Being sent to the Archangel to report the mission was like going to the principal office to give out details, nerve-wracking if you might get expelled or suspended.

After leaving the hospital wing, knowing Sara was going to be fine, Kate collapsed in her bed. It had been a long day, and exhaustion wiped her out. She buried her face in her pillow, shuddering from what was taking place.

The tragedy of how unsuccessful the mission had been left a bitter taste in her mouth. She was still in disbelief that Sara had taken a bullet for her. It made her realize how deeply she cared about her.

Kate knew missions were dangerous. However, this one gave her a real glimpse of reality. Many Prowlers had been through something similar and had to understand what could happen. Prowlers worked in duos, alone, or groups depending on the friends’ circle and what kind of job they had to do. There was a special club for them to share their missions and seek out friendship, but she and Sara were never interested in it.

Before leaving for the train station, Kate wrote on her blog that she was going to stop illegal trading and was excited for a different course of action. Questions flooded her private page about how the mission went since it had been well several hours. She hadn’t responded, and her fans had to know something was up.

The word about Sara spread, yet the Harmonies remained silent and belittled the situation. Kate heard whispers in the hallways and cafeteria that they wished her friend had stayed dead. She was frustrated that they treated Sara differently than her because of her past. If the bullet had hit her instead, everyone would be showered with gifts.

It was an injustice for the Archangel’s daughter to be shunned. However, what could Kate do? She had told people around her that Sara was just misunderstood and trying to live her life without being judged.

No one cared to listen.

So, Kate had given up, guilty of her popularity among the Harmonies due to her family’s history, and sad for Sara.

Now she was seated across from Michael, her breath short as she stared at him. She had relayed the mission to him and waited for his response with ominous anticipation.

“Why did you think the wizards left when they exploded the tracks?” questioned Michael, seeing her leg bouncing up and down from anxiety, which was unlike her.

“I thought after we fixed the tracks and stopped the train that they would run away. Nathan told me he looked around and couldn’t find the wizards...but then he found them murdered afterward,” Kate said, not meeting his eyes.

Michael had pondered the murder of the wizards. Had Timothy, Kate, Nathan, or Sara killed them? They told him otherwise. Was there another Harmony on the train that the teenagers didn’t see? He guessed repeatedly, none of his assumptions fitting the picture of the scene.

“Is there anything you want to say to me?” Michael inquired coldly, gazing at the anxious Prowler.

Titling her head down and her lips quivering, Kate admitted, “I’m sorry. As the leader, I’m there to watch over who’s with me, and I failed. I misjudged, and it bit me back in the ass.

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She sighed heavily in an upset manner. “And for that, Sara nearly got killed. I don’t even know how she saw that bullet coming. She pushed me away, and everything happened so quickly that I had no time to react.”

Kate slid a glance at his blank face, her emotions crushing from her omission. She gritted her teeth and tried to be brave. She didn’t deserve to cry over her stupid mistake.

The Archangel replied, “You are like my second daughter. I treat you as I would treat Sara, and I understand that you would never mean to hurt her. This mission you lead, I won’t hold you, but you must know, I can’t forget your carelessness.”

Continuing with a stern gaze, Michael added, “I assigned Sara to be your bodyguard because I know she would work harder to get you and her out of danger. But she’s not there only to protect you or get the assignment done; you are there to train her and also protect her. I feel like you have forgotten that, and you are just letting her do whatever without any feedback and standing on the sidelines because she’s your friend.”

“Sara doesn’t need me to be her mentor!” blurted out Kate. “What I tell her, she executes it perfectly. There’s nothing to correct her on besides her. I’m not her parent, Michael; I’m her friend and sister.” She curled her hands, shocked from stating what she had felt about being forced by Sara’s mentor. However, the teenager didn’t regret it, wanted to be heard, and hung out with her best friend.

Michael pressed his lips, clearly not appreciating her answer. “I see.” He glanced at his window. The night was settling in. He should’ve listened to his gut to keep Kate, Sara, Nathan, and Timothy in the Celestial Realm, but he let his guard down.

The moon faced back at the Harmonies. Michael said as he stared at the stars twinkling, “Katerina, this mission could’ve been better. Regardless, it also could’ve been way worse.” He cut his piercing golden eyes at her and warned coldly, “Don’t make this kind of mistake again; understand me, Katerina?”

With a firm nod, Kate shivered at his sharp gaze and said, “Yes.”

Looking back at the ripe moon, Michael continued, “When you guys were out, I got a phone call that Pitch had been seen at the Badlands after these months. I’m figuring out if he’s trapping me with the stolen sword or if there’s another motivation planned.”

Kate asked with crossed arms and was surprised to hear that Pitch had finally been spotted. “Why do you think he has disappeared for so long; it’s been like five months.”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Michael sighed, “I assume Pitch is thinking of a way to kill me, but for a so-called intelligent High-warlock, he’s taking his sweet time.” He grabbed a document and skimmed it over—Kate noticed he was quite upset with her and wouldn’t look much at her. Chuckling dryly, he shook his head. “It’s funny that my siblings and the people here worry that Pitch might be able to kill me.”

Kate inhaled as she rose to her feet, unable to bear the lingering feeling she had disappointed him…again. She didn’t fret over Pitch succeeding in hurting the Archangel. No one has been able to destroy Michael or Lucifer with the sword.

“Thank you for being honest with me.” There was some relief that she hadn’t been stripped of being a Prowler or leader, only left with a warning.

She turned to close the door but halted when Michael looked at her and then stared back at the paper. Kate could see in his glance that he had something to say, and he always liked to make eye contact when speaking to someone.

“Katerina, you were lucky about today with Sara. You two are basically sisters, and like the older one, it’s you who is responsible for looking out for her, not the other way around. I let Sara be your bodyguard so she would stick by your side when doing tasks outside the Realm. You are right; you aren’t her mentor, but you are accountable for anything that happens to my daughter.”

A nasty lump formed in Kate’s throat as she listened to his harshness with her. She understood that Sara was sixteen and growing into adulthood. Nevertheless, she was an adult in her late teens, and her best friend was a teenager with less experience being a Prowler.

Her heart raced in gladness; her boss was giving her another chance to redeem herself and be a leader—way more than she deserved after today. Kate curled her hands together and vowed, “I’ll be better.”