Sacrificial Lamb (The Other Angels Book 1)

by Ashley Nicole

  “That’s none of your concern as long as you haven’t done anything wrong.” His gaze is challenging.

  “Of course not.”

  “Then I’ll be on my way. Thank you, Scott.” Matthew turns away but then looks right at me and smiles. “I’ll see you later, Katie Cat.” He winks and walks down the road.

  Scotty slams the door and releases my hand to clench his fists. “Can you believe him? It’s just sick!”

  “Scotty…” The far-off guilty feeling finds its way to me once again.

  “Who does he think he is telling me that Amanda is being dealt with and calling you that?”

  “He was just trying to get you angry to see if you’d slip up. But Scotty..” I raise my voice. This isn’t going to be easy, but it has to be done.

  “What?” I get a glimpse of his anger and it all becomes too much. I drop down to the floor and sobs choke their way out of me. His face softens and he is instantly by my side. “Katie, I’m sorry. What’s wrong?” He puts his arm around my shoulder and pulls me in. That’s the Scotty I know.

  I bury my face into his shoulder and cry until no more tears come. He holds me and waits patiently. Finally, I sit up and look at him. “Scotty, that was Matthew.” Of course, Matthew is dead. A part of my living self knew that but never wanted to admit it. But he’s an angel?

  “I know.” Scotty strokes my hair.

  “That’s the same Matthew that was in my room when you called the night I… killed myself.” Speaking of my death makes it feel more real. I really killed myself. The blood in my veins turns cold.

  “I’ve gathered that.” His voice comes out strained, but he continues to hold me.

  I twist out of his arms and look at him confused. “How do you know that?”

  “Just from the things he said when Amanda and I spied on him and Michael.”

  “Scotty, I kissed him.” My voice is barely above a whisper now and I look away ashamed.

  “When I was watching them, Matthew put on the bracelet and went to Earth. He pretended to care for a girl who was upset, and she began to feel love for him, but Michael turned a knob that amplified that love and it escalated quickly. Then in the end Matthew really upset her and left. Michael amplified that emotion too and it was so much she killed herself. I’m sure that’s exactly what they did to you. The part I can’t figure out is why you let him get close to you in the first place.”

  My chest begins to ache. “He was my friend in middle school. We were close. When he found me at college, I thought it was just luck. I didn’t know of his underlined interest in me.” Did I have zero say in what happened to me? Or did I let him get too close first? Looking back, all my emotions seem like a blur. I can’t tell which were real and which were amplified.

  “If he was just a friend to you, then why’d you lie? Why didn’t you tell me about him?”

  I can hear the pain in his voice and think through my answer. His explanation clarifies so much about my feelings towards Matthew, but even if these angels amplified my emotions, there had to be pre-existing emotions to amplify, right? “I don’t know. I guess I was afraid of you becoming angry. Then Matthew kissed me, and I didn’t know how to confess to being a cheater.”

  Scotty hangs his head. “I had been angry a lot in the end. I don’t know why I was acting like that, especially towards you.”

  “Maybe it’s the same thing that was wrong with me. I was acting in a way that went against my true self and it was because of the angels. You weren’t acting like yourself, so could it also be because of the angels?”

  “You have a point, and I’ve thought that myself. I hope you’re right. I was awful to you.”

  “It’s okay, I forgive you.” I take his hand in mine and bring it to my lips.

  “I forgive you too.” Scotty leans in and I soak up the moment he kisses me.

  I have missed him deeply, even if I didn’t fully know it in my dream state. The countless visions I had of him proves he never left my mind though. I hope his forgiveness is sincere. I don’t doubt his love for me, but I know my betrayal, no matter how little I had control over, hurt him. Does he still feel the same for me? Do I feel the same for him after everything? When I finally break the connection, I pull myself to my feet. I hold my hand out to Scotty. “Come on.”

  He takes it and stands up beside me. “Where are we going?”

