by G. Bailey
“They were being dragged out when I came here,” he answers, and I shake a little bit as I send a silent prayer to the gods. Please keep them alive.
Chapter 55
Thallon
The angel walks around me in a circle, his white cloak chasing him around as his eyes take every bit of me in. I don’t focus on him, as my gaze stays fixed on the two pools of burning fire in front of me. Black fire and light fire…much different from the academy and far purer. This is where the power to change our souls into angels actually comes from. The light above, or the Great Light, made these pits of magic, and they are connected to his soul, but over time, they have become strong on their own. They have a life of their own now…I know that rumour is true because the power chose to bring Ren back to life. The Great Light would never have let that happen, so that means only one thing: he doesn’t control the power he created anymore.
“Where is Kaitlyn? What did you do to her?” I demand. The angel comes to a halt right in front of me, looking down at me from under his large nose.
“Thallon Cross, Kaitlyn Lightson has betrayed your race and people. Do you understand this?” he asks me, watching me very closely. I want to tell him to fuck off, that the angel race is messed up to begin with and Kaitlyn has spent her life trying to survive. I want to tell him the vampires are not heartless creatures, they are not monsters.
And that the angels are wrong.
And that I’m fucking glad I didn’t choose a side and become more of what they are.
“Tell him lies and come to me. We will save her together, Thallon Cross,” a female voice whispers into my ear, but the angel doesn’t even flinch. He didn’t hear it.
If I tell the angel the truth, they will kill me, and I can’t save Kaitlyn when I’m dead. I need to lie, and I need to lie well.
“I understand. Loving her made my judgment clouded,” I answer, the lie burning in my throat with how wrong it sounds. One giant lie to save the woman who I always will be in love with. I knew from the second I saw her staring at the roses in the greenhouse. The way the red roses reflected in her eyes, the shine of light bouncing off the red colour and casting pink shades throughout her curly blonde hair. I love her sarcastic tops that always make me smile, I love how she is brave and cares deeply about those in her life. I love her. Period.
“You can go back to a human life with no memories of this life, or you can choose a new path with the angels. The choice will be yours solely,” the angel explains.
“I want to be an angel,” I answer.
“I hope for your sake that is not a lie. The magic will tell,” he counters, waving a hand at the pools of fire. “It has been too long for your indecision. Master Gabriel is not here to protect you any longer. Go and make your choice.”
Standing up, with my hands still cuffed together in front of me, I walk to the fires. The light calls to me as much as the dark does…but the light would mean I couldn’t easily lie.
And I need to be able to lie to get out of this. Thinking only of Kaitlyn, a smile stays on my lips as I walk into the black fire, and it covers me completely, lulling me into its depths, and darkness takes me before I can feel it burn.
In the darkness, a voice drifts to me, pressing its words into my mind.
“I will change you, Thallon Cross, and you will save her. Save the queen, let the city fall, and set me free. When the light above dies…so do I.”
Chapter 56
Laughing at Aala’s story of when she fell off a horse and got stuck in a tree when a branch got caught in her shirt, I rest back against Ren, who holds me close. Despite feeling a million times better, I know I need blood soon, and the true fear of this place really doesn’t leave me even when I want it to. The moments I have with Ren right now need to make us stronger so we can escape...when Henry comes for us. I’m just not sure how he is going to get to me in here.
Either way, I’m not leaving without the people I love. It just isn’t an option.
“You’re both coming with us,” a pale-faced dark angel demands, standing in the frame of the doorway. Aala hurriedly backs away to the wall as I stand up with Ren. I hold his hand tightly as he steps forward, walking out of the room, and I look back to Aala. Everything in my soul tells me I need to save this girl.
I’m not leaving without her. I hope she understands from the look in my eye alone, and I wish I could comfort her as we step out into the clearing. The second we do, five guards immediately grab us both, dragging me away from Ren, who tries to fight them as much as I do. After kneeing one of my guards between his legs, I elbow the other one before something hard slams into the back of my head, and my knees go weak as they grab me.
