“Who is she then?” I asked. “Some kind of sorceress?”

  “Itániel is an angel. The embodiment and guardian of our realm,” Lavendu answered.

  “I’ve heard of angels. They’re warriors from heaven.”

  Lavendu scoffed and rolled her eyes.

  “Is that wrong?”

  “No,” she said with a sigh. “They are warriors. It’s just, she’s so much more than a mere weapon of war. Itániel is our guiding principle. She represents the ideal we all aspire to. She’s kind and warm, a manifestation of peace and love.”

  “She sounds wonderful.”

  Lavendu gave me a warm smile.

  “Where do we find her?” I asked.

  “She lives in a grotto on the top of the ridge above the vilge. I hope you’re up for another long walk.”

  “Lead the way.”

  Once we cleared the forest around the vilge, we were met with a steep climb. It was hard work, but really not much worse than an average day at the workhouse. I barely felt my fatigue, too distracted by the way Lavendu’s semi-translucent skirt shifted in the breeze. I couldn’t stop trying to imagine her without it. It took all I had to resist ying her down right there on that open slope.

  Near the top she turned to me with a frown. “You were honest with the stewards, weren’t you?”

  I was shocked out of my trance. “What?” I stammered. “Of course. I have no reason to deceive any of you.”

  “Alright good,” she said, turning back up the path, “because Itániel would burn you up if you weren’t.” Her voice was empty and hollow. It was clear she knew I was holding back. It surprised me how easy she was to read一how easily she read me. We hadn’t known each other for a day and she knew me better than anyone in Castletún, except Amelia.

  My heart softened at the thought of her. She would love this pce. The crisp air, the endless green—she’d ugh at the way the moss seemed to bounce underfoot. But while I climbed higher into this world of sunlight and open air, she was still trapped in the soot-stained workhouse, where the scent of burnt tallow and damp stone never left your clothes. I imagined her at the long dining tables, eating another stale hunk of bread, her grey eyes distant, dreaming of a life neither of us had ever been allowed to hope for.

  I swallowed the thought, pushing it down. The past was behind me, and yet, Amelia’s shadow still clung to the edges of my mind. I turned my gaze back to Lavendu, her gossamer skirt shifting with every step, the sunlight catching on the translucent fabric. She was watching me now, eyes unreadable. For a moment, I wondered if she knew where my mind had wandered.

  Lavendu led me into a grotto near the top of the ridge. A faint white light revealed carvings of intertwining vines and flowers. A mist flowed around, enveloping us in the scent of fresh peaches. As we moved deeper, the carvings morphed into smooth stone sculptures. The sight made me dizzy, for I couldn’t help but see them as moving.

  To my astonishment, moving closer to the light revealed that not only were the vines moving, but they were growing. Green stems and colorful flowers writhed and coiled over the grotto walls.

  The light grew so bright I was forced to shield my eyes. My heart pounded and my mind reeled. I stepped back一I would have run if Lavendu hadn’t grabbed my hand. The light finally softened and I lowered my head.

  Before me stood a woman, tall and thin. Wings of feathery white light sprawled out from her back. Long wavy blonde hair flowed around her soft perfect face. Her white dress barely covered her full round breasts and billowed around her long legs, revealing smooth ivory skin.

  She looked me in the eyes and began to weep.

  “My dy?” I said as I lowered to my knees. She was so terribly beautiful. All I wanted at that moment was to please her.

  “Do not bow to me,” her voice echoed in my head, cool and clear, ever growing in complexity and meaning.

  I stood up. “Why do you weep?”

  “For many years I have been estranged from my brother in Castletún. Unable to hear his songs or see his face. His realm has long been cloaked and hidden from my gaze. But upon looking into your eyes I find a window into his world. A glimpse into your homend.”

  She buried her face in her hands. “So much is still unclear. I see… I see… I see! He is bound! Another stands in his seat. A mockery of the spirit of Castletún.”

  We watched as Itániel cried. Lavendu took her hand.

  “Thank you for your patience,” the angel said, brushing the tears from her face. “I know you’ve come for my assistance. What can I do for you?”

  “I am Jethro,” I said. It took courage just to speak to her. “I’ve come from Castletún to learn magic, as that was the way of my forebears. The stewards in Itán sent me to you to be evaluated. Both to assess my intentions and my natural inclinations.”

  She drifted over to me. Fresh wind filled my nose. She looked me up and down. “His intentions are kind and true,” she said to Lavendu. “Though not fully formed or understood.”

  The lovely angel looked at me with a smirk. My cock pressed against my trousers. I tried to hide it, but there was nothing I could do, both Itániel and Lavendu were looking right at it. I began to stammer an apology, but thought better of it. What’s done is done, and resistance would only make things worse. I took a deep breath and tried to rex as I looked into the angel’s eyes. I stood tall and sure footed.

  Lavendu giggled and the glowing angel looked at her as she spoke, “Perhaps you’re not the only one here to discover new power Jethro.” She looked back at me. “There’s no need to hide your power now.”

  “And what is my power?” I asked, struggling to ignore my swollen bulge.

  “Can you not sense what stands before you?”

  I looked down at myself.

  Itániel nodded and brushed her fingers over my throbbing manhood. “Be generous with your amorous passions and you will awaken tent powers, not only in yourself.” She looked back to Lavendu. “A heat burns in us all.”

  The light faded and Itániel was gone. A cool breeze moaned through the grotto.

  “What?” I said. “What was that supposed to mean?”

  “She’s always like that,” Lavendu said. “I’m not entirely sure yet but I think I know where to start.” She pressed her body against mine and kissed my neck. I ran my hands up and down her sides and along her folded wings. The wind grew colder and louder.

  “Not here though,” Lavendu said. “Not now at least.”

  “I wish she hadn’t left so suddenly,” I said. “I had more to say.”

  “She’s probably still listening. Just don’t take too long.”

  “Itániel,” I said as I turned my head upward and into the wind. “Your distress over Castletún is not lost on me. Now that I have seen the peace and well being of Itán I know for certain that we have lost our way. Even the successful in my homend seem to suffer endlessly. If there is anything I can do to help your brother and help the people of Castletún, I will do it. You only need to guide me.”

  The wind grew warmer and the floral scent of peaches filled my nose. Lavendu squeezed my hand.

  ***

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