I take note of everything in the air. It’s sour. Tasia may not be bothered by what’s going on, but almost everyone else in the room is.
“I did exactly what you asked me to do,” I say, talking directly to her, and keeping my voice level. “The least you could do is allow me to speak to you alone.”
She laughs and asks, “So you can kill me?”
She is taunting me. She knows. She knows her question is ridiculous.
I lean in toward her, and place my lips so they’re barely brushing her ear. The feeling of her skin on my lips is so… Concentrate. I whisper for only her to hear, “You know I can’t kill you.”
“Say it so everyone can hear you,” she says, completely unfazed.
That sick feeling is spreading through my body. It’s getting worse. I almost feel like I’m going to shut down.
“I can’t kill you,” I say a little louder as I stand upright again, away from her.
“They can’t hear you,” she says, staring me down.
“I can’t kill you,” I state loud enough for everyone in the lobby to hear. The words leave a bad taste in my mouth, like they’re burning my tongue.
There are whispers in the crowd. Everyone’s looking at me like I can’t possibly be any sort of threat. The smell of fear is gone. I’m not what they expected, and they aren’t afraid of me now. No one here fears me.
I feel dizzy.
All I’ve ever had is fear, and now I don’t even have that.
“You see? It’s just like Cassius said,” Tasia says to everyone. “Arsen can’t do anything to us. I’ll make sure of it.”
“That’s amazing,” one hunter whispers, and then a chorus erupts.
The angel soldier scared of me before is now standing tall and staring me down with his vibrant orange eyes as if he never feared me to begin with.
It’s too much. It’s all too much. I want to scream. I want to rip off heads, tear out throats, and devour hearts. I want to do anything at all, but I’m trapped inside an all-consuming darkness. I feel my eyes roll into the back of my head as I lose my balance. The last thing I hear is the sound of my body hitting the floor, hard.
“I CAN’T KILL YOU,” Arsen says loud enough for everyone to hear.
I know the prophecy. His words shouldn’t surprise me, and yet they do. Arsen doesn’t look good. He looks sick. He’s even staggering as the rest of the base starts shouting and chanting in triumph. The angels are coolly observing everything going on, but the hunters feel they’ve already won.
I watch nervously as Tasia stands in front of Arsen without any fear. She stares him down like he’s inconsequential. Then it happens. Arsen’s eyes roll into the back of his head and he hits the hard marble floor beneath him with a resounding thud.
Is… is he dead?
The base quiets again for a moment. Everyone around me watches Arsen warily, but Tasia only glances at him as she says, “He passed out.”
The oracle steps forward. He stands beside Tasia and announces, “Arsen is hardly a threat anymore. All is as God said it would be.” He places a hand on Tasia’s shoulder and says directly to her, “You did well.”
She beams up at him, clearly thrilled by his praise.
Once again the hunters begin cheering. It is certainly a victory of some sort—though it feels bizarre. Arsen doesn’t seem very powerful at all anymore, if you ask me. I don’t know how he’s going to help in this war, but at least he won’t be in the way.
I turn my gaze to the demon lying on the floor. The hunters from the different branches of the EEA don’t even know the true power of a demon, but it seems they’ve been swept in by the energy of it all, and they continue to cheer. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything more pitiful than Arsen in this moment. I could almost feel sorry for him. I would if I didn’t know his kind is nothing but evil. Demons, monsters, they don’t deserve any of my pity. Not a single bit. And they certainly don’t deserve my compassion. Demons take advantage of angels like that.
“Imae,” the oracle addresses, “Take Arsen into an isolated room. I will join you shortly.”
I watch as Imae steps forward and grabs Arsen by one of his hands. She’s strong enough to carry him, but she drags him across the floor instead. Everyone watching shouts and jeers once again as they clear the way for her and the demon she’s dragging. I watch her until she’s out of sight, and then I return my gaze to the oracle, Tasia, and now the confidant as well. The confidant and the oracle exchange a few words I can’t hear. Then the oracle and Tasia follow Imae down the hall. Confidant Valor catches me watching and beckons me forward.
