by G. Bailey
“You saved my life once, and now we are even. I hope you don’t hate me,” he softly tells me, like I’m a wounded child he is trying to soothe. Like he did when I was eight and fell sideways off the slide at the park, cutting all my back. I needed ten stitches, and Riley was at my side the whole time, holding my hand while my mother held my other hand. My dad couldn’t stand blood and had to sit down in the corner of the room because the nurses were scared he would pass out. There are so many memories between us, even when we have come to a point where we are not on each other’s side anymore. “Stay alive, Katy. Please. Just see the light above is right. Your future is with me and the angels, not them.”
I don’t give him an answer as the light hurts my eyes, and I close them, hoping the light above is in a good mood.
Knowing my luck...that is not going to happen.
Chapter 53
When the light finally burns away, I open my eyes only to find myself in a new room with blue walls covered in silver symbols. On the other side of the room is an archway with grey slate stone doors that are held open, and I can see three angel guards outside. This room is dome-shaped, and in the centre is a floating sphere of yellow light that feels so wrong to me. I scramble back, pushing my back against the dome wall as the light moves and speaks, shimmering with each word. It’s alive…it’s a real being inside an actual light. I never thought the light above would be a literal light. That’s not even the weirdest thing though. Around the sphere of light are three ghosts, women in long white gowns, and they all turn to me. They have floor-length blonde hair, long white cloaks hanging from their shoulders made from a blue material. They both look nearly the same, and only one thing is different about them. The woman on the left has a long scar down her cheek. They scare me silly, even when they are enchantingly beautiful. They each place a finger to their lips before they disappear…literally vanish.
What in the name of ghosts?
“You were my saviour, and you betrayed your people for love,” the voice says, and I stare at the light. “Yet one of my most loyal angels loves you. Wishes for you to be born again, your memories taken and reshaped.”
“You’re the Great Light. The light above, the creator of angels,” I whisper in awe and a little fear. “Were you ever real? Or were you always a light?”
I don’t expect it to answer me as I try to crawl across the room, and it moves closer. Dammit. This thing is creepy.
“I once had a body that women loved and the world worshipped until my creator decided I had gone mad and banished me from the earth,” he growls, his voice filled with spite. “I made my own world, my own people, and in time earth will be ours. We are so close, but you have made it harder for us.”
“How did I?” I demand. “Why do you hate the vampires so much? Why am I important to you?”
“The vampires are not a creation I wanted. The angels I made were not meant to take the goddess as their lover. The goddess betrayed me! She was meant to be with me!” he shouts, and the power from his voice pushes my whole body against the wall, hurting me. The tension in the room crushes me like a bug, and I scream, holding my hands against my own ears until it finally stops, and I drop to the floor, gasping for air.
“Why am I your saviour? Why me?” I demand, and the pressure slowly drifts away.
“When the angels made vampires, I became curious about the creatures, so I created my own vampires with the last of my power, with the magic that held my body together...your ancestors. They had hair spun like golden silk, skin paler than the moon, and I loved them as much as I loved the vampires...but it didn’t last.” He pauses and the light flickers. “My vampires wanted to be with their own kind and left their home and made friends with the other vampires. They had half-breed children...they ruined the perfection I had created, so I had no other option.”
“What happened?” I ask, feeling my heart banging around in my chest.
“I told my angels, the race which was still perfect, that the vampires were enemies. I made it look like the vampires killed a powerful angel, leaving his body in ruins, but I did it. My people killed them all, well, most,” he snaps. “Some clearly got away. I watched, building my power, until I met you. With the magic I had, I saw in your soul who your ancestors were. You are my creation, Kaitlyn, and you should have chosen me. I made Gabriel take your blood to find out what was wrong with you. I never suspected to find out who you were born to be, to find the amount of vampire magic that lingers even past so many generations. So I am reluctant to kill you…I wonder if I can shape you into what I want.”