“Bastards! I will fucking kill you all for touching her!” Ren roars, but like I’m in a haze, I hardly hear him as my feet leave the ground. I must blackout for a little bit, because when I’m opening my eyes, another familiar voice is talking.
“Why did you have to hurt her? You dragged the poor lass away from her mate; that was hard enough,” Gabriel angrily shouts as I blink my eyes open to see a roaring fireplace in front of me. I’m sat on a couch made with fabric that looks like spun gold and is incredibly soft. Sinking my hands into the couch, I turn around to see Gabriel shutting a large wooden door as I touch the back of my head, feeling a big lump and sticky blood coating my hair.
“Gabriel?” I question, wondering if I’m imagining that he is here. His eyes, filled with sympathy, lock onto mine, and he walks over to the couch, taking a seat next to me.
“I never should have asked you to return to the academy. I should have sent you to Neamh,” Gabriel says around a sigh. “I feared the judgment you would find for your half-vampire side...much like Henry Ravaric. Even his parents’ use of vampire blood was heavily frowned upon, and to this day, I’m not sure why the Great Light allowed it.”
I curl my hands into fists. “The light is not so great, Gabriel. He is a false god, and every angel will suffer because they follow him.”
“I understand you are angry, but you must see he protects us all. He made the angels,” Gabriel counters.
“And lied to them. No vampire killed an angel to start the war, it was all lies. The Great Light just wanted the vampires gone, so he killed an angel and made it so the war would start. He is a monster!” I protest, and Gabriel shakes his head at me. “You have to see it.”
“You’re wrong,” Gabriel firmly states. “The Great Light is good and pure. It cannot die because it’s a god, and we are born from him. Either way, this is not why I had them bring you to me today.”
“Then why?” I demand.
“Erendriel is going to trial today and will be found guilty of many vampire crimes—”
“And when will the angels be found guilty for murdering an entire race?” I question, but he ignores me as he carries on speaking like I didn’t interrupt him at all.
“And then he will spend time with the light above, which will not be pretty,” Gabriel says, then gulps, and for a second, I swear I see guilt in his eyes, but it is gone too quickly. “When Ren is finished, all the vampires will be killed in a public event in the middle of the city. I have made it so you can die with your mate...as it should be, but I am truly sorry for this.”
“You’re sorry?” I question. “You’re just fucking sorry?”
“Language,” he warns me and goes to place his hand on my shoulder, but I move away. “I also wanted you to know Vesnia has been found not guilty and given her choice. She became a dark angel last night, as did Thallon. Your friends will be safe...isn’t that something?”
“I hope my face haunts you as much as Ren’s did,” I spit out and rush to the door. “You’re a coward, Gabriel, and I once thought you were a good person. I saved your life, and now you are condemning mine!”
“I am sad you see it this way. Knock the door and leave, Kaitlyn Lightson. I’m afraid I will not remember you in years to come like you wish,” he coldly replies, and it cracks something in my heart as I k
nock the door and step out into the corridor where two guards wait at my side. I wipe my tears as they grip my arms and lead me down the corridor to the end. Just as we get to the door, one of the guards pulls a dagger out of nowhere and steps around me, stabbing the other guard and slamming her hand onto his mouth as he tries to scream. His body slides down the wall as I get a good look at the other guard’s eyes under the helmet. They look just like Henry’s. Looking around, she pulls the helmet off and throws it onto the ground, letting her thick black hair down.
“Do you remember me?” she asks, and it takes me a second before it clicks.
“Hazel?”
Chapter 57
“Yes, we met once at the academy. I knew my brother was in love with you then. I’m so happy he got the girl in the end. Henry got word to me, and I’m not letting my brother’s mate be killed in here,” she softly tells me before sliding the dagger out of the angel’s chest and into a clip at her side. “Now help me move his body into the closet there.” She nods at a door, and I grab the angel’s feet as she picks up his wings before we make quick work of dragging him into the closet and dumping him on the floor.
