Heaven was a grave, and Michaela knew it was meant for her.

The Archangel didn’t deny it was a beautiful grave. The hallowed city sat, tucked away, in a fold of the universe, far, far above Earth and space. Set against a sky cast in the undulating colors of a perpetual twilight, glass-like towers jutted from a thick bank of blush-colored clouds. Graceful spires reflected beams of bright light back into the illuminated sky.

Michaela stepped through the crystal wall of the highest spire, her vaporous body easily passing through the thick pseudo-barrier to the outside air where she hovered. The wind twisted around the sharp edges of the structures and blew straight through her with an unsettling, tickling sensation. This high up in the crystal city, Michaela’s body was boundless. The molecules of herself were tethered together only by the whispering intent of her soul. If she were to fly beyond the reach of the spires into the highest part of Heaven, she would be nothing but a speck of light.

But she couldn’t afford to disappear right now. Times were uneasy. The choirs of angels were looking to Heaven’s General, Michaela, to lead them.

The legion of holy angels consisted of nine choirs. Michaela and her fellow Archangels were the highest ranking choir as the governors of Heaven, which meant they had the most power and authority. But every angel served a purpose and was assigned special duties. The responsibilities were tiring sometimes. Many angels wavered, and more than a few fell.

But all the angels, no matter their choir, looked to Michaela for leadership as the General. She was the one who saw them through the hardest battles, the toughest decisions. She bore the weight of Heaven on her back and never faltered beneath the load.

She may never have faltered, but she did worry at times. Now was one of those times, and no matter how much she reassured the holy angels, they knew something was wrong.

Michaela angled downward, ready to move before the anxiety took hold. As she did, she caught a glimpse of her reflection. She wasn’t much more than a blur with dark hair and searing blue eyes, giving her the impression of a ghost or an illusion. With a single beat of her invisible wings, she shot through the air, streaking down the side of the spire, reducing her reflection to a smudged blur.

Michaela wanted to enjoy the speed and the thrill, but as she flew into the metropolis of the city, where hordes of angels wove through and around the towers, she sensed the tension. The unease seeping from the other angels created an unnatural amount of dew in the air. The moisture leaked into her mouth like salty tears as she cut through the mist, weaving through the narrow openings between the towers. Angels parted for her with brief smiles and a nod, but no one looked her directly in the eyes. Their fear smelled of ash settling like soot in the back of her throat.

Without pause, Michaela swept through the puffy clouds surrounding the base of the city. As she entered the lowest part of Heaven, she slowed drastically; her body was already changing from her angel form to her more human-like one. Over time, Michaela had learned the transitioning was easier if she relaxed and took her time, allowing her body to morph one part at a time.

A tingling started in her toes and spanned to the tips of her hair before turning into a maddening itch as her skin thickened. Remembering to breathe, she drew in some air and forced it down the tightening confines in her throat. But even deep breathing didn’t help the building ache in her back where her wings grew heavy and entirely visible. She stretched them out, catching the air just right to prepare for landing.

When she touched down on the slightly dusty opal tiled floor, she settled heavily, adjusting to her new weight. Around her, hundreds of huge marble columns reached into the clouds, supporting the crystal city. A sickeningly sweet perfume permeated the air from the endless blood-red petals that poured from the Tree of Knowledge in the center of the courtyard. The petals never grew dirty from the dust storms of Purgatory as they detached from their stems and floated, drifting in the air before settling on the grimy tile and disappearing. Michaela cringed away as one petal almost touched her arm. She had always been wary of their dripping, brutal color.

Michaela walked farther away, threading through the large columns. She probed her skin, unsure of being encased in a true form. If she stayed on the first level much longer she would grow a heart to pump gold blood through new veins.

Just then, the breeze shifted, bringing with it the musty smell of Purgatory and something else Michaela couldn’t identify. Frowning, she stopped walking and looked around, letting her sensitive sense of smell test the air. She remained still for a long moment until her feathers ruffled in the breeze, sending a shiver down her spine and goose bumps across her fresh skin.

“Hello?” Her voice echoed across the empty level, bouncing between the columns. No one answered.

