Angelstone: Dark Angel #2 (Urban Fantasy)

by Peach, Hanna

  Balthazar spoke these words again into one of the cages, at which the butterfly became very still. It seemed to glow with a red light from within. The other demon-butterfly glowed with the same light, but it went into a complete flutter.

  Balthazar lifted up the cage with the panicked-looking demon-butterfly. “If it is we who call you, your Communicator will look like this. Let the creature out of its cage and it will point you in the direction of its partner until deactivated. It is tied to the cage so it will not fly away.” He turned back to the first demon-butterfly. “To deactivate say, Silentium.” At which the demon butterflies returned to their previous state and their glow disappeared. Silentium, Alyx remembered, was also of the original language, meaning stillness.

  Balthazar held out one of the cages for Alyx. She clasped it in her hand. The butterfly’s wings fluttered between the bars against her skin, tickling her palm. She paused, soaking in the gravity of this moment, the moment she chose to work alongside a demon, and prayed she wasn’t making a mistake in trusting him. Then she placed the chain around her neck, securing her decision.

  After saying their goodbyes to Balthazar and Javar, Alyx and Jordan flew off into the night.

  “Hey,” Alyx yelled at Jordan over the rush of wind as they skimmed across clouds back to Aradale. “We need to talk.”

  * * *

  Alyx and Jordan touched down in the forest at the back of the Aradale grounds. Jordan faced Alyx and leaned against a tree trunk. “So?” he said, crossing his arms.

  “Balthazar. Spill it.”

  “I met him at Purgatory a few months ago. He approached me. At first I didn’t trust him either. He said that he witnessed a seraph making some sort of deal with a Demon, betraying us. A deal about some sort of weapon that would take down our healing defenses. I said that it was impossible. Balthazar recited to me those lines from the prophecy and said that it would be his proof that we were on the same side. He asked me to bring back the Guardian to meet him. He wanted to create an alliance with you. Lo and behold, Mayrekk told me about you, about the vision you had, the burn-marked death. Then you caught me following you after that night-race. After I saved you in Michael’s DreamScape and I saw your leg that wasn’t healing, I knew that Balthazar was speaking the truth. I went back to Purgatory and tried to find Balthazar again, but he wasn’t there. I didn’t see him again until tonight.”

  Alyx’s mouth was hanging open by the time he had finished speaking. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

  “I thought if I told you before, you wouldn’t believe me. That you might not come. I thought that it would be better for you to meet with Balthazar and hear his side of things before you made your judgments based on what he was.”

  “My judgments?” Alyx was incredulous.

  Jordan shrugged. “Come on, Alyx. Are you telling me that if I told you to come meet a demon friend of mine, you would have come willingly?”

  “No, but... but, I would have still come...” she finished lamely, knowing in her heart that it was a lie.

  Jordan rolled his eyes. “No, you wouldn’t have, and you know it.”

  Alyx didn’t know whether to be angry at Jordan or not. Judgments? Did she make judgments?

  “So,” Alyx started, “not all demons are bad?”

  “Bad. Good. I suppose it depends which side you’re standing on, doesn’t it? All I know is, you can’t tell just by looking at a creature what it is. Not even the Elders.”

  Alyx frowned as she watched Jordan’s face grow dark again. Alyx had seen this shadow fall across Jordan’s face before.

  “I know that look,” she said softly. “What are you thinking about?”

  A few moments passed before Jordan began to speak, “When I was still a part of the Michaelea Castus, I saw Michael... taking advantage of a young seraphelle lightwarrior.”

  Alyx’s blood ran cold. She remembered her dreams that Michael had invaded. She shivered, remembering his cold stony arms scratching against her skin, creating a prison around her.

  “I reported it but... the Elders, they protect their own. I was instructed – instructed – to forget what I saw. Forbidden to speak to anyone about it. But I just couldn’t forget. I couldn’t forget her − her crying, her screams... her face. It haunted me. I didn’t say anything but I couldn’t forget. From that day I started to see the cracks in the society that the Elders had built around us. And once you see them you can’t un-see them. I found out afterwards that the seraphelle’s name was Lylianne, and she was also told to pretend that nothing had happened.”

