Ciel's POV
I walked out of the Heavenly Realm with the whispers still clinging to the air behind me.
But my thoughts were on Ael.
I clenched my jaw. I only hope his blind faith in Lucien does not doom his entire realm, I thought grimly.
If Ael chose denial over caution, then Heaven itself would pay the price.
I reached the gates and did not look back.
"Open the portal," I commanded.
"Yes, Your Majesty," my commander replied.
He began chanting the rites once more. Light twisted and folded in on itself as the portal opened before us.
Without hesitation, we stepped through—
back toward home.
The golden invitation burned away as we stepped through the portal—its purpose fulfilled.
We emerged into the dark clearing, the night air heavy and still. Yet my thoughts were far from calm.
A deal with Lucien.
The words echoed relentlessly in my mind.
What kind of deal could Ael—an Archangel—have possibly made with a fallen angel like Lucien?
It made no sense.
