Hi all! So here's the continuation of the previous chapter and I'm grateful for the kind encouragement and comments you've given me so far. Hopefully this chapter proves to be equally entertaining!
***
The moment she flipped, Aria hiked her Illusion to its maximum; rendering her invisible. At the last second, she made sure her fingers caught the edge of the roof top before climbing down slowly to the nearest window sill.
She heard the rustle of the Archangel's wings and dared herself to twist her neck to catch a final glimpse of him as he dipped into the endless depths beneath her. Aria knew that he would call her bluff within minutes so she'd better hurry.
It was a good thing that she was familiar with the building's structure since she had to climb it for three consecutive days to gain information on the Archangel's battle strategies; otherwise, she would be caught in no time.
Balancing herself on one of the balcony railings, Aria moved stealthily, keeping close to the walls and trying not to look down. It wasn't that she had a fear of heights or was prone to vertigo but the blinking lights below reminded her of her almost fall towards death just yesterday.
Her lips moved into a thin line of disapproval at the memory. If she were to die today, what possible information could she deliver to Iluna? Well... she
could
tell her of the beautiful Light Angel she'd met. Iluna had banished most of the Light Angels from her territory --not surprising seeing that the Darkness and Light clans had been fighting for centuries to ascertain who was the strongest. The Angels of Darkness believed that because they were created first, they ought to be the true rulers of the world but the Light Angels would always argue that when there was Light, Darkness ceased to exist. That made them weak and vulnerable to destruction.
However, Aria knew that her place was not to advice the Archangel on how to rule her kingdom. The information might prove useful to her or it might not but one thing for certain; Zilarrezko had a bond with Lucian that was almost paternalistic. Aria knew that while angel children were possible, they were extremely rare. However, seeing that Lucian was of a different birth clan from Zilarrezko, Aria knew that she would eventually have to dig further to understand their relationship.
For now, she needed to get some food and get proper clothes. She had no doubt that the Archangel was going to find her. Since she wasn't going to leave his territory anytime soon, she did not want to be caught wearing a suit that could enhance Illusion. Aria had no idea how Zilarrezko saw her but she prayed to God that it wasn't much different from how she
really
looked like: blue-black hair, golden tanned skin and sharp, inhuman eyes that whispered of the deep blue sea.
***
He was furious. It took him slightly more than a minute to realize that she would never jump off the building. She had found a loophole in his building structure and that's how she got to the rooftop in the first place! Even with twenty-four hour security, what was being watched were the inside of the building, not the outside.
Returning to his roof top, Zilarrezko suited up in his usual armor once more. It was much more resilient than the flimsy clothes that would tear each time he spread his wings. The other clans always thought that Metal were the most physically strong but they often forget that apart from that, the Metallic Angels could not rely on arcane powers that the other clans seem to have. Metal, as was Earth, was physical and grounded, stable and meant to be resilient.
Gaia, the Cardinal of Earth had been the most resilient of all because she had accepted that wings were not the true measure of power... and she was right. When the Archangel of Earth conceded all her lands to be divided into five kingdoms, she was not being weak but being smart --a trait that Zilarrezko respected and revered. The Earth Angels, also known as Humans or Man had multiplied into a vast army that covered literally every inch of the world as we know it. They may be mortals but should Gaia decide to have a mutiny in the near future and reclaim all her lands; there would be millions of Humans that would rise up against the few hundred Angels ruling them.
However, Gaia did not interfere in the Archangel's wars and dispute. She'd let them sacrifice the Humans in their territorial wars simply because she knew the actual supply of Man will not be depleted. That meant that Zilarrezko had no way of being Allies with her. If they were, he'd have Humans on the South American lands turning against their Archangel Iluna.
Which brings him back to the issue at hand: he needed to find that Valkyrie and find out exactly what Iluna wants from him. Was Aria there to infiltrate his armies and turn them against him? Or was she up to something more sinister?
By the time he turned around, his four Ordinal Angels were bowed before him; waiting for instructions.
"Lucian, Anthony, Marcus, Julia, I want you to find my Valkyrie prisoner. She is still within our territory and would be looking for a place to sleep. Lucian, send a mental image of her to the rest."
Lucian nodded and a minute later, the four Ordinals left his rooftop.
***
Aria had been fingering a soft muslin dress on display when she felt the presence of an Ordinal Angel in her midst. After being trained as a Valkyrie for years, Aria could differentiate the auras of the angels that walked the earth. The Archangels were the most powerful; with a glow around them that announced their presence even before you get a chance to see them. The Ordinals on the other hand, always shone various shades of red --not of anger but of loyalty... of blood. The most loyal were the brightest of red and from the faint metallic scent of this Ordinal, Aria had no doubt that she belonged to Zilarrezko.