Heaven’s courtyard stretched empty and quiet around her. She tried to reason away the chill that grew along the edges of her wings, but the sensation lingered. The sky darkened, and the juncture of her wings tightened.

“Michaela!” She jerked at the shout. Asmodeus, another Archangel, jogged up to her. “What are you doing down here?”

“I came to welcome Gabriel and the others back,” Michaela said. She found it impossible to remain in the spires when she knew he was coming home. She needed to see him, and she couldn’t focus until she did.

“Are you okay?” His eyes were on her hand. She was gripping the jeweled hilt of the sword at her hip without realizing she’d reached for it.

“I sense something, Asz…”

“I know. Let me show you.” Asz motioned her to follow as he lifted into the air with hurried beats of his wings. The bright light radiating from his feathers made Michaela’s changing eyes water, forcing her to look away.

“Where is Cassie?” Michaela asked. She darted around a column, careful her wings didn’t bang into the marble, and caught back up to Asz.

“She’s at the gates with Molloch and the twins.”

Asz flew so fast, tucking his wings and diving around the columns, Michaela didn’t have a chance to ask him why the other Archangels were at the gates or why he sounded so nervous. But lately all the angels, including Michaela, had been on edge, so she focused on matching his frantic pace and kept her mouth shut.

They reached the gates quickly. Michaela landed and skidded to a stop to keep from crashing into the expanse of metal. When she had transitioned into her more human body, a sheer material had formed over her skin like a loose gown, which she straightened as her eyes traveling up the towering entry.

Unlike their pearly reputation, Heaven’s doorway was not beautiful; it was menacing and slightly dusty from Purgatory’s desert that stretched beyond. The titanium poles twisted intricately, forming designs that ended in slashes and spikes. In addition to its fortitude, Michaela, as the General and the one responsible for Heaven’s safety, was one of the few angels who could open the massive structure. But from Michaela’s quick examination, the gates weren’t the cause for everyone’s concern.

Michaela looked back at the others. Asz was right, half the choir of Archangels was gathered at the gates. Cassie, Molloch, Emim, and Irin all stared expectantly at her, but no one spoke. “What’s wrong?”

“Look,” Asz said. He pointed toward Purgatory. Michaela looked along the empty stretch of desert that stirred beneath the ever-present wind. The smell from earlier was stronger here, and it burned the inside of her nose. Finally, Michaela saw the source of their attention. Her mouth went dry as she stared.

“Fallen,” one of the Archangels behind her whispered.

A group of a dozen fallen angels stood shoulder to shoulder in the hazy glow of Purgatory. They were positioned at the farthest point from the gates, forcing Michaela to squint just to make out their cloaked forms. The edge’s wall, where the end of Purgatory met the upper limit of space, cast a long shadow across their backs.

“What are they doing here?” Michaela never looked away from the fallen. She drew her sword just to be ready.

“We don’t know,” Asz answered. “I’ve never seen a fallen angel come this close to Heaven before.”

“Because they’re not supposed to be here,” Michaela said. Over the course of eternity, the fallen had never come into Heaven’s territory, because Michaela had forbidden it. In exchange, the holy angels never trespassed into Hell.

“You don’t think they are planning an attack, right?” Cassie murmured, her eyes huge in her pale, small face. She was tiny with frail, birdlike bones and delicate features.

“I’m sure it’s nothing to be worried about,” Asz said.

Michaela wasn’t so sure. A very long time ago, she had been Lucifer’s best friend, his ally. She knew every corner of his soul, even where the evil had taken root and stole him away. Lucifer wouldn’t send fallen angels to Heaven’s doorstep if he didn’t mean something by it.

“Have they done anything?” Michaela asked.

“Not yet,” Molloch said. He had the face of a stocky bulldog and the attitude to match. The Archangel had caused more than his share of fights with the fallen, and he looked to be itching for another one.

“How long have they been out there?”

“Not long.” Asz shifted uncomfortably. “I came for you immediately.”

