The Devil in the Black Suit

Soldiers Are Meant To Take Orders

Chapter One

Soldiers Are Meant To Take Orders

I suck on the tip of my quill while looking over my essay. They say the feather belonged to my great-great-grandfather Mikhail, but I am not so sure that is true. I would ask my mother, but angels in training are forced to live in the barracks, completely cut off from their families.

I have been training with the Angels' Military Academy for six months now, since I turned eighteen. Unless you have a very good excuse, like my old neighbor Zai who was not right in the head, that is how it is for every angel. Train with the academy for two years, and they place you in the area of the Angel Army in which you are most skilled. For me, if I get my way, it will be a position with the fly-scouts. The fly-scouts choose only the most elite fliers, and patrol the borders of Heaven for any demons that may be approaching.

But before I can even think about becoming a fly-scout, I have to pass my preliminary classes. And for today, that means history. I look over my essay once more, checking for even the smallest of errors, before I change out of my sleeping gown. My uniform is draped across the back of my desk chair, the folds of glittery iridescent fabric shimmering with the rays of sunlight streaming through my window. All the angels have to wear robes like these: flowing white tunics that cover chest to ankle, designed to camouflage our bodies within the clouds in the sky.

Just as I slip my robes over my head, there's a rapping at my door. Tap-tap-tap. I know that knock. Kaz, who lives down the hall, pokes his head into my quarters.

"Hey, Riya," he says. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," I say. As he walks in, I am bent over, gathering my blonde curls into a tight bun on top of my head. Girls aren't supposed to keep their hair as long as mine, but I don't have the heart to cut it. Besides, if I keep it wrapped up, it hardly affects my flying.

I notice how red Kaz's eyes are and wonder if he's been up all night studying again. While I focus on my flying, Kaz spends most all his free time in the library, reading up on all kinds of things. He's training to be a Healer, but on the side he wants to learn everything he can on man and demon kind. Says if we know nothing of our others, we are sure to lose the war. Kaz is my best friend and the smartest boy I know.

"Hurry up, Riya," he urges. "We'll be late if we don't leave now. Haven't you packed yet? And where is your halo?"

For emphasis, Kaz slips his halo onto his finger, and instantly his dark wings blossom from his back. Once Kaz told me that man thinks we angels wear our halos on top of our heads like some sort of crown. I told him that was ridiculous, and laughed him off until he proved himself right with some old book he had borrowed from the library. I don't know what nonsense idea man has about us, but we wear our halos as rings on our fingers. It is by wearing our halos that we are able to sprout wings and fly, as well as use our healing and combat powers.

"You go on without me," I say. "I'm flying to class today."

"But you can't," Kaz says. "It's forbidden to fly outside of training. You'll be punished."

"Let them punish me," I say, crossing my arms. "It's about time I made an impression on the senior fly-scouts. I'm tired of them looking at me like I'm nothing but a child."

"It's your decision," says Kaz. "But if I were you, I wouldn't do it."

I smirk at him and take his hand, dark against my cloud-colored skin. "Save a seat for me, Kaz, will you?"

He shakes his head like he's disappointed in me, but he can't help but smile a bit. He knows I'm a sucker for trouble. No use trying to talk me out of it.