“I choose Ren and vampires. I will always choose them, no matter what you do to me. You are a monster covered in light, and one day you will fall because you are a fake god! Fake, and ruling with nothing but fear!” I scream at the light, not regretting one word even as the pressure in the room becomes unbearable. Like boots are stomping on me, pushing me down to the floor, I can hardly move an inch.
“You are merely a drop of water in the spinning sands of time. Why should I let you live, Kaitlyn Lightson?”
For a moment, I’m not sure what the answer should be, but as I stare into the light, four faces flicker into my mind. Ren, Thallon, Henry and Myles. They need me as much as I need them, and I can’t think of a way we could live without each other anymore. Our lives are woven in things far stronger than time and gods.
“You don’t have the magic you once did, and my blood does. You know it, you created my ancestors with the last of your power. I have your power lingering in me, and you need the angels to see you as all powerful,” I respond, and he almost laughs, but he doesn’t reply to me. “Killing me means killing any chance of gaining your magic back.”
The silence that follows my words is almost as painful as the pressure of the room, the feel of his strength. I push against it with everything I have, getting myself to my feet even as I shake.
“For betraying me once, you will lose your wings in fire and pain. Maybe that will hold your tongue,” he sourly replies to me, not mentioning the secret I now hold. “The next time we meet, Kaitlyn Lightson, you will bow, or you will die. Magic or not.”
“I will never bow to a fake god!” I shout, tasting my own blood in my mouth. The fake god’s laugh fills my ears as pain as I’ve never known it, bursts into every inch of my body. I writhe in pain as it feels like two lines are cut down my back where my wings are, and the pain makes me blink in and out of consciousness. All I see is fire and light, and it reminds me of the time I was born into an angel. Just with so much more pain than ever before. I vaguely feel hands on my upper arms, picking me up, and my head rolls back. I open my eyes to see my blood coating the floor under the light and my once beautiful white wings on fire. I’m no longer an angel...and a part of me is glad.
I never will be on their side again.
Chapter 54
Like a soft hum of feathers against my skin, someone strokes my arm, sending goose bumps all over me, and I relax into the heat of their body as their masculine rosewood scent smells so familiar to me, comforting me even when I’m in pain and feeling broken. I open my eyes, arching my head up to meet the eyes of someone I didn’t expect to see with me when I woke up.
Am I dead?
I have to be, because Ren is with me, shirtless and holding me tightly against him like there is no one else in the world. His smoky hair is brushed to the side, like he has run his hands through it a million times, and there is a new cut on the side of his head, which has thankfully healed. He is as breathtakingly gorgeous as the first time I saw him, even as a ghost.
“Ren?” I question, sitting up and regretting it right away as pain laces through my body, and it hurts far more than I expected. Turning to look behind me, my eyes fill with tears when I see my magnificent wings are gone, and I strangely miss them even when I only had them for a short while. As I burst into sobs, Ren holds me close to his chest, careful to keep his hands on my lower waist so he doesn’t hurt me, never once letting me go or saying a single word.
>
And it’s everything I never knew I needed when I’ve lost something I didn’t know I cared so much for.
“How am I still alive?” I ask, not understanding exactly how I’m here. “And, Ren, where are we? Are you in the angel city with me? How?”
Ren helps me sit up, but I don’t rest back on the headboard of the metal bed we are on; instead, I lean against my shoulder. I glance around the room, noticing it’s the same room I shared with Thallon and Vesnia not long ago. Where are they? I finally notice Ren looks pale. A light sweat shines over his skin, and I place my hand on his cheek, feeling how hot he is to touch.
“The Great Light took your wings, but you are half-vampire. The angel blood always stopped you being who you were born to be...and now nothing does. You are a vampire, Kaitlyn, a master vampire by blood,” he whispers to me. “And when you escape here, our race will need a leader, and I know you can be it.”
“I’m not leaving without you! Stop making it sound like only one of us is getting out of here, Ren!”
