The classroom was almost unrecognizable. The desks had all been pushed to the one side of the class and stacked on top of each other, right up against the walls and shelves. The windows were darkened, curtains drawn to block out the bright desert sun and give the whole room a gloomy, sterile atmosphere. Our classmates were standing about, chattering idly in hushed tones. Through snippets of overheard conversations, I overheard people talking about the Demons and Echoes. A few country names were dropped. Brazil.

Miriam stepped into class, and if anyone was unrecognizable, it was her. Her body was transformed up to her chin, but the normally muted colours of her Imago were bold and unyielding. Bright scarlet lines ran the length of her arms and legs, between dark green and bold lime highlights. And these colours weren’t flashing, they were sustained, forming noisy patterns all over her body. Her Imago was also bulkier, with longer, sharper spines and thicker armour around her neck and shoulders.

Even her voice was different. “Hello.” Though the words came out raspy and thin, they harmonized with each other, giving off an overall impression that was far stronger. “Apologies for my change of appearance. This is quite the situation, and so Flight Ensifer is kicking into high gear.”

“What is going on?” one of my classmates asked.

“I thought there were already a lot of incursions?” I asked Vespa. “What’s changed?”

“Miriam has changed to her martial form. A common feature among much of Flight Ensifer. They are not normally combat personnel; their job is maintenance and logistics, after all. However, when the sanctuary comes under direct threat, pheromones are released and their Imagos switch morph.”

“What’s the purpose of that?”

“These morphs have increased group cohesion, aggression, and fearlessness. They have proven effective at bringing us through crises in the past, when fierce defence of our sanctuaries is needed.”

Miriam addressed the class. “We are under a full siege by Archdemon Quetzal’s lackeys. They have every entrance of Sanctuary 1 covered at the moment, with very large numbers of Echoes. We believe they may be preparing to stage a full-on assault at any point. Up until now, we have been attempting to evade them through periodic relocation of the entrance points. This plan has failed for unknown reasons. They have continually re-found our location within hours, regardless of the extent of the relocation. As such, the council of Archangels has elected to stand and hold them.” She gestured to the classroom. “That means that, as of now, this classroom is standing as a first line of defence against any incoming offensive. We know that this entrance is facing pressure specifically from Ollie, though the exact extent of that pressure has been... difficult to determine.”

“Difficult?” someone asked.

“There are additional complications involved.” Nep stepped into the room, also half-transformed, with her leathery wings falling behind her like a cape. She smiled at me before she continued. “The number of Demons and their Echoes is very difficult to determine, because there are humans working with them.”

“Humans?” The class suddenly went very quiet.

“I don’t know if you’ve been aware,” said Nep, “But the video of Ecto’s death in Vancouver went viral. Control via our typical means of memory-erasure was not feasible at all.” She shot a glance at Joy. “And because of that, there has been a growing movement online, known as ‘Blood Thunder’. They mistakenly view us as alien threats and are calling for our extermination. It seems they have amassed a substantial following, including several paramilitary groups, such as the one assisting the Demons outside.”

There were humans helping the Demons? As if in response, far away, I could hear the sounds of gunshots and explosions... decisively atypical weapons for Demons to be using. But was it really possible to fight people? Was it responsible? Many of my classmates shuffled uncomfortably. Sure, they were working with the enemy, but...

I mean, they were still human. “How are we supposed to fight humans?” one person said.

“They have shown where they stand,” said Miriam. “If the situation arrives, you may... you must kill them indiscriminately. Do not concern yourselves with more than that.”

“They’re people!” someone called out.

“They stand with our enemy, and we do not have the time nor resources to rehabilitate them, especially in the midst of active combat involving full Demons and Echoes. This is war, Angels. Never forget that.”

I looked to Nep for guidance, but she only shook her head. “It really is a matter of life and death, Angels,” she said. “So please, be pragmatic. We don’t want people to die. But it’s a price we’re willing to pay on the path to defeating the Demons. May I remind you that they are an existential threat to all life on Earth? This is serious business. And if a few people get caught in the crossfire... so be it.”