She steps away from the crowd and lets her back rest against a wall as she waits for me. I have to navigate my way through the excited hunters that haven’t dispersed yet, but I get to her.
“Confident Valor?” I address.
“Did you see that?” she asks. “He was stripped of everything that he is, just like that.”
“Yes,” I agree. “I wonder if he’ll even be able to fight for us.”
“He is indeed too broken to fight as of right now. However, everything Cassius has said has come true so far.” She folds her arms and looks up at the ceiling for a moment before returning her eyes to me. “I wonder if you’d do me a favor.”
“You need only give the command, Confidant,” I say.
“I want you to be my eyes and ears. I’m going back to Ilenima in Cassius’s place while he stays here for the time being.”
“I’m not sure why you need me to be your eyes and ears then,” I say honestly.
“I want you to observe everything. When I come back, I want you to tell me how you saw it. That is why it’s necessary.”
She wants to see what I think of the things to come versus what the oracle thinks?
“Do you not trust him?” I ask and suddenly the atmosphere goes cold.
“Who?” she probes, her ocean blue eyes staring me down, daring me to say exactly what I mean.
“The oracle,” I whisper. “I don’t know why else you would ask this of me. If he’s going to be here, he’s going to know exactly what’s going on. He’s going to be informed of everything. He’d be able to tell you anything you want to know.”
She laughs. “So serious, Rynne. I only need another pair of eyes and ears to tell me things that Cassius might miss. You’re right. He will be informed of everything, but you might be somewhere that he isn’t, and maybe you’ll see things he doesn’t see firsthand.”
I suddenly feel embarrassed. “Excuse my rudeness,” I say earnestly. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me lately.”
The confidant reaches out and grabs the back of my head, pulling me forward so she can whisper directly into my ear. “No need to apologize, Rynne. I happen to hold your opinions and insights in high regard.”
She suddenly releases me, and then she moves away. “I’ll see you again soon,” she says with a slight nod of her head, wavy strawberry blond hair cascading around her as she makes her way out of the base.
“See you soon,” I reply as I watch her back.
But I still think it’s a strange request.
“ARSEN, WAKE UP.”
A smile finds its way onto my lips, but I don’t open my eyes. I’m not sleeping, and she probably knows that, but she wants my attention. If she wants my attention so badly, she’ll have to do more than call to me in her sweet voice.
“Arsen, I know you’re not sleeping,” she says.
I listen as her feet press lightly onto the grass and flowers of the meadow, though knowing her, she’s probably doing everything she can to avoid crushing flowers. I continue waiting patiently, listening for her every movement. Only a few more steps and she’ll be standing right beside me.
Once she is so close I can practically feel her, she bends down and touches her hand to my forehead. I still don’t move.
“Arsen,” she says in a whisper. “I know you’re not sleeping.”
She places both of her hands on either side of my face.
Then I feel the slightest tickle of her lips on mine. That’s when I catch her. I spring to life, and wrap my arms around her, trapping her on top of me as we lie in the meadow.
“It’s not fair!” she shouts. But she’s laughing, playfully bringing her hands down on my chest in a half-hearted attempt at getting away from me. Her light blue eyes are twinkling with mirth.
I grin at her. “I’m not letting go,” I say.
She gives up and lies flat against me, allowing me to feel every inch of her as she presses her lips to mine. I expect a light, playful kiss, but my girl is feeling feisty today. She’s kissing me like she’ll never be able to kiss me again, savoring each precious touch. I want to get lost in the sensation, but something doesn’t feel right.
I feel something warm and sticky creep into my mouth.
I open my eyes, and Emma stops kissing me at the same moment. There’s blood running down her mouth. She is covered in bruises, her bones are broken, and she’s staring at me with hollow eyes.
