“Brielle? Is everything all right?” he asked, standing up from the desk, and walking around to meet me. His huge white wings were always striking, and I found myself staring, transfixed, at them.
“Is someone hurt?” His concern deepened.
Damn, I forgot about the mind reading.
“Yeah, my brother. Who is a free soul!” I added quickly. “He was beat up by some Tainted Academy kids, and now… he can’t go back to Demon City.”
I let that linger for a minute. Raphael’s brows drew together with concern.
“But it’s only five weeks until the Awakening, and since he’s a free soul, he’ll be coming to Fallen Academy anyway.” Unless he’s a Gristle. Oh God please don’t make him a Gristle.
“So…” I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t ask.
Raphael chuckled. “You want him to stay here in the meantime?”
Relief poured through me once again. “Yes. Please. If that’s okay?”
The archangel rubbed his chin and then consulted some of the papers on his desk. “We are still transitioning students who failed the gauntlet out of school. We’ve allowed them to stay for the summer in the dorm housing, but we are working to get them jobs and more permanent housing, so I don’t have anything open at the moment.”
My heart sank. I guess I could stay at Lincoln’s and he could have my bed, but I doubted they would allow a guy in the girls’ dormitory.
“Except.” Raphael held up a hand. “Is he okay with doing yard work? Mowing the field, trimming hedges? My groundskeeper just graduated last year, and his cottage and job are open. Your brother could have the job for the summer, give me time to find a replacement.”
A fifty-pound weight lifted off my shoulders.
“Yes! Thank you, sir! He’ll do anything you need. He’s a super hard worker.”
Not exactly the truth, but he could learn to become one. Maybe.
Raphael beamed. “Wonderful.” Walking over to a cabinet, he produced a set of keys. “Here are the keys to the cottage. It’s the one behind the gym.”
So that’s what it is. I’d seen it before and wondered what it was. It looked like a tiny stone house that had been left behind when they were building this enormous school.
“Thank you so much, sir.”
My walk back to the healing clinic was a little bit lighter. I’d figured out a temporary situation for Mikey. Now, I just needed him to not be a Gristle.
When I got back to his room, he was knocked out, fast asleep. Noah was doing his crazy orange glowing hand, healing magic thing.
“He okay?” I asked as I heaved his two duffel bags over my shoulders.
Noah nodded. “Gave him a sedative. Mending bones is painful.”
Yikes.
“Thanks a lot. I’ll be right back, gonna set up his new living space,” I told the healer.
I wasn’t sure which was harder, Lincoln’s drill team exercises or schlepping two huge, heavy duffel bags across campus to the little stone cottage.
By the time I got there, my arms were so fatigued they were shaking. I let myself in quickly, and then dumped the bags on the floor. One of the zippers split the second it landed, and I winced as all my brother’s shit came tumbling out.
What a mess.
Leaning down to pick it up, my eyes fell on a bright orange flyer that had rolled out of his bag. The bold font stating $1,000,000 caught my eye first, then the words ‘Fight Night.’
What the…？
I picked it up and scanned over the flyer.
FIGHT NIGHT
Winner gets $1,000,000
（no strings attached）
Teams of two fighters will face off.
Whoever is left standing wins.
Televised. Ages 18-21 only.
$100 entry fee per team.
Winners get invited to join the Tainted Army.
The last line made the room sway. Tainted Army? What the hell was that? I mean, it sounded a lot like Fallen Army, but… were the demons now using kids to fight for them beyond the wall? It was sickening.
My head was reeling, so I sat down a second. As I leaned on the bed, I flipped the flyer over and my brother’s messy handwriting made my heart jackknife in my chest.
Win the money. Buy mom’s demon contract. Free soul.
I sat up straighter. Could my brother have been onto something? Would Mr. Grim take a million bucks to release my mom from her contract? She had just said he was all about the money…
I stood then, a fierce desire in my heart. I was going to win Fight Night and free my mom. But it was going to take some help.
Glancing at the paper, I noted the fight was scheduled for February, months away from today. I had time to plan.