WARFIRE

Chapter 3

Amira paced back and forth inside the small holding cell the carriers had put her in. She was in the Headquarters building--a large dome-like structure in the center of Heaven. 

Verna and the carriers had brought her here and left her two hours ago. The stupid angels had taken her daggers and ignored all of Amira's questions. Now she was stuck in a holding cell, unarmed and shackled. She felt very vulnerable. 

Amira felt the urge to scream. No, to rip something apart. They had told her nothing about her supposed crime. She didn't even know what she was here for. She had spent the last two hours scouring her memory for any crime she may have committed. Yet besides the occasional trick she played on other angels, nothing came to mind. She was a good angel--she never stole, never used violence against the other angels, even when they deserved it. For all her life, she had done nothing except her job as a La'ziel. And this was what her obedience and service were rewarded with? 

Suddenly, the door to her cell slammed open. Amira looked up to find Verna flanked by three carriers. The Warfire whispered to her that she could take them. Four angels against one La'ziel. Easy. They had underestimated her. 

But even if she resisted, where could she go? They would find her eventually. Heaven was only so large. Amira quelled the Warfire burning inside her. Instead, she looked defiantly at Verna who stared at Amira with narrowed eyes. "Amira of the La'ziel, the Council requests your presence." 

Amira felt her blood run cold. The Council was a panel of judges that only judged the most severe crimes. They were made up of representatives from each angel species, except for the La'ziel who didn't get a say in what happened. Because Heaven was mostly peaceful, the Council only made a ruling approximately every hundred years. But when they did, the punishment was shattering. 

Thrown into Hell. That's what happened to most of the angels who stood before the Council. 

God, what did they think she had done? 

They led her out of the holding cell and down a long hallway. Verna pushed open a heavy wooden door that opened into a wide courtroom. On the other side of the room were four angels. Their power slammed into Amira across the room, power that came with great age and centuries of being alive. These angels were very old and powerful. This must be the Council. 

Amira was surprised to see Amziel, Ten, Ilana, and Asa who shot her reassuring smiles. Despite her situation, she couldn't help but feel relieved that her friends had come for her. 

Besides the Council and her friends, there were two other angels present in the room that she didn't recognize. They were common angels judging by their dusky grey wings. They sat huddled together, staring at Amira with such hatred and grief that she physically recoiled. 

Ignoring her reaction, Verna pulled Amira into the center of the courtroom. 

One of the angels, a seraph with striking green eyes, looked Amira up and down. "Amira of the La'ziel, do you know what crime you are being charged with?" 

"No," she said, dread filling her. 

"You are being charged with the murder of a female common angel by the name of Jezabelle. Yesterday, Jezabelle's family reported missing after she didn't return home. This morning, we found Jezabelle's body with twenty stab wounds. Blood loss was the reason for her death. We found this dagger lying next to her with your prints." A blood-stained dagger floated above her palm. "Do you have anything to say?" 

The world tilted. "Murder?" she managed to say. "I'm being accused of murder?" 

"Where were you between the hours of twilight and morning yesterday?"