“You keep talking like that, Kaitlyn, and I might suspect you’re in love with me as much as I’m in love with you,” he counters, and I freeze. I do love Ren...and I already knew he loved me because it’s in his eyes every time we even glance at each other. “I should have listened to you and took the vampires far away.”
“I was wrong,” I reply, shaking my head even when it hurts my back with every movement. “The angels will never stop until we are all gone. They don’t want peace, they want death, because they have lived so long they have forgotten what it is like to be mortal. To love, to feel, to simply be alive. We have to fight for those things, to make sure our people can have them. The angels will never stop, and I’m not saying what you did to the angels at the academy was right, but I understand your anger towards them.”
“So you don’t hate me for getting us in this mess?” he asks, and I smile at him before leaning closer and brushing my lips against his. Kissing Ren just feels right and oh so amazing. Even with us both weak, in a place we could never be safe, loving Ren is exactly where I want to be. His hands slide into my hair as I hold onto his shoulders, deepening the kiss before he stops us. “Thank you, Kaitlyn. You’ve always been the light I’ve needed in my life. I don’t want war anymore, I don’t want anything but you and my people safe.”
“What did they do to you?” I ask, furrowing my brow.
“I gave myself up to find you...which worked, but they wanted to make sure I couldn’t use magic or fight. They force-fed me something, which is why I can hardly stand up straight,” he says with a shrug. “But it worked, and I’m with you. That is all that matters.”
“You gave yourself up for me?” I question, and he nods. I stroke my hand through his dark smoky hair and rest my forehead next to his. “I love you, but don’t ever do that again. You are the future of the vampire race, and they need you.”
“As much as they need you. Without you, I can’t do it. I need my mate at my side, or what is the point?” he asks me. “I’d turn into the monster I was becoming before you snapped me out of it.”
“I feel like we both could argue for a century and never come to an agreement on this,” I say, and his deep laugh fills the room.
“A century, and many more, is exactly what I want with you. Arguing or not,” he tenderly tells me.
“Hello?” A little girl’s voice trembles behind me, and I turn around to see the red-haired vampire I remember from yesterday, and she is holding a tiny little teddy bear this time. She blushes and tucks the teddy in her pocket, like she is embarrassed she brought it with her.
“Hi,” I say, placing my legs on the edge of the bed.
“My aunt said I should leave you both alone, but I want to help you heal so you can get better and then save us. We need your help,” she says, and I look to Ren in confusion. He looks just as baffled, and I wonder if the girl is just trying to help however she can. The little girl offers me her hand, and I notice the bruises on her wrists. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the angel guards aren’t as nice to kids any more than they are good to me.
“What’s your name?” I ask her as I accept her hand in mine.
“Aala. My aunt said my mum named me it because it means ‘to heal.’ It’s a special gift I have, but my aunt says I shouldn’t show it to anyone.”
“You can heal other vampires?” Ren asks, leaning closer with a bemused expression just as a woman with milky blonde hair runs into the room, coming to a halt and looking sheepish.
“I just knew you wouldn’t listen, Aala,” the woman scolds, but Aala doesn’t seem remotely frightened of her. “I’m so sorry she interrupted you both.”
“No, it’s okay,” I say. “I’m Kaitlyn...I think I remember Aala from the academy, but we never got to talk.”
“I’m Masita, and yes, she constantly talks about you. The vampire with wings,” she says, and her cheeks go bright red. “Oh I’m so sorry; I’m always putting my foot in my mouth.”
“It’s okay,” I say with a forgiving smile.
“Can Aala really heal other vampires?” Ren asks, and Masita nods once.
“Yes, sir. Since she was a baby, she could heal anyone, but we kept it quiet for obvious reasons. A powerful ability like that is a gift from the gods,” she says quietly, like she has given up on the fight to keep Aala a secret from everyone. I wish she knew we meant her no harm and that telling us isn’t going to cause Aala any trouble. I know what it’s like to be a girl with a secret power and having to hide it from the world. Mine is ghosts, hers is healing. She definitely got the cooler gift. “And I try to make Aala keep her powers secret, but considering she has healed a lot of the vampires here, that hasn’t worked all too well.”
