It was raining outside. Tap-tap-tapping against the windows, echoes permeating the whole building. Clouds swirled overhead, dark even though it was the middle of the afternoon. Lightning flashed off in the distance, the echoes of thunder several minutes away. But for once, I wanted to be outside, anyways. And I couldn’t.

The door at the top of the stairs was locked. The door at the bottom of the stairs was locked. They were locked. From. The. Outside. Why was that a thing? I’d tried the windows. They’d been tied shut from the outside with some sort of rubbery rope. My Imago couldn’t open it. My glaive couldn’t cut through it. And the glass itself seemed indestructible. “Just what is this even made of?”

“Spider silk and diamonds.” At least Vespa was here. Said nobody.

“Ha. Ha.”

“Just give up on getting out of here.”

“They locked me in here! I can’t even... I can’t believe it. Why would they do that? Don’t they want my help stopping Ecto? Are they just going to... to kill Thea, too? She’s trying to stop him! She’s actually one of the good ones—”

“There are no good ones. Calm down, Quinn. They’re tackling the problem. You might be in danger if you go out, and they don’t want that.”

“That didn’t stop them before.”

“You don’t understand, Quinn. This is way, way bigger. Nep’s been watching you two for a long time, you know. She’s been aware of what’s been happening, but she waited until you found out enough for them to take action.”

Of course she’d been watching us. How had I thought they were so oblivious? “But then why are they attacking Thea?”

“You don’t understand, yet, but Thea is much more dangerous than you think. But for now, why don’t you do some homework? You’ve been falling behind.”

I slammed my hands against the table. “Vespa!” But she refused to answer, instead flying up out of reach. “Vespa?” I sighed. I supposed there really wasn’t anything else I could do. The stack of unfinished work on my desk seemed higher than ever. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Don’t worry.” Of course she answered now. “You made the right choice.”

The right choice? “Angelica is going to kill Thea.”

“She’s going to try to kill Thea.”

“As if that makes a difference! Thea can’t hurt anyone. She doesn’t even want to fight.”

“Is that what she said? How interesting.”

“Can you just like, go away, please?”

“Someone’s at the window, you know.”

Knocking. I hadn’t noticed it over the sound of rain. Someone was standing on the windowsill, barely hanging on as she hit the glass harder and harder.

Thea?

Her suit was soaked, her hair drenched, but she didn’t seem to care. Instead, she slammed her fist against the glass over and over again. Flanking her were several echoes, the dog-like one and the bird with a curved bill that sat on her shoulder.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Give up,” I shouted. “Get away from here! Angelica is going to... ah, whatever.” She couldn’t hear me through the glass. What was the point? She’d give up sooner or later. I could see her mouth move through the glass, her words equally lost between the downpour and the window between us.

E-1 Serenade, on her shoulder, opened its mouth and began to sing. The melody was a high-pitched whine, musical, yes, but not quite that of any instrument I recognized. The sound harmonized with itself, pulsing, rising and falling in pitch, the melody haunting, a ghost worming its way through my ear and into my head. Layer upon layer of resonance built up until the window shattered and the full force of the sound hit me. Shards of glass showered the room. Thea stepped in through the window, dripping water all over my blankets and the floor. I hurried to the bathroom, fetching a towel and draping it over her.

“Oh my,” she said, examining the soaked purple fabric. “Yet another suit ruined.”

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“First things first,” she said. “Vespa,”

“Thea,” hissed Vespa. “So you are—”

“Quiet, Vespa,” said Thea. “Don’t talk about that. I’ll let you tag along, okay?”

“Do not talk to me like that, Demon—”

“I’ll talk to you as I want. You want to stop Ecto?“

“Of course.”

“Then shut up, or I’ll put you in the jar again. For now, our causes align.”

For now? I pushed the thought away. That seemed to shut Vespa up, at least. Thea’s Echoes approached me, nuzzling my leg and landing on my shoulder. I pet them. Somehow, their rocky, distorted skin was softer than velvet. They purred, embers scattering into the air as I gently caressed them. They were just like animals. Except...

“Thanks, Quinn.” Thea hugged me. Her sleeves and shirt were still wet, soaking my clothes as well. I didn’t really care, though. “I knew this would happen. I told you so. I told you not to tell anyone.”

“I’m sorry, I—“

“Shh... shh... it’s okay, Quinn. But I kinda figured you’d tell them anyways. This is the perfect opportunity for it, after all.”

“Opportunity for what?”

“To stop the fighting, of course. Ecto and the Angels will fight. And we can stop them, bring peace. And paradise will come to Earth once and for all.”

“You expect her to believe that you, Demon, are bringing a paradise?”

“Shut up,” said Thea. “I don’t expect her to believe just anything. I get it. You must’ve been wrestling with a lot of... a lot of conflicting stories. A lot of different ideals. I’ll only ask you to trust me one last time. Because I can show you paradise. It’s on Ecto’s computer, after all. And while he’s busy with the other Angels...”

“My house is empty.” I could see all this proof that Thea claimed to have. What the Demons were really up to. What Ecto was really up to.

Thea smiled. “That’s right.”

Well, at least I’d be able to see something concrete, for once. Nep, Angelina, Sarah, Heidi... they’d lied to me. Took advantage of my trust only to lock me up in here ‘for my own good’. What did they know? This was my chance to do things on my own terms. “Fine, I’ll take a look. Let’s go.”

“Hold on, Quinn.”

“What’s your problem, Vespa?” I molted into my Imago, stretching all four arms, warming up my wings. Stepping onto the roof, I was hit by the chilly air, the pouring rain streaming down my shell. The storm outside had not quieted, still falling in sheets. It was no problem for me, though.

“Can I have a lift, please?” asked Thea.

“I’m going with you.”

I ignored the wasp. “Of course, Thea.” I wrapped my arms around her as we took off and headed towards my house.