  “To rescue Amanda, of course.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  “Whoa, what?” Scotty holds his hands up.

  “You said yourself that we have no time to lose because they’re probably torturing her, and she helped you bring us back together, so there is no way I’m leaving her in their hands.” This new found determination feels good.

  “I am going to save her, but there’s no way I’m letting you help. I can’t risk losing you again.”

  “Spare me the nobility. You need my help. I’m not losing you now that I have you back either.” I begin slipping a pair of flip flops onto my feet.

  “I’m not playing this game, Katie.”

  “And I’m not playing at all. We do this together, Scotty.” I watch as he sighs, giving in to me.

  “Alright, together.” He takes my hand and we walk out the door. “So, what’s your plan my brave heroine?”

  “You know more than I do about this place and the angels. Where do you think they are keeping her?” We walk hand in hand along the path that leads to town.

  “Michael’s mansion for sure. It’s secluded and seems to be off limits to us.”

  “Then that’s where we’re going. Lead the way.”

  The town is dotted with a few early risers. Dawn is just below the horizon and the chilly morning air is already beginning to warm. Rich smells of coffees and cakes from some of the shops drift across the breeze to me. If things weren’t so serious right now, I would stop in for breakfast.

  We bypass the town altogether and crunch on leaves fallen from some of the trees around us. I don’t think this place has seasons, but rather a mixture of each swirled together. I allow myself to get lost in my thoughts now that I can think clearly for the first time since I began losing control. Matthew, the guy who I thought was a long-lost friend from my childhood is actually an angel who isn’t an angel. He’s a killer of so many innocent people, including me.

  Was he the only reason I killed myself?

  It had to be… Failing grades and lost job aside my life wasn’t so horrible that I would end it. My desperate battle for control wasn’t a fair one. Sure, I wanted to take hold of my anxiety, but the odds against me were stacked. Without the angel influence I wouldn’t have self-harmed or killed myself, right? Losing Scotty was what unraveled it all though. But he wasn’t himself for the same reasons I wasn’t. I can’t hold any of that against him, can I?

  Because look at everything he has done to bring my memories back to me. It couldn’t have been easy getting my locket.

  My locket.

  “Scotty?”

  “Yeah?” His faraway look comes back to focus on me. He must have been lost in thought too. I wonder if it was about me, or about Amanda.

  “I’ve been wondering, tell me more about how you got my locket?” I stroke the pendent hanging around my neck.

  “That’s a bit of a long story.” He doesn’t elaborate immediately, so I wait a few moments to be sure.

  “You know I hate that saying,” I mumble when he remains silent. He nods. I decide not to push it. He’ll talk when he’s ready.

  The trees begin to break, and a dark structure consumes more of my view as we approach. “This is where Michael lives?”

  “Wait until you see inside.” He grins, and I shudder involuntarily. Thankfully he doesn’t notice, or he would cut me out of this rescue mission completely.

  I creep out of the forest and to the front door. Scotty follows closely behind. The door is unlocked and once inside Scotty motions for me to take off my shoes. As he slides out of his I raise one eyebrow at him. Not exactly the right tim
e to be courteous, but he puts one finger to his lips then points at his socks.

  Now I get it.

  I slide my flip flops off and clutch them in my left hand. Looking in every direction, I don’t even know where to begin. Scotty scans the room then starts upstairs. I shrug and follow. I guess he knows what he’s doing.

  We ascend the staircase on the right since it’s closer. None of the stairs squeak and when we reach the landing on the second floor, I let out the breath I had been holding. I’m sure my heartbeat would be echoing in this vast house if I had one. The quiet is unsettling.

  We move silently down the hallway past many closed doors lined on both sides. How many are there? Eight? Ten? And is Amanda behind one?

  Toward the end of the hall I start to hear a low muffled sound. I put my ear to one of the doors. It sounds like someone ranting. I motion for Scotty and he places his head next to mine. Suddenly a broad smile seizes his face and he quickly reaches for the door knob.

