I stand on the churned-up ground, stunned.

Uriel’s lips purse. ‘You still think everything is a joke, don’t you?’ Uriel spits out his words. He definitely doesn’t like being laughed at. ‘Have your fun now, Raphael, because she’ll be the only one to follow you when you fall. Perhaps you’ve forgotten that you don’t have your Watchers anymore.’

Uriel gives me a knowing look. I can tell that he knows Raffe didn’t just pick me as a joke. ‘You have until sunrise to collect your team before we meet to decide on the contest.’

He flies out of the crowd with his usual entourage following in a burst of fluttering wings. The angels buzz with excitement as the crowd dissolves toward the main building of the aerie.

A few of Uriel’s guards corral the two remaining hellions and stuff them back into their cage. They also lock Beliel in with them.

But they leave me alone on the field. It must be because I’m Raffe’s second, whatever that means. I roll my shoulders, trying to ease the tension.

Raffe glides down to me. His snowy wings are wide and frame his statuesque body perfectly. The edges of his feathers are downy, giving him a soft glow in the light.

I still can’t believe he has his wings back. They look amazing on him. Perfect in every way, except for the notch that I cut out of his wing when I first met him. I assume the feathers will grow back in over time, and all traces of me will disappear off him.

I want to say something about his wings and thank him for keeping me alive, but I don’t want to be overheard. I can tell that he sees it all in my eyes anyway, just as I can see him wondering how the heck I got here. I suppose I have a special talent for showing up where I shouldn’t be.

As the last of the angels fly away, Josiah lands beside Raffe. His unnaturally white skin matches Raffe’s feathers.

‘Well, that was an unexpected choice for a second,’ says Josiah, watching Raffe with his red eyes.

Raffe gives him a grim expression. ‘What are the chances that we can recruit a decent team?’

‘Very low,’ says Josiah. ‘Whether they back him or not, too many are convinced Uriel will win. If he does, he’ll make sure that anyone who opposes him will fall, and no one wants to risk that.’

Raffe’s shoulders slump. He must be exhausted after the operation.

‘How are you feeling?’ I ask.

‘Like I flew on my wings a month before I should have.’ He takes a deep breath and lets it out. ‘Nothing I haven’t done before.’

‘How many will Uriel have on his team?’ I ask.

‘A hundred maybe?’ says Josiah.

‘A hundred?’ I ask. ‘Against the two of us?’