Quest of angels, p.1
Quest of Angels, page 1
QUEST OF ANGELS
QUEST OF ANGELS
BOOK 1
J.E. FELDMAN
Text Copyright 2022 © J.E. Feldman
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under the international and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author/publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Editing & Formatting by Dragon Queen Services
Cover Art by Atlantis Book Design
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
For those who kept trying to throw a wrench into my gears. May you collect a thousand paper cuts from my books you continue reading.
Special thanks to D.S. Durden for organizing all the feedback and edits for this book into a single, workable document.
A huge thank you to A.M. Cummins, Hui Lang, and Anna Sinjin for being beta readers.
CONTENTS
Glossary of Terms
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Author Note
Malice of Angels
About J.E. Feldman
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Adenydd - Ceremony to get wings.
Archangel - Governs over all angels.
Archein - Angel with wings.
Angelo - Angel without wings in training to become an Archein.
Dileu - Ceremony to remove wings.
Gweryn - Angel without wings with no opportunity to become an Angelo.
Hesedians - The name citizens of Hesediel call themselves.
Hesediel – A location in Heaven where the Archangels rule.
Methiant - Angel who had wings removed in the Dileu ceremony.
Nal – An artificial lotus flower that is refillable with energy to siphon. It feeds the citizens of Hesediel.
Nalfa - Eternal prison where souls go after doing a First-Tier crime.
Zephs - The name citizens of Zephon call themselves.
Zephon – An unknown location in Heaven where those against the Archangels reside.
PROLOGUE
Curly, dark ringlets framed the young child’s flushed face while her chest rose and fell erratically as she fought to breathe. All of her attempts were futile even as nurses rushed into the room and her parents stood off to the side in tears, helpless.
“Out of the way,” a male nurse ordered, pushing past the panicked couple with a crash cart.
The machines continued shrieking in warning as Maya fought to keep her eyes open. She tried to keep her focus on her mother’s face, but seeing the wide brown eyes and reddened complexion upset her too much. She turned her attention to the dark-haired nurse who was readying the paddles as time slowed to a crawl. She reflexively attempted to breathe, but felt like an elephant was sitting on her chest, suffocating her. Maya heard her own lifeline flatline on the machine as her eyes forcefully fluttered.
“CLEAR!”
Paddles were pressed to her chest and she would have gasped from the excruciating pain had she been able to draw breath. Over the wailing equipment, she could hear her mother’s screams. With extreme effort, Maya managed to look and see her being restrained by her father and a young female nurse. She wanted to speak or reach out. Anything to comfort her parents.
“CLEAR!”
Maya felt a dull ache in her chest as the effort to keep her eyes open gradually became too much. It wasn’t long before the noise around her became garbled sounds, slowly fading into silence.
“Maya,” a familiar voice called from nearby, warm arms wrapping her into a hug. “It’s time to wake up now.”
Her chocolate brown eyes fluttered open to her grandmother’s pale, wrinkled face smiling at her. The older woman looked exactly as she remembered, but the scent of her coconut lotion was lacking. Looking around, she noticed they were in a grey-scaled version of her grandmother’s living room. The bright variety of turquoise and orange colors were missing. But all of this was impossible because her grandmother’s house had been torn down after her death. Maya recalled standing on the sidewalk beside her mother at a safe distance to observe the demolition. Their loss had been more finalized that way.
“Is this a dream?”
Her grandmother laughed and gently pinched her cheek.
“I know everything is a little confusing, sweetheart, but I want to tell you now that it’s going to be okay.”
“How are we in your house?”
The older woman’s skin wrinkled around her eyes as she gazed worriedly at the little girl in her arms.
“We aren’t on Earth right now. We’re in a place like Heaven.”
“Where are all the colors?” Maya asked, craning to look around the rest of the room.
“Colors are not important here.”
“Where’s Mom and Dad?” she asked, noticing they were missing as she directed her attention back to her grandma.
“They couldn’t come with you. See, you were very sick.”
“I couldn’t breathe.”
“Yes, and the nice nurses couldn’t help you. You were brought here.”
“By who?”
She paused for a moment before answering the child.
"Raziel carried you to me. He's your guardian angel."
"I really have one?" Maya asked, eyes widening.
"Of course, you do, sweetheart. You are a perfect little angel," the older woman assured, gently stroking her dark hair.
"Then why am I here and not with my parents? Was I bad?"
"No, baby.”
“I want Mom. Now,” the little girl demanded, clenching her fists.