“Gabriel is making a distraction for you. He told me to say he didn’t mean anything he said, but he is being watched. He said, ‘Save your race and tell Erendriel I made a grave mistake and will take my guilt to my grave,’” she tells me, and I nod, wiping some more tears away as relief fills my chest. “We need to open a portal somewhere clear, and the gardens at the back of the—”
“No!” I harshly whisper, stopping her. “I’m not leaving without the vampires here, and there is a clearing right in the middle of where they are.”
“You want to go back to the prison full of armed angels with just us two?” she asks, like I’m insane. I might be.
“I can go alone. I won’t make you come with me,” I tell her and head to the door, but she grabs my wrist.
“No wonder my brother is in love with you. You’re as hotheaded and brave as he is,” she huffs, stepping to my side, and pauses as she thinks. “And I have nothing in this city I love anymore, and my brother is out there. I’m at your side throughout this crazy plan.”
“You should take me back as planned,” I say, wondering if she can carry me on her own. “How far is it from here?”
“About two minutes away, thankfully,” she says just as alarm bells start ringing in the distance. We both smile at each other. Gabriel. Stepping out of the closet, Hazel grabs my upper arm, and we head through the door into a large room, which is thankfully empty. Hazel guides me to one of the many archways, and we step out onto a balcony. “I got word to your friends, so they have their own portals to escape.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, in awe of this angel. Henry has a damn good sister. Heading down the balcony, we almost make it to the edge before a voice shouts out.
“Why aren’t there two guards with her?” Riley’s voice cuts through the air and sucks all the hope out of my lungs. Dammit. Riley lands in front of us, his white wings stretching out at his sides as he stares at me. He hardly looks at Hazel, which is a good thing. He might recognise her; I have no idea if they ever met.
“I was with an idiot who ran for his family when the alarm went off. Honestly, everyone is so frightened of the vampires, when just look at them,” Hazel coldly laughs as she shakes me. “They are weak.”
“I will come with you to make sure Kaitlyn is taken back safely,” Riley emotionlessly responds, stepping to my side and grabbing my upper arm. He doesn’t look at me once as they take off, and my eyes flicker to Hazel, who looks as worried as I do. The last thing we needed was Riley turning up. Hazel was right, it’s less than two minutes before we land in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by groups of vampires and the watchtowers high in the air. As our feet touch the ground, Riley looks down at me, but I don’t return his gaze. Hazel slips a dagger into my hand before she steps back, and suddenly we aren’t alone.
“Watch out!” Riley shouts, and I follow his gaze to see Thallon crash into the door of the nearest watchtower with a large sword in his hand. The second he kills the first angel, he throws a stone towards us. As he fights with impressive skills, the stone bounces onto the grass, and black energy spouts out of it, making a portal that stretches into the sky. A male scream fills my ears, and I look over to the other watchtower where Vesnia is fighting like a pro, knocking angel after angel out of her way with a spear before she throws her own stone down to us, activating another portal. I see the vampires running into the portal, and Masita pushing Aala through one of them before looking back to me.
“Everyone get into the portals! Leave no one behind!” I scream to her as Riley crashes into me. He takes me to the floor, and I slam the hilt of my dagger into his nose, making blood spray all over me as he howls in pain. I kick him hard in the chest before scrambling to my feet and looking down at him as he crawls to his feet, coughing on air. He slips his sword out of his holder and glares at me.
“You aren’t leaving me, Katy. I had a plan!” he roars before trying to hit me with the sword, but I jump out of the way, and we start to circle each other. An angel suddenly falls from the sky, a sword in his wing, and crashes into Riley, knocking him to the ground. Not wanting to wait a second longer, I run away towards Hazel, who is finishing off three angels who look beaten to a pulp on the floor. She is covered in blood, her arm looks broken as it hangs at her side, but she doesn’t seem to care. She throws a stone onto the floor, activating another portal, and she goes through it, leaving it open for me. I only need to step into it.
