Katerina marched out of the training room with a snare over her face. She slipped her pistol into her hostler belted around her hips. She knew her friend was teasing back; however, that statement felt worse than slamming against the wall. It was a blow to her self-consciousness and ego.
As she stepped into the afternoon, the sky clear and the wind drifting lazily in the air, her emotions cooled down easily, and her inner emotions didn’t fuel into fury. Kate’s feet carried her around the grounds of the Celestial Realm.
The Celestial Realm was abundant with a huge forest, spacious lawns, rolling hills, and many garages where the Harmonies’ cars were parked. Kate had a car she shared with her brothers, but hardly ever used it.
She could teleport anywhere she wished, unlike Sara.
Kate watched some of the Harmonies blast magic at each other and took her to leave after one of them was defeated. She sighed, confused at the point of her friend not using her powers.
She had many guesses, one of them being that Sara was afraid to hurt someone if she wasn’t careful. She was fine using her powers around Kate occasionally and had the regular superhuman speed, strength, and stamina like any other Gala.
If Sara kept hiding her powers and hardly practiced them, Kate worried that she would go out of control. The Prowler recalled that unforgettable day that changed the course of her relationship with the Archangel.
The day she had failed him
Kate promised him and herself that she’d never disappoint him again.
A spark enlightened the tips of her fingers as she thought of that faithful day. Powers were tapped into the very core of one’s soul and wrapped around emotions, and she tried to remain indifferent.
Hearing a crunch under her sneakers, Kate snapped out of her rumination. She was guided to the edge of the dense yet quiet forest. The rays of the sun cast a magical glow that brought the forest to life.
The fragmented smell of the forest unleashed memories. She gazed at a long trail leading to a majestic waterfall or a good five-mile run or walk that came into a full circle back to the start of the woods.
Kate usually took the trail at least two times a week, never getting bored of the scenic view of varieties of trees, small critters squeaking among the forest that hid from sight, and the therapeutically sound and calm state of nature that lowered her stress being famous among the Harmonies.
She loved running, the feel of air kissing her skin, and testing how fast she could run. Unfortunately, the training had been exhausting, so she decided to take a stroll. Kate heard footsteps nearing.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” declared Sara. She toned down her voice, muttering, looking down at the forest’s ground. Shame and guilt overcame her expression. “I’m sorry, Kate. It was rude of me to say that. You aren’t dependent on your powers,” she grinned, “but you could kick my butt if we dueled with our powers.”
Kate shook her head and chuckled, her heart fluttering open with love. She had forgiven her friend for a while now.
“Can I walk with you?”
“Sure,” Kate shrugged, wearing her slim jeans and t-shirt, “let’s take the shortcut.” She glanced at her watch, seeing the hands on it twirling around crazily. Smacking it, the hands stopped and read that it was three in the afternoon. I probably need to get it fixed since I have had the Gig for ages now.
They walked side by side, Sara snapping small limbs from trees and breaking them in half. “Father wanted me to tell you the lights of the cities of San Francisco and Las Angeles have gone off.”
“What?” shrieked Kate, staring ghastly at her friend’s casual comment, her pulse accelerating. The Prowler noticed the bullet holes in her friend’s clothing from their training, but Kate was too shaken to mention anything about it. “Had to be that Gala, I suppose?”
“Yes. My father heard about thirty minutes ago. He wanted me to tell everyone else. I suspect there might be an urgent meeting or something with us,” answered Sara, inhaling deeply the coolness floating in the air.
Kate sighed. “No rest for the wicked.” She hoped this Gala was non-threatening and probably boring. Although, was he trying to stir havoc among the Galas, or was that unintentional on the sidelines? The Archangel always had quick fixes for any matter that sprung at him, so she wasn’t too worried.
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“Well, thanks for telling me. I’ll tell my brothers and boyfriend. Demetrius will tell Ashley.” Kate paused, glancing at her friend, who was luxuriatingly keeping up with her. Pressing her lips, Kate asked, “Do you think Pitch is alive?”
Snapping her gaze from her surroundings, Sara replied, clearly interested in the topic. “Father stated he killed Pitch. Unless someone resurrected him, which is impossible.”
“I know, but there’s that part of me in the back of my brain, thinking about the chances if he is alive,” answered Kate. “It would be great to capture him and finally figure out what this Gala is up to.”
After a few minutes of aimless wandering around, the idea sank into both of them. How horribly would this affect Michael’s reputation as the Archangel?
“Everyone always makes a mistake,” said Sara softly, her voice like nature’s breath, beautiful and barely heard. She remembered the day Pitch was executed, but she had been somewhere else when her father had drawn his blade and killed the warlock. She had been sick.