“Why didn’t you save me?” she asks, her voice as dead as she looks.
“I tried,” I say, trying not to choke. “I really did.”
I try to grab her, to hug her and never let her go, but she turns into smoke when I touch her. She slips through my fingers, and the meadow disappears, falling away into a world of darkness. I close my eyes, grab my head, and I scream.
I wake up gasping. My eyes snap open, and I see a blank ceiling overhead. I’m lying on cold ground, hard as a rock. This room is empty. It resembles a padded cell, minus even that comfort, or maybe it more closely resembles one of the isolated rooms in the Citadel angel masters took their servants to when they marked our souls so we’d forever shine brightly in their vision.
I let out an involuntary groan as I look around. It takes an enormous amount of effort just to move my head back and forth. I’m sore.
I start with little movements of my head, and by the time I’m able to rotate my neck all the way to the right, I see Cassius sitting on a metal stool, staring at me in complete silence.
All of my soreness and confusion disappears. A roar builds in my throat and rips out of my mouth. I’m off the ground in an instant, and I lunge at the angel that’s ruined me and every other demon out there. Cassius stands up when I’m about to connect. I have my claws ready for him, but he’s fast. He catches my wrists and throws me into a wall. Then his hands are at my back, pressing me into the wall with little effort. I can’t move. Where did all of my strength go?
Cassius releases me, allowing me to drop back down to the ground in my weakened state as he returns to his stool.
“Tasia wouldn’t be too happy if you hurt me,” he informs. “Not that it looks like you can even land a scratch on me in your current state. What was that attack, Arsen? I’ve come to expect much more of you.”
“Why were you watching me while I was sleeping, creep?” I retort. “I thought you wanted to kill me. Why didn’t you? That was the perfect opportunity.”
I try to get back on my feet, but I can’t. All I can do is place my hand on the wall and hope my strength returns in time for me to get back onto my feet before too long. I don’t take my eyes off of the oracle, and he doesn’t take his off me. He watches me in silence for a moment longer, and then he gets back off his stool and walks over to me. He crouches down to meet me, holds out one of his ridiculously white hands, and catches my face. His touch makes my skin crawl.
“I want what God wants,” the angel says. “And God doesn’t want you dead. There are much greater things in store for you than that.”
I’ve never seen into the oracle’s eyes like this. They’re changing colors, and they’re bright, eyes like I’ve never seen. Is that just a hint of his power as the oracle? Where does his power come from? I can’t tell how much life essence he has, but according to angel rule, he can’t have any more than he’s gained throughout his own life, right?
“What the hell did you do to that human girl?” I ask. “She’s acting completely different.”
“I did nothing,” he replies.
“Nothing? How does she have so much power over me? How did you create this connection between us? You certainly did something.”
“No, that was all God’s will. It was God who created this bond between you.”
“That’s shit,” I say, baring my teeth.
Cassius doesn’t flinch, but his grip on my face tightens. “Now it’s my turn to ask a question,” he says. “What did Leo say to you that night when you killed him?”
I laugh. “Why don’t you beat it out of me, Oracle? I’m sure it would be more satisfying.”
Cassius shoves my head back against the wall before releasing me. He stands up, shakes out his hands, and takes a few steps backwards. Then he turns around.
“I needn’t lay a hand on you to make you suffer, Arsen,” he says with his back to me. “The fact that I won’t lay a hand on you, the fact that you will not be killed, will guarantee you suffer more than I ever thought imaginable. God’s wrath is far scarier than mine.”
He turns to face me. His eyes are light now, almost white. I’m sure he must hate me, but he doesn’t give away any of those emotions if he does. He’s not easy to read. I was able to read Imae clearly from the beginning. She doesn’t hide her disdain for me. The oracle does, and yet he doesn’t. I don’t understand what he’s trying to accomplish. I know he must hate me, but I expected more anger from him. I did kill the previous confidant after all.