Aria was unsure if she was of the Snow-Water or Light clan for while her wings and hair were pure white, her skin was the complete opposite; ebony shade that reminded her of Africa. The Archangel Noor of Africa had the same coloring didn't she? And Noor was of the Light clan.
Aria was about to find out for the Ordinal came close towards her; pure white eyes with powdery lashes staring into her own blue-black abyss. Aria had to steady her breath so as not to give away anything.
"What are you?" she asked softly. "An Angel?"
"No..."
"You have eyes the color of something I've forgotten." The Ordinal's voice was whispery and soft. "Like the deep sea... where Light cannot reach," she said absently before gliding away. The Ordinal moved like a ghost; her feet barely touching the floor as though she was floating but she was not flapping her wings to keep her airborne.
For a moment, Aria couldn't believe that the Ordinal had simply walked away from her. Exactly
how
did the Archangel describe her to them? Surely they were out hunting for her, which was going to take them forever because they were not looking for the right person.
She had already taken off her second skin; keeping it in a bank safe-box together with her other personal belongings under a fictitious name. Be it war time or not, the banks still continued running and some prized themselves for their ability to retain anonymous accounts for their clients --especially one who paid for the box in cash upfront in figures that dipped into the sixth digits.
Returning to the changing room, Aria hung the muslin dress on the hook and changed out of the plain t-shirt and shorts she had grabbed earlier. If she was planning on seducing the Archangel, then she'd better do it right --even if he threatened to kill her the moment they laid eyes on each other.
Aria suspected that no one ever left the Archangel in the middle of a passionate embrace, until now.
***
"What do you mean you couldn't find her? Lucian! Did you give them the correct description of her?"
"Yes Cardinal I did!" Soft lavender lashes fluttered in defiance. "Aria has soft blonde hair and hazel eyes with milky white skin. I had almost believed her to be a human until you said otherwise."
Zilarrezko snapped his eyes open and closed the gap between him and the young angel.
"What color was her hair again?"
"Blonde Cardinal..."
Zilarrezko narrowed his eyes at Lucian. "Aria has dark brown hair and green eyes... with the Spanish tilt in her voice.Show me your image of her," he ordered; eyes turning wide at the difference in how they've perceived her appearance. It was... impossible.
"Her facial structure is still the same even though her hair and eye color changed. I want you to find her again. This time, look for the features not the outer appearance. See her body size? It remains the same in both our images... so that's a starting point."
"Yes Cardinal," they replied in unison and flew off.
When they were gone, Zilarrezko looked out to the open skies and sighed. He was fascinated by the Valkyrie and even more so now that he'd learn about her ability. He would have said it was Illusion but even he could not influence the perception of others' to that extent.
Now he must really find her. She is Illuna's weapon and he desperately needed to know how to convert this weapon into his own.
***
Aria watched patiently as four Ordinal Angels descended from the Obelisque to begin their search; each taking a quadrant of the Archangel's territory. Even from a hundred floors below, Aria had taken note of the coloring of each of his Ordinals; keeping the information at the back of her mind so she could avoid them in the future.
Apart from the two Light Angels, there were two more. One bore the distinct crimson of the Fire clan while the other was pure bronze that shimmered as it reflected light. As stunning as they were, she knew that they were not Ordinals for their beauty but for their power. Even Lucian, the young and playful angel was a cover for his true lethal capabilities.
But that was nothing compared to Zilarrezko. He was an Archangel not because of his kindness and mercy but because of his iron fists --literally. And yet... those iron fists were the same ones that had touched her and the same ones that's going to wrap themselves around her throat when he sees her.
Aria couldn't help but smile. The Archangel may intend to kill her --over and over as he says --but he couldn't deny the fact that she was going to be a useful tool for him. Aria wasn't going to betray sides but she was prepared to feed him insignificant details; enough to whet his appetite and allow her to extract some of his secrets.
"So many secrets..." she whispered to herself as she stepped, for the first time, through the main entrance of the Obelisque. Her gladiator sandals padded soundlessly over the polished marble flooring of the grand lobby. When she reached the elevators, an Angel spread his black wings politely to stop her from moving any further.
"My name is Gerard, how may I assist you?" he asked with a kind smile.
"I would like to take the lift to the penthouse." His smile vanished instantly.
"Do you have an appointment with the Cardinal, Miss?"
"No. But he's expecting me," she replied, deliberately ignoring his request for her name.
"I will need to confirm this Miss," he apologized. "Would you give me your name please? The Cardinal is very busy and does not take guests unannounced."
"Yes, I am aware of that," she said dryly. "Very well then. I will wait here for him."
"Your name, Miss... please?"
