The Above || Completed

39 Fury

The person walking toward us was likely a woman wearing heels. I started to panic.
"Aeron, what do we do?" I whisper-shouted, making exaggerated gestures.
"Calm down. We can't hide but we can hide what we took. Give me the flute," he ordered.
I withdrew it from my pocket and threw it to him. He caught it and placed it hurriedly behind the sculpture.

"Miss Zeph, Mister Phoenix." Venus' lilting voice came from behind me, making me go rigid. "Care to explain what you might be doing here?"
"I should be asking you the same question," I snarled, facing her.
Well, I didn't think that through.
Venus' silver hair cascaded attractively over her shoulders as usual. She wore a pair of black jeans underneath an especially revealing black spaghetti-strap crop top. I could smell the sickening aroma of vanilla coming off her. I nearly gagged. I did not like her. And I just envied her too.
Don't be petty, Maddie.
Venus looked appalled so Aeron stepped in. "Excuse her. Venus, what a nice surprise."
"I'm not here to chat, sorry to say," she said flatly. "Our sensors picked up angelic activity in the area. I've been sent to investigate."
My heart skipped a beat. "Sensors?"
"Yes. We installed them all over the Above after the angel's presence was brought to our attention," she elaborated.
I refrained from baring my teeth like an enraged beast. "How did you manage to develop such technology so quickly?"
Her expression darkened eloquently. "You're not the one who's supposed to be asking the questions here."

She was avoiding the question. There was no way the council had the means to invent angelic sensory technology within three days. These sensors were put into place after Luziel's rebellion. I just knew it. But I wasn't supposed to. And it infuriated me that I had to pretend to believe her lies. Perhaps I wasn't doing a good job.
"A source told us of an abandoned art gallery that could help us out with our investigation," Aeron said in a desperate attempt to derail the tension.
"Who might this source be?" Venus questioned, suspicion tainting her pretty face.
He visibly swallowed. "Doctor Griffin. We spoke to him earlier this afternoon."
I gasped inwardly. Well, Grandpa wasn't going to like this.
"That explains your absence at lunch." She nodded.
"He told us about some angelic artifacts we could find here. Though we doubt they're authentic," Aeron continued.
She waved it off. "Yes, yes. But that doesn't explain what our sensors picked up."
I gave a little, ironic sneer. "Considering your sensors were made in such haste, you might have to expect some malfunctions, don't you?"
Venus stepped menacingly close to me. "I don't like your attitude, Miss Zeph. Besides, why does the Above's technology concern you so much?"

I couldn't pretend. I was already at breaking point. The council was nothing but a bunch of criminal cowards.
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because-" I started, ready to burst.
Aeron suddenly grabbed my arm with surprising force. "Devonne. Clearly, we aren't supposed to be here. Let's go."
She smirked victoriously. "Yes, Devonne, Aeron's right. I'll be expecting a progress report from you tomorrow morning after breakfast. Better get out there and make some progress."
I had never felt a hatred or anger more powerful than what I felt right then. I wanted to do to her what I had done to that door. I stared daggers into her steely eyes. If only they'd been real daggers. She was a council member. The same council that murdered my mother and condemned my father to a life of slavery. I hated the council. I hated her. I balled my fists so tightly that my knuckles cracked and Aeron's grip strengthened graciously on my arm.
"Devonne," he said firmly, "we're leaving, now."

I growled like an angry wolf and grudgingly allowed Aeron to drag me out of my father's art gallery. Once we were far away enough from the gallery, I let out a frustrated scream and broke free of Aeron's hold on me. I felt a fury so potent that I simply couldn't contain.
Aeron caught me by both arms this time. "Get it together. You're not thinking straight."
"Let go of me," I snapped, trying with all my might to separate us and, of course, failing. "My grandfather could be in danger because of you! And now we don't even have the flute!"
"I'm not about to argue with you in the middle of the street, Devonne," he retorted, exasperated.
"Why not?" I spat. "You seemed to be having plenty of fun arguing with me in my dad's art gallery."
"I was protecting you," he countered. "You were this close to revealing yourself to a council representative. You couldn't so much as hold your tongue and let me handle it. Not to mention, your hands were like flickering candle flames when you two had that staring contest! I am not the enemy here."
I glanced down at my hands and found that they had been glowing throughout my outburst, too. I sighed, extinguishing the light.
Great.
Now I felt bad. But my pride was certainly punctual.
My voice was small. "Let go of me, Aeron. We should get back to headquarters."
He released me, letting me walk ahead of him.

^^^

!!Author's Note!!

What did you think?

I'd like to say a quick thank you to for adding The Above to one of their reading lists. I've seen results already. My reading audience has expanded and I just want to take a moment to say welcome to the family, haha.

Till next time.💕