“I’ll ask you again when you’re ready to talk,” Cassius informs. He makes his way to the door leading out of this place.
I ask, “Why do you want to know?”
“That doesn’t concern you. Oh, and a piece of advice. You would be wise to avoid confrontation.” Cassius reaches out his hand and rests it on the door handle. “If you want to make things easier on yourself, that is. However, I won’t complain if you struggle.”
He opens the door. Waiting on the other side is Tasia.
ARSEN PASSED OUT last night. Cassius has been watching over him. He said he’d tell me when Arsen woke up. Well, it’s noon and I still haven’t heard anything. So I make my way to the empty storage room Arsen was taken to. I’m right outside of the door when it opens, as if on cue.
I step back as Cassius regards me with a nod of his head. He must have sensed I was there. I look inside the room to see Arsen on the floor, staring at me with his intense green eyes; they are always the first thing I remember when I think about him, and they’re always the feature I notice first. Everything about his look is a little rough around the edges. The way he wears his scruff. The way his short dark hair is always wild with its wavy texture. The way he moves.
“What are you doing here?” he asks as he makes it onto his feet with some effort, reminding me how tall he is.
“I thought you wanted to talk,” I say coolly.
I’m aware of Cassius just behind me. I know he isn’t going to leave me alone with Arsen—at least not yet. He wants to see this through as much as I do. With what he did to my white diamond, there’s no way I’ll disappoint him. I somehow know the things to say. I’m not freezing up around Arsen anymore either.
“I do want to talk,” Arsen says. He looks exhausted, if that’s possible for a demon. “You’re wrong about me. I didn’t kill your parents. None of this is necessary.”
Liar. Murderer. Demon.
“I’m right about you,” I say. “All of this is completely necessary. Even if you didn’t kill my parents, which you did, you’re still a demon. You’re a monster. How many humans have you killed? It’s not just humans either. I’ve seen you kill like it’s nothing. I’ve seen you kill your own kind like it’s nothing. You were playing with that demon just to get close to him, and then you ripped out his heart and ate it. You were completely unfazed!”
A flicker of understanding seems to darken the green of Arsen’s eyes as he says in a low voice, “So you were watching me. How?”
I fold my arms, and
look at him with disdain as I remember the gross scene back in New York City.
“I can do a lot more than you think,” I say with confidence. “I’ve conquered those weird feelings you always tried to confuse me with. You can’t tug on this connection that we have now. You can’t make me do anything for you. I thought this also meant you wouldn’t be able to lie to me anymore. You say you didn’t kill my parents, but I know you did. I guess the truth will take a little more time.”
I glance at Cassius, standing behind me. He gives me a subtle nod of his head, acknowledging and agreeing with what I said.
“That’s fine,” I say, returning my attention to Arsen. “We’ll work on it. The commander of this base has decided the first thing you can help us with. You’re going to give us all the information you know about the other natural demons here. Humans are taking back their world. You and your kind have no place in it.”
Arsen takes a few steps forward so he’s standing right in front of me. He’s much taller than I am. He has to be well over six feet. I remember the first time he was standing in front of me like this. I was so scared. He was so terrifying. Now I don’t feel that. It’s like I can’t feel the intensity of his power anymore. It’s like the predatory gleam in his eyes is gone.
I say, “You have to stay here with us, but you can’t cause any trouble. You can’t do anything that would affect anyone. You can’t hurt or kill anyone, even other demons, unless I give you permission to.”
“As you wish,” Arsen says in a low voice, shocking me a little with how easily he agrees. “If that’s what you want from me, you can have it. You can have anything you want.”
I look back at Cassius again. He returns my gaze, but he doesn’t give me any other clues. I know I’m in control of Arsen now, but I wasn’t expecting that sort of compliance. If Cassius isn’t worried, I’m not worried. Everything is fine. I’m not even dealing with any of my anxiety.
The Pull of Destiny (Undying Love, Book 2) Page 20