Prologue

My eyes fluttered open, and were immediately blinded. I lifted my head and squinted in the general direction of the door leading to the hall, common sense telling me that someone had to be there to have turned on the light. There was no one there. There was also no doorway. No wall, no bookshelf, nothing familiar at all. Instead, there were trees and brightly blooming flowers. Butterflies and birdsong filled the air. I was in a massive meadow, or at least, that was the only thing I could think of to compare it to

As I slowly got to my feet, more and more things came to my attention. A wave of unfamiliar scents nearly sent me reeling. Greenery so vivid made it impossible for me to stop squinting, even after I'd adjusted to the brightness . And the sounds. Rustling grass, babbling streams, and…singing? From a distance, the sound of tinkling sopranos and smooth tenors drifted to me on the wind, woven together in perfect ethereal harmony.. Another sound reached my ears, this time from close by. A footfall? Instinct made me turn towards the sound, and my eyes widened as they were met with an unexpected sight.

It was a man, if you could call him that. It took me a moment to realize that the mass of shadows behind him were in fact a pair of ebony wings, so large that they obscured the trees behind him. His hair was the same color—a short, spiky mess that spoke of adventure—and his eyes were a dark, mystifying green. He was beautiful, horrifyingly so. I tried to turn and run, but couldn't. I was no longer in control of my body, and as the man drew closer, I realized that it wasn't my body at all.

"You're as lovely as ever." The man smiled at me, his melodic voice sending chills down my spine. Something was wrong. This body knew this man very well. He did not seem himself, did not seem normal. Usually, he radiated joy and peace. Now, all I could feel from him was a deep-seated hatred—a loathing that seemed to have a life of its own.

"You should know by now that I can see through your flattery, Ibris, even if no one else can." The voice that fell from these lips was unfamiliar. Wild and free, it soared birdlike on the breeze. "What do you want?"

"You'll find out soon enough." His voice was laced with hatred, and the wrongness of that jangled against my nerves.

Another like him—like Ibris—approached, only the newcomer seemed...different. Special. Tattoos twined their way up his arms in a language that I had never seen before, yet was somehow familiar to my eyes, and his wings were the warm golden color of honey. Silky brown hair was swept into a low ponytail that fell over his shoulder If Morningstar was darkness incarnate, then this being would have been the sun.

"Do not fret, Shir. Ibris simply has an itch he cannot scratch. It is nice to have you home." His voice, like the rest of him, was honey-mellow

"Hello, Jibril, my old friend. It's been quite some time since I set out on my journey across the universe, and I fear I've missed you all so much that my heart might break from the joy of greeting not one, but two old friends." I felt my lips curving in a smile even as my chest panged for the last missing member of our quartet.

"Where is Mashhit?" My voice still jarred me internally.

The two exchanged a glance. Jibril took a deep breath and Ibris looked away, face darkening further.

"He has been... otherwise occupied. But he should be free now. Let's go see if we can intercept him before he goes wallowing as he so loves to do." Jibril jabbed me with his elbow, as if trying to break through the curtain of tension that lingered over what should have been a merry reunion.

"That's a wonderful idea. Then he can explain himself to her face to face," Ibris muttered under his breath.

I tilted my head, but ultimately wound up ignoring him. "Alright then," I felt an attempt at a smile tug at the corners of my mouth. "Let's go"

And we started off toward in the direction of that distant chorus as if nothing was amiss.