Twisted Wings

chapter 10

*Hey you guys! If you're still here, THIS FIC IS NOT DEAD! I had to go on break for a while due to drastic lifestyle changes and I've been struggling to catch up since then. This is actually only half of the chapter because the whole thing is like 20,000 words. Sorry for the lack of Azul in this but he comes back strong in the next half, in fact it's told mostly from his POV. The next half should be out soon I just need to finish the end and edit it.*

They all scrambled back to the mirror hall, clambering through the mirror all at once. They panted, pausing to catch their breath, their eyes darting back at the mirror to make sure Jade and Floyd were not pursuing them.
Ace frowned as he glanced over at Uriel, unable to hide his frustration. He whirled around to glare at him, his voice filled with accusation. “Dude! What was that about you not being a student? Who the hell are you?!”
Uriel let out a weary groan as he rubbed his neck, his eyes shifting uncomfortably under Ace's crimson gaze. He glanced at Celeste, silently asking her if it was alright to reveal the truth. Jack and Grim flashed each other awkward looks, already aware of his predicament.
Feeling a sense of resignation, Celeste sighed, realizing that there was no other way to talk herself out of this situation. She had to come clean. “Ace, Deuce, this is Uriel, my twin brother,” she confessed, her voice laced with a mix of relief and apprehension. Uriel waved at them casually, as if he was meeting them for the first time, his expression cheerful.
“WHAAAT?” Ace gawked at her, flabbergasted. “Why didn't you say so sooner?!”
“So we've been dealing with TWO sets of twins this entire time?” Deuce said, somewhat exasperated, before being struck by a sudden realization. “Wait- doesn't that make you a Prince?!” Deuce looked over at Uriel wide-eyed.
Uriel couldn't help but grin at Deuce's reaction, chuckling softly. “Yeah. Celeste and I are the Prince and Princess of Eden.”
Ace quickly recovered from his initial shock, and a mischievous grin spread across his face. “So that's what that whole 'go ahead and tell the Headmage' thing came from,” Ace remarked, his tone filled with amusement. “Dude, you've sure got some ego.” Celeste felt a twinge of relief that he had arrived at this conclusion and not thought further about her and Uriel's background. She didn't want him to realize that she and her brother were actually angels.
“I apologize for not telling you all sooner, but I wished to keep a low profile since Uriel is supposed to be back at home right now,” Celeste said, her expression regretful as she looked at her friends. The weight of her secret had been heavy on her shoulders, but she had believed it was for the best. After all, Uriel was not even supposed to be in contact with her.
“Hey Jack and Grim, you two are awfully quiet. What gives?” Ace appeared to notice of the wolf beastman and the cat creature's passive reaction and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“That's because we already knew,” Jack replied, casually crossing his arms.
“Yeah! Celeste told us FIRST!” Grim chimed in, blowing a raspberry at Ace. His mischievous grin widened as he rubbed it in.
“Grim, you just found out a few hours ago,” Celeste scolded him gently, her tone tinged with amusement. She couldn't help but find his excitement endearing, even if it was slightly exaggerated. “But yes, Jack found out accidentally when he caught Uriel at Ramshackle looking for me. Grim, well, he… Was persistent with his questions.” She sighed and shook her head in exasperation.
“I guess that makes sense… Azul's has been working us so much we haven't had time to really pay attention to details,” Deuce groaned before continuing. “Well, we can't tear the contracts up. We can't even touch them.” He sighed, looking defeated as he brought everyone's attention back to the matter at hand.
Celeste narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. The timing of Azul entering his office just before they opened the safe had been too perfect. It had surely been a set-up. She remembered Azul's panicked reaction when the safe had been dented by Floyd's reckless spell.
A determined glint sparked in Celeste's eyes as a plan started to form in her head to destroy the contracts. But she also knew that she couldn't do it alone. She needed help from someone unexpected, someone Azul wouldn't suspect.
"I think we'd better call it a day," Jack sighed, breaking the tense silence that had settled over the group.
"We wasted a whole day and for what?" Grim groaned his shoulders slumping as everyone slinked off back to class, leaving just her and Uriel in the Mirror hall.
"I know that look." Uriel chuckled seeing her expression. "You've got a plan don't you?"
Celeste grinned wickedly. "Why yes, dear brother, I do."