  The door doesn’t budge.

  Scotty jiggles the handle more violently then throws his weight against the door. I put my hands on his chest and push him back, alarm written all over my face. He looks at me then turns away and sighs while running one hand through his ruffled hair.

  Finally, he freezes and looks at me, then past me. I turn and follow his gaze. Next to the door is a golden plate with a black number nine. Scotty sets his face then leans very close to my ear and whispers in a voice so low I hold my nonexistent breath to try and be silent enough to hear it. “I think I can get the door open. Wait here.” He pulls away and I shake my head. We can’t split up, it’s too dangerous. He holds up a hand in the ‘wait’ position. I cross my arms but watch as he glides down the hallway from where we came.

  I begin to pace. How long is he going to be gone? How long am I supposed to wait before I suspect something has happened to him? What if something does happen to him? I don’t know everything that he has learned about this place.

  The questions swim in my head and sweat forms on the back of neck and slips down my spine. My hands feel slick in their clenched fists so I wipe my palms against my blue jeans. I press against the wall and sink to the floor. Can I have a panic attack even though I’m dead? My stomach knots and I curl in on myself. I squeeze my right hand around my left wrist where my cuts are and wince at the pain but press harder.

  No. I need to stop this. Isn’t this what I was fighting on Earth? For control? The angels aren’t controlling me now. I am. Hurting myself isn’t the way. It wasn’t on Earth, and it isn’t here. I’m okay. We’ll figure this out. Scotty’s fine.

  Eventually the tightness in my chest eases and my blurry vision clears. I sit up from the fetal position I had collapsed in. Concentrating on my breathing I manage to get it to return to normal. That’s when I hear the sound of the bolt clicking inside the door.

  I watch down the stairway for Scotty and within seconds he comes bouncing down the hallway with that same smile from earlier. He grabs the doorknob once more and this time the door flies open from his push.

  The room that opens up before us isn’t at all what I imagined for a prison. It’s well furnished with everything a bedroom needs, including a large canopy bed. Morning sunlight from outside streams in from the barred window casting a glow onto everything it touches, including a short attractive girl standing in the center of the room. She has her arms crossed and a smirk on her face. “It’s about damn time, Lover Boy.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Scotty rushes into the room and puts his hands on the girl’s shoulders. I’m assuming she’s Amanda. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

  Amanda bats his hands away. “I’m fine. Get your paws off me.”

  I take a moment to look the girl over. She looks to be about sixteen. Her height makes her appear younger but the way she has her brown hair pulled back into a tight bun and the fierce look on her face makes up for it.

  She moves her attention from Scotty to me still standing in the doorway. “So, you’re Katie? I hope you’re worth all the trouble we’ve been through to wake you up. At least you’re cute, I guess.”

  What am I supposed to say to that? “Thank you?”

  Amanda smiles at the disorientation she caused me. “I’m kidding, chill out.”

  Scotty glances around anxiously. “Amanda, we need to get out of here before the angels come to check up on you.” He grabs her hand, but she snatches it away.

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Amanda, we don’t have time for this, come on.”

  “Would you listen?” she demands, and Scotty pauses to look at her carefully. “Michael may be able to manipulate emotions, but I’m not broken so easily. Once he figured that out, he came up with another plan to push me through the gate again. I pretended to be afraid and pleaded for him not to which seemed to please him. If he does it tonight, I’ll lose my memories again, but wake up in the morning with them back just like the first time.”

  “That’s too risky. What if they’ve fixed it?” Scott looks at her hand like he’s going to grab it again, but he doesn’t.

  “First off, they don’t even know what the problem is otherwise you’d be in one of these rooms. Secondly, they know nothing about free will, that’s why they take it away. Or at least try to. And thirdly, if I did leave with you now, where would we go?”

  “But Amanda…”

  “No, Scotty. She’s right.” Both sets of eyes stare at me.