His lavender eyes had shone brighter than lost diamonds, from what she could recall. Sara had thought the Infernals throwing him to the Harmonies to be called was unfair. She traced her memory of that night, wondering who seemed suspicious.
Either from the strong smell of pine trees or from being exposed to the sun for the first time in a while, a headache throbbed. Sara groaned, rubbing her temple.
“Hey, are you okay?” inquired Kate, staring worriedly at her.
“Yeah,” the assassin said, frowning.
“If you are also thinking about what I am, reflecting about Pitch’s days at the Celestial Realm, all I can remember is his execution.” Kate, halting, cocking her head to one side in contemplation, said, “There was something else odd about that night of his death.”
Besides Pitch being murdered by Michael, another strange thing occurred that day. Sara had been in the forest, disoriented about why she was there in the first place. She had woken up to her father staring grimly at her, demanding why she had taken a walk in the dark alone.
Sara had forgotten what she said to him, disliking his absurd reaction to her living in the buildings without his permission. Even to this day, she kept giving herself different excuses for why she was in this forest about nine years ago.
Annoyed why she couldn’t recollect in the slightest, Sara scoffed, “I was in the woods; apparently I had tripped on something like dumb little me and got unconscious.”
“Right,” nodded Kate, knowing that was correct. “What were you doing?”
“I have no idea; maybe I heard something strange outside of my window.” She cast her head away, upset about Michael being worried about her and why the heck, she couldn’t remember a damn thing.
Kate noted that her friend hugged her when she was uncomfortable or if something was about herself.
“Do you think I’m mature?” Sara blurted out of the blue and added quickly, “Like, you are—or seem so mature. The Choirs look up to you, and Michael has asked you to be my mentor,” she sighed. “Let’s be honest, we are friends exploring and saving the world together, but everyone respects you.”
“That’s true, but I am not your mentor,” corrected Kate, “but I’m your best friend, almost like a sister. I do agree; we are together saving humans, and the world is against us. What can I say?”
Sara smiled. “I mean, no Harmonies ever respect me.”
Looking at her friend with sympathy and having been in her shoes years before, Kate muttered, “Sara, not everyone respects me like the Infernals who want to slit my throat.” She had always gazed upon the Archangel, awed by the respect and power he allured.
“You admired the first step in the Celestial Realm,” Sara said. “Your parents were famous for making something.”
“The Demonic Disease,” affirmed Kate, “and Sara, you’re your person. You’re not me.”
Sara exclaimed, her face flustered, getting on a sensitive topic. I know we are best friends and everything, but I want to be just like you! You are beautiful and respected, and mostly all the Harmonies love you. You aren’t socially awkward...and mature!”
Glancing worriedly at her friend, who was hardly touching on conversations like this one, Kate responded, “Sara, you can’t force maturely.”
She paused, exhaling, to gather her thoughts. “You are the few people who see my loose side. I can be uptight, but that’s me, and I give people what they want to see.” Kate grabbed her best friend’s pale hands. “You mature when you are ready, and I’m not going to lie. It’s not a piece of cake having responsibilities.”
“We are immortals, and I have grown way too fast than I would’ve liked. I thought when I grew up that I would figure out life, but I realized that being quote quote, ‘mature’ is that you gain feeling old and responsibilities that no one prepared you for,” Kate murmured.
“Don’t grow up; it’s a trap,” admitted Kate.
Abashed about herself, Sara looked at her shoes and said, “Unlike you, who fits in this place like a glowing star, I don’t know where I belong.”
Kate wished to slap her insecurities away. She spurted out, “Just be you and confident! That’s the hard lesson I had to learn: get respect. If you want it, you have to respect yourself first.”
They ended their short walk, and a buzz of awkwardness woke up in the atmosphere. Sara threw her arms around Kate. “Thanks. Sorry to ask the cringy questions.”
Smacking her friend jokingly, Kate answered cheerfully, “That’s what best friends are for.”
“Hey, you want to watch a trashy romance movie or something?” Sara questioned, desiring to get the train of thought of becoming mature and an adult out of her mind.
Katerina smiled. There was nothing else she would love to do. “Sure! Trashy romance, here we go!”
Punching Kate on the shoulder to return the gesture, Sara exclaimed happily, “I’ll make the popcorn then!” She skipped off, heading to the Harmony Sanctum, excitement bubbling inside her.
The sharp punch to her shoulder made Kate wince. She wanted to shout out, Next time, be more gentle. However, Sara was out of hearing range, and she just shook her head. She mumbled, “You don’t realize how strong you can be sometimes, do you, Sara?”
Despite the bantering, a grin spread on Kate’s face. She dashed to catch up with her friend, shouting out, “I dibs picking the movie!”