by Erin Cain
“Back to the first level. The northernmost point,” Grace muttered, looking around frantically.
And then she saw it. The faintest hint of light. The first hint of clear light she had seen in this place. Glittering above them, just out of sight.
“Up!” Grace gasped. “We need to get up there!” She pointed.
Dylan looked. “What? You mean flying?”
“Yes. Come on. Can you manifest?” She helped him to his feet, wincing at the pain on his face.
“I don’t know.” He sounded woozy, but he was standing.
The snarling demons were getting far too close. Grace focused on her own wings, on the burning light. She could feel it, danger pulling them to the surface as always. Dylan’s wings flickered in and out of existence.
“Use them as much as you can, okay?” Grace gasped, grabbing him by the hand.
He nodded, his wings flickering into sight, see-through and dim, but there. As Grace’s wings burst forward, she heard the shrieks of pain and anger from the demons.
“One, two, three!”
She lifted off, Dylan close on her heels. She felt the icy breath of the demons on her legs, their angered screams as she lifted out of their reach.
She didn’t look back. She only looked ahead, reaching up and up as they ascended to the ceiling, putting every bit of her faith into the belief that this was the way out.
If it wasn’t, they were absolutely done for.
As she reached forward, to touch the light, she felt the unpleasant burst of heat, the sickening spinning sensation. She heard Dylan yell beside her, barely holding back her own scream as they were violently spat out onto the hard, burning ground.
Grace cried out as she hit the floor, the heat a painful contrast to the ice of before, her hands stinging and burning. In the distance, she could still hear the angry howls, as if they were coming from the floor right beneath them, making the first level shudder and shake.
Grace stumbled to her feet, turning around frantically. “Dylan?! Dylan, are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, fine.”
His wings were gone, and he was struggling to get to his feet, but he was here, and he was alive and they had gotten through it.
Grace flung herself at him, her emotions running high. She was tired, she was hurt, and they’d escaped death twice already. And he was alive. She wrapped her arms around him, Dylan grunting at the impact.
“Grace, you’re going to ruin… your clothes,” he muttered. She pressed herself tighter against him, hugging him tight.
“Damn it, Dylan. I don’t care about my clothes. We made it!” she said.
Dylan hugged her in return, a laugh bubbling up from his chest. “How the hell did we manage that?”
“I don’t know,” Grace laughed, nervous energy relishing in a rush. “But we did!”
Dylan felt so solid against her body, firm and strong and safe. He was alive, and very much here and Grace had absolutely no idea how they had gotten so lucky.
“I’m glad you were with me,” Dylan said suddenly. “You were the best choice after all.”
Grace felt her heart twist in her chest. “That’s just the blood loss talking,” she whispered.
“Maybe. But that doesn’t mean I don’t mean it,” he breathed.
Grace looked at him, his eyes endless in the dim light, his body cool against the burning heat of hell.
And suddenly, she was leaning forward and Dylan was pulling her in. And when their lips touched, Grace felt like all of the stars were aligning at once.
Dylan kissed her softly, the kiss sweet and gentle and nothing like she’d imagined. She gripped onto his clothes, holding him tighter, feeling his solid presence against hers. He tasted amazing and the scent of his cologne overpowered the stench of hell until it was all that she could smell, all that she could breathe.
For a moment, it was perfect.
Then they pulled away, both taking a moment to catch their breath. Dylan looked so good in the dim lighting, with his soft blond hair and strong features. He felt as good as he looked. Dylan brushed her hair out of her face and it was so gentle. It was just like Vance.
Vance. Thoughts of him flooded her mind and, just as quickly as she’d grabbed Dylan, she got up. She couldn’t be doing this, not when she was dating Vance!
Dylan looked at her, confusion written all over his face. “You okay?”
“What, yeah, of course, I just… I want to get you back as quickly as possible. That blood loss isn’t a joke, Dylan.”
“Oh, yeah. I guess you’re right.” He smiled, pushing himself up. “Guess we should get going.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I think the portal back is that way.” She gestured towards a small outcrop of rocks and Dylan nodded in agreement.
She needed to get out of hell as quickly as possible, before she crossed the line any further than she already had.
Before she felt any more conflicted than she already did.
Chapter 11
The portal took a moment to find, even when they were in the right spot. Grace supposed that was a precautionary measure, but she wasn’t in the mood for caution. She wanted to get back up as quickly as possible. Dylan was getting worse and it was clear that she had some air to clear.
“Found it,” Dylan said.
Grace sighed in relief. “You go through first. Straight to the infirmary,” she said, worry fluttering in her chest. She really didn’t want him hurting for longer than needed.
“Got it. You’ll come visit me though, right?”
He managed a smile and Grace’s heart constricted in her chest.
“Of course,” she whispered.
Then Dylan stepped through and Grace followed soon after. The portal was clean and easy to travel through and Grace took a moment to re-orient herself the moment her feet hit the floor, but at least she managed to stay on her feet this time.
Grace looked around, the noise and commotion of life hitting her hard and fast. Dylan was surrounded by medics, already getting treatment and the teachers were around him too. That gave Grace the space to stumble away from the portal and out of everyone’s attention.