  “You know, I’m not sure if you really believe that or if you just want to get out of here.” Amanda stares at me skeptically. Truth is, it’s a bit of both.

  “Amanda! Do not start anything.” Scotty walks over to my side. “Katie and I will watch for you at the gate and once you remember again, we’ll plan from there.”

  “Don’t talk down to me. I can plan without your help.” Amanda turns her back to us. “Now I think you should leave before Michael comes back.”

  Scotty looks at her for a long moment then turns to walk out the door. I follow, closing the door softly behind me. I reach for Scotty’s hand, but it’s balled into a fist that won’t open for me. “Scotty, it’s going to be okay.”

  “I hate leaving her in there, Katie.” His voice is tinged with frustration. “She was caught and put in there because of me. I chose to save you before her. I’d do it that way again, but who knows what they did to her in that time.”

  “I know.” I swallowed my own emotions and hug his rigid body. “We’ll fix this, but right now we need to go.”

  He sighs then nods. We make our way down the stairs of the silent house. At the bottom he leans in and whispers, “Wait here. I need to lock her door back.” He starts walking but he’s not leaving me this time. I follow and ignore his head shakes.

  We reach a metal door down one of the halls and he slides in trying to shut it behind him. What is he hiding? I push the door open and look around. There’s a lot of monitors and buttons. Scotty starts pushing a few.

  I focus on the screens that feature different people, male and female of different ages, but mostly centered around my age.

  “Katie, don’t!” Scotty wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me toward the door. When we’re out he shuts it but not quick enough to prevent me from seeing the heartbreaking despaired looks on all those faces. On one face in particular. One with wavy blue hair. I don’t feel the tears come but by the time Scotty rushes me outside my cheeks are slick with them. He sits me against a tree and falls beside me. Watching me as he slides his shoes on, his eyes say he’s choosing his words carefully.

  I speak before he does. “What was all that?”

  “Do you remember when I told you Michael and Matthew manipulated people’s emotions so they would kill themselves?” Scotty pauses to wait for my nod. “Well that’s the room they do it in.”

  “All those people… and Cassie… they’re going to die? Scotty, we have to do something! This isn’t right!” The sobs threaten to choke me.

  �
��We will. As soon as we have Amanda back this whole thing will come to an end.”

  I slip my flip flops on and follow Scotty silently back to town. He’s so confident in Amanda’s ability to bring this system down but why? They just met, didn’t they? I push back the small hint of jealousy in my mind. This is ridiculous. I have no reason to doubt him. I’m the cheater, even if I was being controlled.

  “I have no idea when they will decide to push Amanda through the gate. If you want to go back to your house now you can, but I’m planning on going there and waiting.” Scotty doesn’t look at me while he speaks.

  I again try to push back the intrusive thoughts of Scotty and Amanda alone together. I know I’m overthinking. He loves me. He’s only concerned about his friend. I grab his hand and lace my fingers through his. “I’m waiting with you.” I give him a small smile when he finally looks at me.

  He doesn’t respond but he doesn’t let go of my hand either. I begin to wonder how much my betrayal has affected his image of me. I’m sure he needs some time.

  We walk back into town. The number of people out and about has greatly increased since early this morning. There’s a constant stream of hellos as people greet each other and bells ring above shop doors. Every so often, someone brushes up against me making my anxiety rise. I don’t remember there being this many people before. How many of them are new? Instead of going back into the resident side, we make a left onto a small path headed by a sign pointing to the meadow.

  It’s a short walk lined with blossoming trees filled with songbirds. As soon as the view opens up my eyes sparkle with wonder as they take in the peaceful landscape. It’s all as beautiful as the day I first arrived and exactly how I imagined Heaven would look. Maybe when we put things right here, I’ll get to go there and live in this perfection forever.

  Scotty isn’t taking in the scenery as he leads me to a bench on the side of the lake closest to the gate. We take a seat and try to look casual as we begin to wait.