she doesn't need to know that.
What she says next is beyond shocking.
“I know.”
My gaze snaps to her face. “Pardon?”
“I already knew you were an Archangel,” Mikayla admits. “The other day, Alyx showed me a picture of Sandalphon. That's your real name, right? Sandalphon?”
Hearing my name on Mikayla's lips leaves me temporarily speechless. A moment later, when I finally find my voice, all I can say is, “Right.”
“It's okay. I'm not mad at you or anything like that,” Mikey says. “I'm a little confused about why you had to hide your real identity, but... I'm not mad.”
I'm still stunned. I'm not quite sure what to say.
I thought I was the one with a secret. I never would have guessed that Mikayla was hiding an even greater one.