  Jordan’s face grew hard. “Then she disappeared. They said that she killed herself or ran off, but... I knew it was a lie. I just snapped. I couldn’t be a part of it anymore. I just couldn’t. So I left.”

  “It wasn’t your fault.”

  “I could have spoken up, given a voice to someone who wasn’t allowed one.”

  “Jordan, it’s not your fault.”

  “‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing’,” Jordan said. Alyx recognized the quote by a mortal called Edmund Burke from a mortal book that she had smuggled illegally into Michaelea once. “I told myself I would never ‘do nothing’ again. I told myself I’d find a way to bring Michael to justice for what he did.”

  “So this whole Rogue hero thing − you’re not just in it for the chicks,” Alyx said, trying to lighten the mood.

  Jordan laughed a little, which pleased Alyx. When he looked at her again, he had a little twinkle in his eye. “Well, maybe just one chick.” Jordan stepped forward and he placed a hand against her face. His thumb began to trace along her cheek.

  He isn’t Israel.

  Alyx stepped away, trying to cover up her awkwardness with a short laugh. “I don’t want to step on Javar’s toes.”

  Jordan frowned. “Javar? You think I’m interested in Javar?”

  Alyx shrugged. “He’s obviously interested in you and you didn’t seem to mind his attentions. I saw you wink at him.”

  His frown broke and he laughed. “Oh, little seraphelle. I forget how sheltered your short life has been.”

  Alyx sniffed and crossed her arms in front of her. “I’m not sheltered.”

  “I was just flirting back. I’m not interested in Javar. I mean, he picked a good-looking mortal to occupy, but I’m not interested in him like that.”

  Alyx frowned. “So are you or are you not gay?”

  “There you go with labels and judgments again. When I’m interested in someone, I’m interested in them as a person. I don’t really care about the package it comes in.”

  Alyx’s head spun. “So you date women and men?”

  “Do you have a problem with that?”

  “What? No. No.”

  “Besides,” all the humor dropped from Jordan’s face as he stepped closer, “I’m interested in someone else.”

  “Oh, really?” Alyx laughed nervously. Jordan took another step towards her, his gaze deepening in intensity. Alyx shuffled back. Oh God.

  “Yes. But I don’t think she’s ready.”

  “Oh.” But she couldn’t go back any further. She had backed up into the trunk of a tree. She was trapped between this trunk and the body of the seraph in front of her.

  “I’m not going to play any games with you. You intrigue me.”

  Alyx swallowed. “What?”

  “I could be good for you. I could show you things, teach you about the world, about your limits, about pleasure, pain and everything in between... You have so much potential, Alyx, you just need a good teacher. I think that somewhere under this hesitation,” he waved one hand around her, “you feel something for me, too.”

  Alyx gaped. “You’re so sure of yourself.”

  “If that’s what you want to call it.” He shrugged. “I think it is pointless running around pretending that I’m not interested in you. Playing games is for children.”

  Jordan closed the gap between them and moved his face down to hers. Alyx didn�
�t move, struggling to feel her way through this apprehension and uncertainty and the strange but distinct pull of curiosity underneath it all.

  His lips closed over hers, capturing the gasp of surprise that tried to escape. He moved his mouth against her, slowly at first. Then he dragged his tongue against her bottom lip. It made Alyx’s lip tingle and made her feel warm, but it wasn’t the fireworks and the total consumption that Israel had made her feel.

  Israel. She was kissing this seraph, this gorgeous seraph, who wanted her and was a wonderful kisser, and yet she was thinking of Israel. Stupid mind. Stupid heart.

  Jordan pulled back, obviously aware of her distraction, his eyes now open and on her. He watched her, studying her. It went on for so long that Alyx just had to fill the silence. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

  Jordan brushed strands of hair from her forehead, then he traced down her cheek, down to her jaw and wrapped his fingers around the back of her neck. “I’m not going to push, Alyx. You’re in control, okay?”

