Ba'dqeel led the way to the hangar bay as the rest of us trailed behind him. Intentionally, he stood in front of me with He'dtaalh and Zua'the, blocking the view on either side of him so that no one would be easily able to see me.
The Priest and his entourage trailed behind us, their footsteps so silent that if I couldn't have felt his gaze on the back of my neck, I might not have known they were there.
As soon as the doors hissed open, I was temporarily blinded by the bright red light of the outside world.
'Initializing visor now,' whispered Gabriel in my ear, and suddenly, it was like I was wearing sunglasses. The harsh light lessened, and I could finally make out the scene in front of me. 'Armor is fully activated but completely invisible to the outside world. You don't have to worry, Ariel, I have your back.'