And straight into Vance’s arms.
“Grace! Are you alright? What happened?” There was clear worry in his face, as he grabbed her shoulders and looked her over. “You’re bleeding.”
“What?” Grace looked down, dazed, only to see Dylan’s blood on her shirt. She shook her head. “That’s Dylan’s.”
She felt sick. But she couldn’t handle pulling away from Vance’s arms just yet. His scent was amazing; he was so comforting and sure. She loved him. She was sure of that.
But she couldn’t lie to him. She wouldn’t lie to him. Whether it was the heat of the moment or true feelings, she had kissed Dylan and she couldn’t hide it from him. Not even for a second.
So, with her heart in pieces, she pulled away.
“Are you alright? You took a lot longer than you should have,” he said.
“Yeah.” Grace’s voice was hoarse. “We ended up in the second level. But we made our way out.”
“The second level?” Vance was pale, and he shook his head. “But you survived. You’re okay. The rest can wait.”
“No, it can’t.” Grace swallowed, her heart pounding hard in her chest, harder than when the demons had chased her in hell.
“Vance… I have something I need to tell you. Right now,” she blurted out.
“Okay. What is it? I’m listening,” Vance said. And he really was. Attentive and loving, as always.
“I… I, um… I kissed Dylan,” she cried out, the words tumbling out in a rush. “I swear, it was one kiss, and we’d just gotten out of the second level and I…” She buried her face in her hands. “I didn’t mean to be unfaithful, but if it’s over between us, I completely understand.”
She couldn’t look at him. Couldn’t face the disappointment in his eyes.
Instead, she was met with a long moment of silence and then a quiet. “Grace… look
at me.” His voice was soft, not angry, and Grace lifted her head from her hands.
He didn’t look angry. He didn’t look hateful or hurt. Instead, he looked calm and patient, like always.
“Grace…” He took her hand. “The concept of monogamy and fidelity…” he trailed off and looked deep into her eyes. “These are human concepts. Angels don’t usually adhere to them so strictly… we don’t really have any reason to. And with eternity being such a long time…”
He shrugged before he continued, “If you’d lied to me, or hidden it from me… well, that would be different. But you didn’t. You told me straight away.” He pulled Grace into his arms, and Grace felt tears burning in her eyes.
“I don’t want to end it. You’re too important to me,” he whispered.
Grace burst into tears, the rush and stress of everything coursing through her. She gripped onto him tightly, feeling the shudders move through her: the stress of hell, the second level, the demons, and Dylan all overwhelming her. Vance shielded her with his arms, holding her tight for a long moment, as she processed it all and dealt with the emotions that were twisting up inside her.
Once she was calm, she pulled away and wiped her eyes. “So, you’re okay that I kissed him?” she said hesitantly, struggling to understand.
Vance nodded. “I’d be okay if you wanted to kiss him again,” he said with a smile. “As long as you’re not trying to do it behind my back.” He hummed in thought, then added, “It must mean that you got through to him…”
“Yeah, I think I did.” Grace smiled. “We talked about his father. Turns out a lot of this is because of him.”
Vance nodded. “I can understand that.” He held Grace in his arms, gently brushing her hair out of her face.
“You know? I’m kind of glad it was Dylan and not one of the students in Weapons training.” He wrinkled his nose in distaste.
“Vance!” Grace said.
“What? None of them are good enough for you,” he countered.
“You snob,” She mumbled, burying her head against his shoulder. He smoothed back her hair, whispering, “Want to go and see Dylan? I’m worried about him too. What happened to him?”
“Demon caught his side,” Grace explained. “And then we had to run, and climb, and fly, so it just… made it that much worse.”
Vance winced. “Damn it… but they didn’t get you, did they?” Vance asked seriously. “Honestly, if they got you at all…”
Grace shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t think so. Everything is a bit… hazy.”
“Well, we’ll get you checked out anyway, okay? We need to go see Dylan anyway.”
“That… sounds good,” Grace murmured, leaning against Vance. He squeezed her tight and kisses her forehead.
“We’ll see how he’s doing and then I’ll go and make sure everything being properly handled.” He added, “I don’t want you penalized, and I’m sure there’s a lot of worry floating around.”
“Thank you, Vance.”
She was lucky to have him. Reliable, intelligent, loving, and calm. He was perfect in every way.
And she was so lucky that she hadn’t lost him.
She hadn’t lost him, or Dylan.
She really couldn’t believe her luck.
Chapter 12
Grace swung the door open in a rush, racing into the infirmary. She glanced around, only to see Dylan lying at the far end of the room. He looked clean and tended-to, and Grace breathed a sigh of relief.
“Excuse me, you can’t just…” a nurse started, but Vance calmly turned to her, answering instead.
“Oh, Evelyn. Thank you for taking such good care of Dylan. I’m sure you understand why we need to visit him, though?” Vance said smoothly.
“Oh, Vance, yes, of course. Go right in,” she amended quickly, and Vance gestured for Grace to go on ahead. She hurried to his side, feeling her heart race.
“Hey,” he greeted them from the bed. There were bandages peeking out of his clean shirt, but other than looking pale and tired, he looked okay.