  “I don’t know,” Alyx said lamely.

  Jordan pulled his hand off her and glanced towards the horizon. “The night is running away from us. You should get some sleep.”

  And with that he took off towards the house, leaving Alyx alone, trying desperately to make sense of what just happened.

  * * *

  Alyx landed at the window of her room at Aradale. She pushed one leg through the curtains and began to pull the rest of herself through.

  “Where have you been?”

  Alyx jolted. Then she saw his familiar outline sitting at the end of her bed, staring at the floor. “Israel. What are you doing here?”

  “I couldn’t sleep.” His voice was stilted and curt. “I wanted to apologize to you for jumping to conclusions about you and that Rogue. I didn’t see you at dinner so I came to your room after I heard you come in. I saw you weren’t here and that the window was open. So I waited.” He lifted his chin up to glare at her. “Where were you?”

  “I was out.”

  “With him?”

  “His name is Jordan. And it’s not what you’re thinking, although even if it was you would have no right to be angry. We were following up on some information that Jordan had.”

  “I thought we were in this together? Isn’t that what we said?”

  “Israel, I didn’t tell you where we went because you’d want to come. It was too dangerous for you.”

  “So you leave me again?”

  Alyx growled in exasperation. Why didn’t he understand this? She was trying to keep him safe. “Jesus, Israel, this isn’t a game anymore. We’re talking about real demons, real Hell-creatures, real danger.”

  “Yeh, well... I kept myself alive before you ever showed up. I can do it again.” Israel stood up; even the mattress seemed to ripple with his anger.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To bed. I stayed up, worrying, waiting for you to come back. Now you’re back so I’m going to bed.”

  When he left he didn’t look back.

  Dear Yael,

  I saw you.

  You were with our old flock. You passed by so close but you didn’t see me. At least I now know that you are alive and not being tortured.

  You were laughing with them.

  What have they done to you? Why do you not come to me?

  Your love,

  Siana

  Chapter 9

  The next morning, Alyx took her breakfast out on the same balcony where she and Jordan had had dinner last night. She didn’t want to see either Jordan or Israel, so her surprise was visible when she thought she heard both their voices below. Her half-eaten breakfast forgotten, Alyx peered over the balcony into the courtyard, which was partly hidden by the leaves of a large tree that grew next to the building. It was them.

  Jordan and Israel walked further into the courtyard and out of earshot, but Alyx could still see them. She continued watching them for a few minutes. Jordan appeared to be training Israel on how to block DreamWalker magic.

  “What’s so interesting?” A female voice made Alyx jump. She turned to see Ana stepping through the door onto the balcony. “I’m sorry if I startled you. I didn’t mean to.” All the wariness from their initial meeting yesterday seemed to have gone.

  “That’s okay. I’m just a bit jumpy. I didn’t get much sleep.”

  Ana moved to the balcony next to where Alyx stood and followed her gaze. “Oh. I see.”

  Alyx flushed. She was about to make up some excuse about why she was watching Israel when Ana spoke again.

  “I’ve known Jordan a long time. He cares about you, you know.”

  Alyx closed her mouth. Ana thought that she had been watching Jordan. Still embarrassing, but Alyx didn’t move to correct her. “I know.”

  “He talks about you.”

  “Oh?”

  “He could make you happy.”

  Alyx was silent.

  “And you’ll miss out on a good thing in Jordan if you don’t get over wanting the impossible with Israel.”

  Alyx felt like a current had gone through her. “I don’t want anything with Israel.”

  “You don’t have to lie to me, Alyx. I recognize it in you.” Ana smiled, soft, sorrowful. “I was in love once, deeply and desperately. He was brash and bold and brave. And impossible for me to be with.”

  “Why?”

  “He was a lightwarrior of Michaelea and I was a Castus.” Ana leaned over the balcony, staring at the grass below and twisting her fingers. A soft breeze had started brushing her hair across her cheeks, bringing a sweet smell of flowers. “We were to leave together, he and I. So we could be together. But... something happened. I left Michaelea but he didn’t follow me.”