“Maya, you can’t see either of your parents again.”
“Why?” she wailed, hot tears beginning to run down her face.
“It was your time, not theirs."
"Time for what?"
"You are going to be trained to be a fighter,” her grandmother explained, brushing aside one of Maya’s rebellious curls from the girl’s face as she sniffled.
“I don’t want to fight anyone,” she declared, angrily wiping away the trail of tears down her cheeks.
“These are beings that hurt other people. Nice and innocent ones like you. Don’t you want to help protect them?”
“But I am too little. Mom and Dad protect me.”
“You won’t be little forever, sweetie. You can make a difference. Maya, promise me you will do your best. For Mom and Dad.”
Maya looked up into the dark brown eyes that were so much like hers and took a deep breath through her mouth.
“I promise, Grandma.”
1
A flaming arrow whizzed through the air past her head and pierced the trunk of the tree with a loud thunk.
“Too close! You need to be faster, Maya,” her instructor scolded from a distance away, aiming in her direction.
She was on the move before the arrow was released, but it was still going to find its mark on her left shoulder. Holding a hand out, the arrow slowed in midair. With a flick of her wrist, the arrow flipped around and shot back at her instructor. It disintegrated before reaching him as he scowled in disapproval.
“You will never earn your wings if you continue to use parlor tricks! What if more than one arrow was heading in your direction?”
“I would have stopped them all,” she stated confidently.
“But then you would never see this knife at your back,” a low voice from behind her said as arms wrapped around her waist.
Maya giggled and leaned back against him as his massive, dark wings enveloped them both into a cocoon of feathers. Her heart rate increased and her cheeks flushed as he gently moved aside her dark curls to kiss her neck. She struggled to stay still as tingles erupted across her body.
“How is my angel today?” he muttered, his breath warm against her skin.
“Raziel has trained me hard. I’ve worked up quite an appetite,” she replied.
“I know what will satisfy that,” he said seductively, nipping her neck before he retracted his wings and stepped back.
“Are we done for the day?” she asked, looking over at the silver-haired guardian angel she had known since a child.
He glanced up from preparing to unstring the bow, his expression unreadable. He gave a curt nod before returning to his task.
“Out early on a training day! Raziel is getting too soft.”
Maya shushed him. “Meet me in the garden for lunch?”
“I’ll be waiting,” he declared with a wink. Taking a few running steps, he launched himself into the air, his dark wings pushing hard against the air currents.
Maya began the long walk back into the citadel, taking a moment to admire the behemoth of architecture at the top of the mountain. Steep stone steps snaked up tightly to the ornate archway that granted acc ess into the recesses of Hesediel. Her eyes slowly drifted upward to the highest point where the Archangels and Archeins resided as she yearned for the day she would join their ranks in the Haven. To fly amongst them was the greatest honor.
Ever since Zach had turned his attention to her, she had been regarded with great dislike by most of the women who had been vying for his attention. For now, her only focuses were her training for becoming an Archein and spending spare time with him.
She smiled to herself as she finished climbing the stairs and hurried through a stone archway. Following the covered path, she worked on breathing slowly. The closer she was to the gardens, the louder her heartbeat grew over the soft pattering of her footsteps. She entered the maze of tall hedges and rapidly found her way because she often met him there. It was usually peaceful and away from prying eyes.
She rounded the final corner as the third bell signaling the lunch hour rang out across the citadel. The area opened up into colorful flowers with a stone pathway weaving off ahead. Nearby she saw her handsome boyfriend seated on a bench with two glowing nals cradled in his hands. She tucked a strand of dark hair that escaped her ponytail behind her ear as she approached him, smiling as he looked up.
“I thought I would beat you here,” she declared, sitting down beside him.
“The runway was clear and the line for lunch was short,” he explained, handing over one of the glowing artificial lotus flowers.
It filled the palm of her hand and vibrated with energy. Cupping both hands around it, she siphoned from it slowly, enjoying the increase of her inner power. He did the same in silence. As the flowers closed in on themselves and the glow faded from them entirely, Maya cleared her throat.
“I’ve missed you. I thought you were going to be busy training some of the new Archeins for their first mission against the Zephs.”
“A few of the ones under my command didn’t make it through the training.”
“It’s not your fault. You know that, right?” Maya asked, reaching over to place her hand on his arm.
He nodded in response, eyes cast downward as he fidgeted with the nal.
“When is the Dileu ceremony taking place?”