“Katy!” Riley roars behind me, and I spin around to see him throw the sword right towards me. I freeze, and in that moment, I know I’m going to die or at least hurt bad enough I won’t be able to escape. That is until a blur of a person pushes me aside, and the sword flies through them instead. I crawl off the ground to see Masita coughing on blood, a sword hanging out of her stomach. Her eyes meet mine for only a second, and I feel everything she can’t say.
Protect Aala.
I can’t even get to her before her eyes close and her head rolls to the side. An arm wraps around my waist, and I’m lifted off the ground as I burst into tears. The portal’s magic swims around me like crashing into a cold ocean before warm air replaces it, and I look up into Thallon’s eyes as he holds me to him. The portal snaps shut, but I hear the distant scream Riley lets out.
He just tried to kill me… How could he do that? Oh god, Masita saved my life and died because of it. How do I even tell Aala that? How can I ever repay Masita for what she did? We don’t even have her body; we can’t have a funeral or say a real goodbye.
“You’re safe now,” Thallon gently tells me, and I rest my head on his chest for a second as I watch the magic of the portal disappear into dust, and I know in my heart Ren isn’t on this side with me.
He is trapped, and I’m going back for him one way or another. I will never leave my mate with them.
Chapter 58
“Kaitlyn!” Henry’s voice sweeps over me as I turn around and see my dark angel running straight for me. He crashes into me, sweeping me up in a deep kiss that I return with everything I have as I hold onto him tightly. “Darlin’, you had me worried. Are you alright?”
“Define alright?” I question as I let him go, still holding his hands, and look around the large room we are in. The vampires are mostly cheering or holding each other tightly, all but one of them. Aala and I see each other from across the room, and her eyes search for someone she is not going to find in the crowd. Gods, how do I tell her?
Henry’s sister calls him, and I nod, letting him go to her even as his eyes search mine, both of us knowing we have a lot to talk about.
Before I can move, Thallon cups my cheeks and kisses me softly on my forehead. “You’re alive and safe.”
“And you’re an angel now?” I question, stepping back to run my eyes over his large black wings. They suit him, and his eyes lock onto mine. We don’t have to say any
thing, my missing wings are enough of an answer for us both.
“Bryne!” Vesnia’s shout jolts me, and I turn to see her run to Bryne the moment he steps into the room. He grabs her the second he is close enough and picks her up, swinging her around and burying his head into her hair as she cries. Gods, she loves him. I know that feeling well.
“Where is Masita, Kaitlyn?” Aala asks, and the world seems to slow as I turn around to face her. I go down on my knees, making us the same level as I pick up her tiny, cold hands. I think she knows...but having it confirmed is a different matter. How do I tell a little girl that all the family she had left in the world is gone?
“I— She didn’t make it,” I tell her, and she stares at me, blinking her big eyelashes a few times. “But I swear on my life, I will look after you. Your aunt saved my life, and I will care for the only person she loved: you.”
Aala bursts into tears, and I can only hold onto her, trying to soothe her by rubbing her back and just being here for her. Eventually she pulls away from me, and the room is a little emptier than it was before. I can still hear the vampires just outside the room though.
“Where do people go when they die?” she quietly asks, her words catching on thick emotions that break my heart. No one as young as she is should have to feel this way. I don’t have an answer for her, and I struggle to say anything, even as she stares at me like I should know. Thallon kneels down next to me and catches Aala’s attention.
“My papa used to tell me that everyone leaves this world only to find the next place their soul belongs, and you know what?” he asks, and she shakes her head. “I asked him how I would find my family in a new place. How would they know me?”
“What did he say?” she curiously asks as I wipe her cheeks of tears. I look down at her small hands, seeing a familiar ruby ring clutched in the middle of her palm. Why would Masita give her the ring? I wonder if she knew she would die; maybe Aala wasn’t the only one in her family with gifts.