  Alyx felt that she had heard this story before. “What was his name?”

  “Yael.”

  Alyx gasped. “You’re Siana.”

  It was Ana’s turn to be surprised. “No one’s called me Siana in a long time. How did you know?”

  “I found your letters at Tara.”

  “Of course.” Ana smiled wistfully. “That was a long time ago. My point is, if I hadn’t given Lukas a chance, if I had continued hanging onto an impossible love, then I wouldn’t have what I have today.”

  Ana gave Israel and Jordan one last look before pushing away from the handrail. “Think about what I said.”

  Ana left Alyx alone with her thoughts.

  Alyx watched Jordan and Israel again. Jordan was the logical choice. To be with Jordan made sense. But Israel... even now as she watched him standing off against Jordan, her heart seemed to beat for him. Is-rael, Is-rael, it seemed to say. But he wasn’t the right choice, was he? A mortal and a Seraphim. It was an impossible love. But her heart didn’t seem to care about this.

  Foolish heart. Why wouldn’t it behave? Why wouldn’t it just want what it should want? Instead of what it shouldn’t.

  * * *

  Later that day, Jordan was waiting for Alyx at the entrance of the dining hall to escort her to lunch. He carried both their plates as they made their way over to the two spare chairs in front of Lukas and Ana. Alyx found herself scanning the faces in the dining hall for Israel’s. But he wasn’t to be seen. Alyx scolded herself for even looking and instructed herself not to look for him again.

  The conversation over lunch was mainly Jordan and Lukas rehashing their adventures together for Alyx’s benefit. Lukas teased Jordan more than once, and Alyx soon found herself smiling. She noticed every time Jordan touched her arm.

  Alyx made it a point to watch Ana and Lukas. She caught a few private looks between them and she soon decided that they really were happy together. Perhaps she and Jordan could be, too?

  But Alyx couldn’t stop her gaze from sliding over to the entrance to the dining hall; she noticed Israel as soon as he appeared. Her body tensed. She froze when she realized he was coming straight for her with a tortured look on his face. He wouldn’t dare make a scene in front of everyone, would he?
Oh God, of course he would.

  Alyx was standing even before he reached them. “You have no right to be—”

  “Alyx, stop. You need to come to Tobias’s office. Now.”

  Tobias’s office. Why just her? Had the swallows returned? Had there been news of... her mother? Alyx mumbled her apologies to the others at the table as she tripped out of her seat. She barely felt Jordan grabbing her arm to steady her and barely registered him saying, “I’m coming with you.”

  She couldn’t remember how she had gotten to Tobias’s office. All of a sudden, it seemed, she was seated in front of Tobias with Israel and Jordan on either side of her. Alyx felt numb, like she was watching life through a glass bubble.

  Tobias’s face was grim as he looked at her from across the table. “I’m sorry to drag you in like this. But I wanted to tell you first without a crowd here.”

  Alyx nodded but she didn’t speak. The blood rushing through her ears was so loud she could barely hear Tobias speaking. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good news. She gripped her hands together in her lap and braced herself.

  “They found another body, this time in Remembrance Park… with your name written across the stomach.”

  This wasn’t news about her mother. Alyx felt relief and she felt sick at the same time. Her name. Her name had now also been branded a deathly signature.

  “This time it was a lightwarrior,” Tobias continued. “I’m so sorry, Alyx. Israel told me that you were friends.”

  Friends? Oh God, please no. When it sank in, it felt like a weighted anchor was crushing her chest. Someone she cared about had been killed. With every breath she took, her lungs seemed to swell red and painful at the possibilities of who it could be.

  “Who...?” was all she could choke out before her throat closed up.

  “I’m so sorry, Alyx.” Tobias repeated. “If you need to talk to anyone afterwards you know we’re here for you.”

  Alyx became aware of Jordan leaning forward and rubbing her arm, hushing softly at her as if she were a child. Alyx felt the anger well up in her. She wasn’t a child. She didn’t need coddling.