Can Angels Cry?

Katarina

****Trigger warning****

Lilliana's P.O.V

I am perched on top of the city's walls, the midday wind tousling my blonde hair. The scorched wasteland outside of the East gate of Iustus stretches endlessly ahead of me, red mountains wavering far on the horizon. Kaden instructed me to await the arrival of the scouting squad we sent out two nights ago. I shift slightly, my legs burning from the constant crouching position I had taken. The absence of the scouts has made a marked impression on the city. Without their watchful presence, crime has sharply risen just within the past two days and the citizens of Iustus have become exceedingly on edge. A group of twenty young Verities, they are not only our scouts but the main policing faction of the city. They are rarely all absent from the city at the same time and for good reason, so one can only imagine the city's shock when Kaden announced that the entire squad would be sent on a recon mission.

I had few worries for them, though. They are some of our strongest soldiers, encompassing both the army and all other peacekeeping factions throughout the city. Their intelligence, keen eyesight and strong wings have proven them to be hardened warriors and one of them alone is worth an entire squad of regular soldiers. For even a single scout to be killed in battle, the humans would have to lose at least half of their army, if not more. But their extended absence has made me uneasy. They were due to return last night and the many hours of waiting upon the walls have made my joints stiff.

The sky is painted a deep, blood red as the sun creeps over the barren mountains. The chilly air eases as light streams into the plains, crawling up the Iustus' walls. The metallic clanging of the guards' armour rings through the silent dawn as the soldiers awake at first light. My eyes flicker over to the Wall Barracks as the guards stream out in groups, branching off to their respective sectors of the wall.

I catch sight of my childhood friend, Katarina, her dark curls peeking out from beneath her helmet. Her bright brown eyes are filled with light as she laughs softly at a comment made by the male guard next to her. I immediately switch back to watching the brightening horizon, trying to dispel my friend's face from my mind.

As a child, I had always been envious of Katarina's dark features that made her stand out against the crowd of light haired Verities. In a city where red and golden hair was the norm, dark hair, eyes and skin are considered genetic anomalies and extremely valuable. So valuable that Verities who have such features are often kidnapped and sold on Iustus' black market as love slaves. Such was the fate of Katarina's family.

Her mother, Dahlia, and father, Havin, were particularly abnormal, with dark, curly hair, deep brown eyes and ivory skin. As adolescents and young adults, they were constantly hounded by prospective lovers who yearned after their dark qualities, and so, found solace in each other.

At the time of their marriage, the illicit trade of "Abnormals", as they were called, was at a record high. The Breeders feared for the life and welfare of the baby Abnormal they had in their care and so, scoured the city for a suitable family that was unlikely to trade or abuse the child. After almost 2 years of searching, they located Dahlia and Havin, hiding out in the slums of Iustus, everyday afraid for their lives and wellbeing. Convinced that the child Abnormal would be safe in the hands of the young couple, the Breeders assigned Katarina to Dahlia, praying that the couple would be able to protect the child.

Dahlia and Havin cared for the child as best they could, giving her the very clothes off their backs and food from their plates. When Havin was 20, he was offered a place in the army, ensuring not only his safety, but also the safety of Dahlia and Katarina. 

The offer was too tempting to turn down and so, Havin and Dahlia emerged from the slums and were offered a small house to live in at heart of Iustus. But the peace was not to last. 

Katarina was 13 the night that their home was raided. As teens, Katarina and I were close, the two of us often spending the night at each other's homes. Each day, I am thankful that she had chosen to stay at my home for the night after fighting with Dahlia over a trivial matter.
The raiders entered Katarina's home at the dead of night, killing Havin in his sleep and capturing Dahlia to sell as a slave. For weeks, my family scoured the city for any trace of Dahlia or her captors, but to no avail. After almost 3 months of searching, we finally gave in to the fact that Dahlia was long gone, most likely taken to a rich noble's mansion at an outlying district.

After that night, Katarina changed. Her usually bubbly personality was smothered by a new, darker side that she had previously concealed. But yet, on the surface she seemed happy enough, shaken but ready to move on. Yet, at night I could hear her sobbing in the bathroom adjoining my chambers, as she dragged the blade of her pocketknife across her wrists. Then one night, it all stopped, the crying, the cutting. Just... gone. 

When we were sixteen, Katarina joined the army, vowing to find the raiders who had stolen her mother from her. Over the past 5 years, she has continued to rise in the ranks, outshining all the other soldiers who dare to compete with her. Through the army she found a passion, a goal, a reason to keep going. 

I snap out of my reverie as my ears pick up the soft sound of laboured wings, and a lopsided silhouette emerges from over the mountains. I call to the surrounding soldiers milling around behind me, and leap off the edge of the wall, spreading my wings and pushing them downwards to gain momentum. Behind me, the soft clinking of armour resonates through the morning air as the following soldiers join me. We race towards the figure, drawing our weapons, prepared for the worst.

A flash of yellow hair and golden wings catches my eye and I begin to make out the scarred features of the squad general. As she catches my eye, her wings falter, then fall to her side as she tumbles through the air to the ground. I dive, pulling my wings flat against my back as I reach out to her. I take hold of her wrist just as we hit the ground and a sickening crack fills the air.

The squad leader holds back a scream and wheezes, struggling for breath. Her fingernails scratch into my wrist, drawing blood, as she squirms in pain, while I watch helpless. Behind me, I hear a few soldiers take off to get help, but I am paralyzed, staring at the girl who is dying in my arms. All of a sudden, she stops squirming and meets my gaze, her eyes burning with urgency.

"Watch... Genesis..." she gasps the words out, wincing in pain, "They have... a God." 

With that, her eyelids flutter, her pupils dilating as her eyes roll back into her head. And then she's gone. Leaving nothing behind but a hurried message and a blood soaked body.