Raea looked at Sally who sent her a pitiful gaze before spreading her four wings and leaping up into the air, dragging the acrophobic harpy with her. Sally began to fly of her own accord when she realized Raea wasn’t going to spare her. Elrith frowned as he watched them leave. “I feel like we should’ve gone with her, or at least, had her meet with that flock down here,” he said.

“What?” Palan asked. “You don’t trust her?”

“You do?” Cleo asked and raised an eyebrow at Palan.

“If it was her from before, I wouldn’t,” Palan said and squinted at Raea as her figure began to shrink due to the distance. “But somehow, I feel like she’s more reliable now.”

“Reliable? Isn’t she more unhinged?” Cleo asked and furrowed her brow. There were times where she missed the harmless Raea. Recently, Cleo felt like she was walking on eggshells around the angel.

“Really? I haven’t noticed,” Palan said. “I thought she was acting more normal now. Her unadulterated kindness was unsettling at times. It’s much more natural to be angry and openly belligerent.”

Cleo sighed and shook her head. “I’m sure Raea would be ecstatic to hear that,” she said and made eye contact with Elrith. The archangel reconfirmed his belief that Palan was a terrible influence on Raea. Cleo paused before asking Palan, “Does this mean you see her as an equal now?”

Palan shrugged. “Raea always said we were equals,” he said. “But I disagree. No one can compare to me.”

“But she can kick your ass,” Cleo said and tilted her head. She inched away from Palan who caused a shiver to run down her spine and hid behind Elrith. “I mean, she beat someone you couldn’t. Doesn’t that mean she can beat you too?”

“No,” Palan said and snorted before starting to meditate. Cleo decided it was best not to press the issue and raised her head to look at Raea and Sally who were the size of small dots now.

“Did you just want to meet them to confirm if you were the harbinger?” Sally asked Raea as they flew towards the flock. The harpy bit her lip as she flapped alongside Raea who was wobbling in the air.

“I just really wanted to fly, actually,” Raea said. “And this was a perfect excuse.” She flew into a stream of air that caused her to flip over and instinctively pull on the rope connecting her to Sally. After the two righted themselves and Sally stopped screaming, Raea said, “I didn’t think flying would be so hard. I’ve never used these muscles before.”

“Did we have to fly so high up?” Sally asked with a whimper. The clouds seemed close enough to touch. Her stomach churned, but she didn’t have time to worry about that because she could make out the harpies’ figures ahead of them. Their wings were stretched to the fullest, and their chests were puffed up. The leading harpy let out a screech that caused Sally’s scalp to tingle. “Um. Raea. They’re extremely mad right now,” Sally said. “I really don’t think we should be here.”

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“But we’re already here,” Raea said. “It would be a waste to just fly back now.” Sally sighed and hung her head. Why did the four-winged figures never listen? First it was Madison, now it was Raea.

“They’re going to attack us if we get closer,” Sally said and slowed her flight. She desperately wished she had fingers to untie the rope around her waist with so she could flee.

“Didn’t you say you fought with your cousins?” Raea asked and pulled the harpy closer to her. “Why are you acting so afraid now?” She waved at the oncoming harpy flock. They screeched in reply and positioned their talons in front of their bodies.

“The best battles are the ones never fought!” Sally said and let out a miserable cry as she extended her talons as well. It was too late to turn back now. The opposing harpies would catch up by the time she turned around.

“Halt!” Raea shouted as she released the rope holding onto Sally and raised her hand into the air, causing a miniature black fireball to form. “I am the harbinger!”

The oncoming harpies hesitated and the lead harpy paused, causing a pileup to happen as the harpies in the back crashed into the ones in the front. A few plummeted down, but quickly reascended as chirps of confusion rang through the air. “Harbinger?” the lead harpy asked and furrowed her brow. The ten or so harpies looked at each other.

One of the harpies spoke up. “I’ve seen the harbinger. She’s blue with black wings and talons instead of feet. And she has a beak with three crown feathers.”

“So this one’s a fake?”

“Maybe. Or the blue harbinger’s a fake.”

Raea furrowed her brow and glanced at Sally.

“Isn’t that Sally?” one of the harpies asked. “Didn’t she die?”

“That is Sally,” another harpy said. “What do we do?” All the harpies turned to look at the lead harpy.

The lead harpy narrowed her eyes and stared at Raea, flapping her wings to stay in the air. “What are you?” she asked. “An angel? A demon? Both?”

“I’m … not quite sure anymore,” Raea said. Was she still classified as an angel? Even fallen angels didn’t grow wings and scales. “I think I’m an angel?” She cleared her throat. “Anyways. What are you doing here?”

The lead harpy blinked. “I’m the one asking questions,” she said. “You claim to be the harbinger. Do you have proof?”

Raea turned her heads towards Sally. “I have four wings and can materialize a miniature sun?” Raea said in an asking manner. “I also freed Sally.”

“You put a slave collar on her neck,” the lead harpy said as the feathers on her legs began to puff outwards. She turned towards Sally. “Disgrace, why don’t you explain what’s going on? Our next action depend on your answer.”

Sally seemed to shrink as her head shrank into her shoulders. “The harbinger saved me, and she fits all the descriptions in the prophecy,” she said. “This collar is for my own protection.”

“What do you need protection from?” the lead harpy screeched. “Our ancestors fled underground to escape that”—she pointed her talon at Sally’s neck—“treatment. You’re being fooled. No wonder no one wanted you to be the next matriarch. What makes you think an angel can be the harbinger?”

“That’s right,” one of the harpies in the back said. “Lady Madison is the real harbinger. This one’s an imposter!”

Raea’s face cramped. “Who did you say was the real harbinger?” she asked as flames materialized around her body. Sally turned around and flew away as fast as she could, not worried about being followed. A wave of heat washed over her, and she urged her wings to beat harder.

On the earthen spider, Palan stopped meditating and turned his head towards the sky where a giant wall of black flames hung in the sky, dispersing the nearby clouds. Cleo sighed. “Well, that went well,” she said and scratched her head.

“Told you she was more reliable now,” Palan said. He frowned. “I hope she doesn’t overcook them.”