“At fifth bell.”
“Are they going to make you watch?"
“They have made other Archein trainers watch in the past. Why would I be any different?” he mumbled.
Maya gently squeezed his arm as she felt her face pale. She couldn’t imagine having to witness a new Archein getting their wings removed. After failing so miserably, they would become Methiants. It was the lowest position anyone could be, even under the Gweryns who never proved themselves enough to become Angelos. Thankfully, ever since her arrival at such a young age, Maya had been put under the care of her guardian angel. If Raziel hadn’t overseen her training, she couldn’t imagine how awful her time spent in Hesediel as a Gweryn would be. She certainly never would have met Zach.
“That means they believe you are strong enough,” she encouraged, hardly believing the words herself.
He responded with a long sigh.
Setting her nal down on the opposite side of her, she scooted closer to him, reaching out her hand to cup his face and turn it toward her. His green eyes stared into hers and she felt her cheeks flushing.
“You can do this,” she insisted, lowering her hand back to her lap. “Just as you have fought and sent many of the Zephs back to Earth by killing them. I believe in you.”
The feathers of his wings made a rustling sound as he turned more toward her, tossing his nal to the ground beside the bench. Her heartbeat rapidly increased as he cupped her face in his hands, gently running a thumb across her bottom lip. He leaned in and rested his forehead against hers, staying there for a few moments.
“Hearing you say those words may just make the experience bearable.”
“Thinking of me the entire time would make it much easier,” Maya muttered with a laugh, lifting her hand to slowly run it along the length of his chest. She watched as his eyes closed as she continued to trail her hand down his leg before stopping.
“That would be torture for me,” he said, quickly angling his head to capture her lips with his.
A giggle escaped her as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her hard against his side, never breaking the kiss. She grazed her teeth along his lower lip and fiery energy surged through her as he gave a low moan.
“Ahem.”
Someone from nearby cleared their throat and the couple surged away from each other, looking toward the sound as they tried to look innocent.
“I see the rumors of how you spend your free time are true, Zachariel,” his fellow Archein declared, crossing his arms and looking down at them.
“Oh, it’s just you,” he sighed, leaning back in to give Maya a brief kiss. Standing, he retrieved both of the nals and approached his blond friend. “It’s already time to head back?”
“Duty calls.”
“I’ll see you again after the sixth bell,” Zach called back to Maya.
“See you then,” she said, sending them off with a small wave.
She sat on the bench for a few moments longer before beginning the long walk back to the Angelo training grounds. Raziel was still there, watching over a pair of young men sparring each other with long staves. The taller of the two became distracted as Maya approached, which gave his opponent the opportunity to catch him off-balance. He tumbled to the ground with a grunt, but was quickly back to his feet, glaring over at his smirking friend.
“Who is next to challenge?” the winner shouted out. His ego was bolstered by the lack of response from the others watching.
“Maya will take the challenge,” Raziel stated, meeting her surprised gaze across the arena. “Take up a staff.”
The winner grinned and spun his staff in one hand as Maya was given one while the loser walked out of the fenced area.
“Good luck,” he stated half-heartedly before joining the rest of the crowd.
Hefting the staff in her left hand, it felt well-balanced and she became more confident as she approached the center. They were around the same height and build, which gave neither of them more of an advantage. She could already judge her best advantage was to play off his ego.
“Begin!”
The staves clacked together as her opponent lashed out first with quick reflexes, attempting to catch her off-guard. Maya blocked and danced out of the way of the second attack, using her staff as a spear to knock one end hard against his right thigh as he passed by. He visibly winced and stumbled for a moment. It was all the time she needed. As hushed voices broke out amidst the crowd, Maya used her full weight to bring her staff crashing down against his spine, forcing him to the ground. With one knee digging into his back, she kept him pinned there until he surrendered with a groan.
Standing and stepping back, Maya became aware of a tall figure standing beside Raziel. Pure white wings were folded behind his back and his bare chest rippled with muscle as he uncrossed his arms to clap. The others in the crowd soon joined as her opponent struggled to his feet and left the arena, his face bright red and lips twisted into a snarl. His staff remained where it had fallen a few feet away.
Maya bowed her head in respect as the Archangel Karcel approached, breathing in sharply when he crouched to retrieve the abandoned weapon. He pushed aside the brown hair that slid into his face as he stood and faced her. She could hear gasps from the onlookers and she chanced a look past the Archangel to Raziel. His expression was guarded.