The class was dumbfounded. I don’t think any of us had considered the possibility of fighting people. All of a sudden, this cool Imago, with its shiny carapace and razor claws and bladed glaive... it seemed repulsive. This body... could be used to kill people. To slice or tear or smash real humans, just as it could the Demons and Echoes that we fought. And we were supposed to just be okay killing real human beings as part of the greater good?

“Not to raise alarm,” Nep continued, “But we have reason to believe that there is a spy somewhere within Sanctuary 1. We are unsure of her identity, but please, keep an eye out, and guard your words carefully. You may be visited by a member of Flight Manifold in the near future. I ask that you cooperate with their requests and inquiries. We at Flight Manifold are doing our very best to keep you safe and informed during this time. Our agents are risking their lives to gather intelligence about Blood Thunder and our adversaries. So please, if you have any leads, let one of us know. You can see us easily in our light-gray uniforms.”

“You won’t have to worry about that here,” said Miriam. “I’ll be keeping an eye on everyone in this complex.”

“Is that so? Good for you,” said Nep.

“I understand this is a lot,” said Miriam, “But—”

“No buts. This is too far,” said one of my classmates. Others stood up with her. “We really don’t feel comfortable—”

“I wasn’t asking.” Miriam slammed her hands against the desk, hard enough that the spines got stuck in the hardwood. “I was telling.” A gust of wind blew the door open, and with it a dense cloud of thrumming wings and legs and teeth. Her little grasshopper had become a vast swarm of locusts, now filling every inch of free floor and table space in the room. They sat on desktops and clung to the walls and windows, and to peoples’ jackets and pants. “I’ll be watching over you all, okay? But I expect you to behave properly. To act like Angels. To fight like Angels. Is that understood?”

The class, still stunned by the vast number of locusts in their midst, nodded absentmindedly. I felt everything was closing in. This world I thought I knew was collapsing inward. Was I really ready to fight real humans on the battlefield? I sure didn’t feel ready. And the callous attitude of Miriam and Nep left me with a bitter taste in my mouth... just who were humans to the Angels?

And Carmen... I couldn’t help but have her on my mind. Wasn’t she just another piece of collateral damage, too? Someone cast aside because she needed to be replaced by someone else. Everything that had happened today made me feel sick. Just as I’d been coming to terms with what it meant to be an Angel, I’d been reminded again and again that we were not human anymore. That this organization was... was anything but.

“Good,” said Miriam. “Then you’re dismissed.”

***

I’d scarcely stepped out of the room when Nep tapped on my shoulder. “Quinn. I have a little extra news to tell you. In private.”

I nodded. For some reason, I felt terrified. I let her into my room and she sat on the bed, patting the covers for me to sit next to her. “Hey, Quinn, I hope you’re doing okay.”

“I’m doing fine,” I said.

“That’s good to hear.”

“Stop dancing around the point,” I said. “Just get to it.”

Nep pursed her lips. “I’m glad you said that,” she said. “And I will ‘get to it’, if that’s what you want.” She smiled. “To make a long story short, I know a little bit about where your parents are.”

What? “That’s wonderful.”

She bit her lip. “It’s... it would be pleasant for you. Maybe. But let me share the context by which we found them. See, we’d assumed that Ecto had disappeared them, as so many other Demons did. We were utterly wrong.”

“They’re still alive.”

Nep nodded. “Right now, your father is Macapá, Brazil. He appears to be doing well, as far as we can glean from our agents across the pond. And we found your mother, too. She is in northern Mali at the moment.”

“That’s great.” All the feelings I’d been bottling up gushed out at once. Tears streamed down my face. I hadn’t even realized how much I’d missed them, but now I wanted nothing more than to see them again, to hug them and kiss them and just be with my family. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me.”

“Don’t be silly, Nep. Of course I’m thankful,”

“Don’t thank me.” Her voice was oddly... serious. “Quinn, I don’t think you understand. How do you think we found your parents?”

“You were looking—” Wait. They were... Oh. Oh no.

Nep shook her head. “Yeah. Your mother is nearby, alright. Only a few hundred metres away from here. Because she’s in the Demon camp. Your parents are colluding with our enemy. Your mother is part of Blood Thunder.”