“How is it possible?” I ask Ren. “I know you have magic, but I didn’t think it could heal like that.”
“All vampires are more talented at certain things, but healing is never one of them, unless our blood is healing a human. Healing our own kind is the problem. The most I could heal is a small cut, but we have always been able to mix our blood with certain magical herbs to make pastes that heal extreme cuts,” he explains to me, just like he did when I was stabbed. “Healing another vampire is an extremely rare and powerful gift.”
Aala grins with bright red cheeks, glancing between us.
“Where are her parents?” I ask Masita as she leans against the wall, relaxing a little bit.
“They died when I was small. Angels killed them,” Aala states, sounding so much older than she is, and hurt flashes in Masita’s eyes as her hand falls to a ruby ring on her finger, rubbing it softly.
“I found Aala with my sister’s and brother-in-law’s ashes three days after their deaths. I also lost my husband on that day, but I was so glad for Aala’s life to be spared. It may sound unbelievable, but on the day Aala was born, time seemed to stop, and a blue glow covered her tiny body. I was the only one in the room with my sister, and both of us felt the presence of a goddess. I can’t explain it, but she is blessed. I know it and swear by all the gods,” she whispers, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. “The fire burned the entire house but never touched her, she just existed in the middle.”
“I believe you,” I say and smile at Aala as I lean down to her level. “You are very lucky and skilled, but I don’t want you to heal me. My wounds are deep, but I will heal. Thank you so much though, Aala.”
“I know I have to help you. I knew you before we met,” she tells me, and we all go silent as Aala walks right up to me and places her tiny hand on my cheek. “My dreams told me to help you, and then you will save us all. They are watching. You’ve seen them.”
I halt, remembering the three ghosts with the light above. I think she means them.
“Who, Aala?” Ren asks, leaning closer, but Aala doesn’t answer as her eyes and hand on my cheek start to glow a bright blue that shocks us all silent. Like a snake wrapping around me, everything feels tight, and I suck in a deep breath before it’s gone,
but Aala collapses to the floor. Ren jumps off the bed with incredible speed and reaches for her and manages to catch her head before she hits the floor. I shakily stand up, needing to lean on the wall to stop myself falling.
“Aala!” Masita screams, rushing to the floor as Ren picks Aala up and places her on the bed. She checks Aala over as Ren comes to me, cupping my cheeks, and I nod once, letting him know I’m alright. “She will be okay; I just have never seen her heal like that before. She has only ever healed tiny cuts and bruises before.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want her to,” I say, walking to the bed before I pick up her tiny hand as Ren whispers something behind me.
“What is it?” I ask, turning back to Ren, whose eyes are fixed on my back.
“Your scars from the wings were big cuts, covered in blood and stitches, but now they are nothing more than two long white lines,” he explains in awe. “She healed you.”
No wonder I feel so much better. Looking back down at the little girl, I remember what it was like to have a gift at her age and how scared I was most of the time.
“But hopefully not at a big price,” I whisper, noticing how I feel a million times better, but I wouldn’t have done it if I knew it would hurt Aala. Aala mutters something in her sleep before her eyes open and she stares up at us.
“I’m sleepy,” Aala says around a yawn as she sits up, and Masita hugs her tightly, but her eyes find me. Something in them makes me wonder how powerful Aala actually is and which goddess is watching over her and sending her to me.
Ren wraps his arms around me, his lips near my ear, and he talks so quietly I barely hear him. “When Henry comes, you leave and don’t look back. Everything has been planned.”
My heart pounds in my chest as I nod once, but I’m not leaving without him, Vesnia, Thallon and the other vampires here like Aala.
“Where are Thallon and Vesnia?” I ask him, and he shakes his head.