Michaela’s brow furrowed. Finally she looked away from the fallen and glanced at the others. They all looked fully human, more human than Michaela. She listened carefully until she heard the beat of their hearts, watched the rise and fall of their chests, tracked the flush of their skin. Their changes were much further along than hers, which meant they had been in the lower parts of Heaven for days. Their increasingly human bodies were limiting their telepathic abilities, which explained why they hadn’t alerted her the easy way.

Their corporeal changes bothered Michaela. As the governing choir, the Archangels were meant to stay in the upper spires and oversee Heaven’s operations. Michaela was annoyed even though days were like minutes to angels. She told herself to forget it and focus on the issue at hand. “Do you think they have something to do with the disappearances?” She nodded toward the fallen.

For a while now, the other holy angels had reported the diminishing ranks of Lucifer’s fallen on Earth, speculating the angels were relocating back to Hell even though most fallen angels, like Lucifer, chose to live amongst humans. Then rumors that Lucifer was planning an attack circulated, and the disappearance of his army started to feel more like preparations. The holy angels grew too scared to even journey to Earth for fear of assault. The terror spread until it was out of hand, and Michaela sent Gabriel with the other half of the Archangels to Earth in search of answers to the disappearances.

“What is everyone saying about the disappearances now?” Michaela asked Asz. He was the sort of angel others shared their secrets with.

“The choirs heard we sent Gabriel and the others to Earth for answers. If Gabriel doesn’t return soon, and if we can’t calm everyone down, I worry the holy angels will panic and start clamoring to attack Hell before Lucifer and his fallen can attack us. They would never go against you, but their fear is growing with each day Gabriel is gone.”

“But what if the fallen have decided to attack while Gabriel and half our choir is gone?” Cassie wrapped her thin arms around her body.

“Good.” Molloch leaned toward the gate, the muscles in his legs twitching.

“I hope the fallen have better judgment than attacking Heaven with an army of twelve soldiers,” Michaela said. Confused, she watched Molloch for a moment, sensing his growing animosity. “No matter their reason for coming, we can handle it.” She looked back out to Purgatory, a chill rippling down her spine.

“There’re only twelve,” Molloch said. “We can run them off easily.”

All six of the Archangels, Michaela included, turned to him in surprise.

Cassie’s eye widened even more. “We can’t fight them without the others,” she whispered, her voice wavering.

“Cassie’s right. We’ve never fought without all the Archangels,” Michaela said.

“Why not? We can take them.” Molloch’s eyes held a hint of green in their wide orbs of light, and they glinted dangerously.

“The others returning from Earth will have to pass through Purgatory to get back. What if those fallen try something?” Asz’s eyes flickered to Cassie.

“Isn’t that the problem?” Molloch leveled his gaze on Michaela. “Gabriel is coming back soon with the others, and they won’t be expecting fallen to be so close, and our telepathic link with them is too weak to warn them.” Molloch’s eyes narrowed. “And Gabriel is still healing from his last fight with a fallen.”

At the mention of Gabriel’s injury, Michaela’s hands shook; the tip of her sword rattled against the tiles. Weeks ago, after a skirmish with a few fallen, Gabriel’s injury had been so bad they had to stay on Earth several days, waiting for him to heal enough to fly home. Seeing Gabriel hurt and too weak to even move had been Michaela’s personal Hell. She would do anything to keep that from happening again, but Gabriel wouldn’t want her to fight without all twelve of the Archangels.

“What are we waiting for?” Molloch growled. He practically foamed at the mouth. His hand wrapped around the bars of the gate, illuminating the metal beneath the fire of his touch.

Likewise, the fallen angels reacted to Molloch’s touch of the gate and took a collective, threatening step forward. Michaela jerked, not in fear but with a burgeoning rage.

Michaela bared her teeth—these fallen did not belong in Heaven, and their presence was a threat, an insult. Even though she shouldn’t fight without all the Archangels present, Michaela couldn’t allow fallen to stand between Gabriel and home. Her hand tightened over the hilt of her sword. Her duty was to protect Heaven no matter the cost; it was a desire that had her unconsciously moving toward the gate.

The Archangels sensed her agreement and shifted behind her.

Molloch lips curved into a slow, cocky smirk.

“Let’s do it,” she said.