“Dylan, I don’t think I like this trend,” she said.
“What trend?” He frowned, confused.
“This trend of ending up in the infirmary! First Vance and now you?” She pulled the chair up beside his bed. “Don’t scare me like this.”
Dylan laughed, a soft sound, and he shook his head. “Yeah, well, I didn’t exactly plan it. I promise.”
“You okay, Dylan?” Vance strolled over.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Dylan answered hesitantly.
“Heard it was a demon attack? Nasty business,” Vance said, his voice calm and collected.
“Yeah, well… happens when you’re in hell.” There was a defensive lilt to his voice, but Vance ignored it.
“Focus on resting up. I’m going to go deal with the fall-out.” Vance nodded to both of them and added, “If you need anything in here, you know how to get in touch.”
Dylan looked surprised for a moment. “So, we’re cool?”
“I’ve heard that you and Grace have made up. So yes, we’re cool. Get better soon, Dylan.” Vance smiled.
“See you later, Grace.” He leaned over, kissing her cheek before he made his way out of the infirmary.
“I… don’t get that guy,” Dylan scoffed, and Grace caught the way his voice hitched. He was relieved about Vance and him being friends again. Sure, he probably didn’t worry about the kiss, like Grace, but things had been rocky for a while.
“Yeah, well… I think he gets you.” Grace laughed.
“Yeah, that’s what I hate,” Dylan replied with a low chuckle.
“Are you really okay?” Grace asked after a moment of silence, leaning over to take his hand.
“That’s what I’ve been told. They gave me plenty of painkillers, so I’m all good. Didn’t really need them in the first place, though.”
“I know, I know.” She squeezed his hand. Then, seized by the sudden desire to be closer, she shifted from the chair to the edge of the bed. Dylan sat a little more upright.
“I’m glad you’re safe,” she whispered. The moment seemed to stretch between them for an age.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Dylan said in return.
Then he leaned forward and, before Grace knew what was happening, she was kissing him again, feeling his lips against hers. He reached up, resting his hand on her lower back, and she hummed in approval. He was warm and solid and here. He was alive, despite all the odds and she couldn’t be happier.
Heat passed between them, charged and heady. It wasn’t until there was a knock on the infirmary door that they pulled away from each.
“Better not be Vance…” Dylan muttered good-naturedly.
“Stop it,” Grace said happily. “Yes?” she called out.
The door opened and a familiar figure stepped inside, blond hair and a long, formal coat. The teacher from the field stepped in, shutting the door behind him. Then he turned to face them.
“Father?” Dylan gasped, hastily pushing himself into a more stable sitting position. “Father, I didn’t expect to see you today.”
“I know you didn’t, Dylan. That was the point.” His voice was the same as Grace remembered, calm, wise, and a little detached. Like he was interested in the world, but only from a distance.
“You’re Dylan’s father?” Grace exclaimed. “I thought you were a teacher here.” She immediately regretted blurting it out, when he turned to look at her.
Luckily, he just smiled. “Well, I never told you who I was. I was just passing on some friendly advice.”
Grace had trouble reconciling this man with the image Dylan had given her in hell.
“Father…” Dylan started. “I understand that I failed your test, but I do not regret it. Grace has proved, twice now, that she deserves to be in the academy, and I am proud to have fought by her side.”
She could see the tension in Dylan’s form, and she felt a lump in her throat at the idea that he was sticking up for her like
this.
“I know,” Dylan’s father said with a quiet smile. “That was the test. You went against my advice and made a difficult choice. But the right one.”
“Wait… I… what?” Dylan looked confused.
“You made the right choice. I am certain that the school board will overlook your oversight, in favor of keeping you on.” Dylan’s father smiled and glanced over at Grace. “I look forward to your part in the third trial, Grace.”
“Oh, um… thank you.” Grace stumbled over her words.
As Dylan’s father turned to go, Dylan spoke up, “But wait, father–”
“I’ll be here for another week, Dylan. We shall speak once you are better. For now, rest. It seems that you are in capable hands.”
Then he was gone, as quickly as he had appeared, just like on the field. There one minute and gone the next.
They both stared at the door for the longest moment, before the turned to each other at the same time.
“That’s your father–”
“You’ve met him before–”
They both stopped and Grace started laughing. “Yes, I met him. He told me to work together with whoever I was partnered with. He gave me some advice about the trial too.”
“Oh, wow. He was playing me? Man, that’s just like him! Why didn’t I see it coming!?”
The Dylan started laughing and Grace wrapped her arms around him.
“So… your father doesn’t hate me after all.”
“Apparently not.” Dylan sighed in relief, still laughing. “But damn that was scary.”
Grace nodded, still grinning. “But you stood up for me, Dylan.” She softened as she leaned in, holding him tight. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“Yeah, well… Vance was… right. You do belong here. You belong at this academy, you deserve to be here, as an angel. You’re an asset to any team that you’re on.”
“Dylan…” Grace swallowed back the lump in her throat.
“I mean it,” he murmured. “And you belong here, too. With me.”
Grace felt the warmth grow in her chest until she thought she might burst.