Chapter 15
Ikeep my mouth shut, allowing him to settle beside me with his back pressed against the elevator wall. His hands fold together in front of him, and he doesn’t press a button for the floor he wants to go to. My senses flare, and I prepare for whatever he thinks he’ll do.
He turns his head, still smiling wildly. “I wanted to apologize for my foolishness a few days ago.”
I offer him a soft nod in response and keep my gaze forward. I calculate each of his movements, waiting for something to trigger me.
“I didn’t mean to offend you,” Cris continues. “I probably deserved to be held at gunpoint in front of many of my peers.”
I don’t respond. Instead, I watch the numbers count down as I get closer to my chance to exit. I refuse to engage with someone who knows I won’t give him what he's fishing for. I slowly move my hand behind me, tracing my fingers along the smooth metal of the pistol hidden in my belt.
Cris steps in front of me, forcing me to look at him. His eyes are wild, and I notice a nearly healed wound near the top of his head.
He notices my stare and huffs. “Oh, that… Yeah, Lowell thought, since I was so easily threatened by a gun, that I deserved to be hit with one.” He laughs madly. “The barrel of a gun sure does hurt when it’s smashed into your head repeatedly.”
He glances down, noticing the slight movement of my hand.
Cris questions, “Is that what you plan to do now?”
“I honestly don’t want anything to do with you,” I reply, moving my hand from behind my back to reveal nothing.
He stands in front of me, demanding my attention, alternating between smiling and glaring at me. I know he’s waiting for me to apologize, but I won’t. He needs to learn. We have all had Lowell whip our asses here. It’s a rite of passage at this point.
“Your friend didn’t seem to mind beating my ass,” he says.
I try not to let the sentence throw me, but I have no clue what he’s referring to. I keep my expression emotionless and nod.
“Shaw drove that gun into my head over and over again.” He laughs to himself. “I think he was taking out the embarrassment you caused him.”
The confession shocks me, and I let my thoughts run wild.
Shaw said nothing about this, nor did he mention that he had been ordered to do so.
My face turns to stone, and I stare ahead—through him—refusing to make eye contact.
He’s enjoying this, and as hard as I try, I know he knows he just surprised me.
“Anyways,” he says, sarcastically. “I wanted to apologize. It was my mistake, and you are a hard person to find.”
“I forgive you,” I say, as the elevator doors open with the sound of the last beep.
Cris doesn’t step aside.
“Excuse me,” I nudge him.
He huffs as I step around him, exiting the small metal box.
I don’t have the energy to deal with this man right now.
With more distance between us, I turn to find him still grinning.
His dark eyes are filled with rage and madness as he leans against the wall once more, watching me until the last second.
He keeps the elevator doors open, and I turn my back and hear him speak once more. “I hope you’ve been enjoying the apology flowers I’ve been leaving you.”
“What did you say?” I snap, reflecting on the rotting flowers and the essence of someone being in my room.
“The flowers,” Cris repeats. “Seconds from death—decaying and filthy—just like your soul, Hollow Huntress. It seemed like an appropriate gift.”
I blink, unable to believe the words he’s saying to me.
“And because of you, Lowell has seen fit that I leave the Order—I’m now a Void because of you—so I guess our fun is coming to an end.”
“I didn’t do a damn thing, you idiot,” I bite back. “And I believe our fun is just beginning.”
The elevator doors close, and I hear him whisper, “See you soon, Mara.”
I spin on my heels and rush back toward the elevator doors as they seal shut.
“You motherfucker,” I shout through the metal casing.
I punch the doors, allowing the frustration to swell within me, and my already sore knuckles rattle from the impact.
“Damnit,” I say, again.
I’m tempted to press the button and follow him.
If he thinks I was teaching him a lesson the first time, he’s sadly mistaken.
I’ll pull his teeth out one by one for messing with me.
I don’t take kindly to cowardly messages like that, and I didn’t earn the name Hollow Huntress by letting men walk all over me.
He may think I’m his enemy, but now he’s mine.
He’s a Void, making him free game for me to enjoy the hunt.
I turn from the elevator and face the large room of the armory.
Fluorescent lights flood the space with harsh illumination that stretches for what seems like miles.
The walls are lined with a diverse selection of guns, knives, and other weapons, painting the room as an assassin’s paradise.
Rage makes my heart thump as I look through the various weapons available.
I’ll use my anger as fuel to finish the job at hand quickly, meaning I can go to bed sooner.
I’m simple when it comes to my hunts, adding a few suppressed handguns and a large knife, should things take a turn. I dress my body in heavy metal, securing everything in its perfect place. The added weight on my body feels both familiar and foreign, and I hate to admit it feels good.
The first time I saw this room, my jaw dropped.
I’d never seen a place that displayed such brutal ways to inflict pain.
I was determined and prepared to do whatever it took for my first hunt.
Now, coming down here has lost its glamour, and even though I feel a rush of adrenaline, I’m mostly numb to the idea of taking someone’s life whom I don’t care about.
A few other angels scan the weapons but keep to themselves—a quality I love about all angels.
We don’t interact if we don’t have to. They duck their heads as I pass by, probably from the anger radiating off my body, and for the first time since arriving, I don’t hear any whispering.
They are quiet and focused on their tasks at hand—whatever those may be.
Since it is still relatively early, I have time to head to the rooftop across from the bar, where Lewis will be around 6 P.M., and get settled in.
I finish collecting everything needed for this evening and head toward the elevator.
As I approach, anger begins to rise in my chest once more.
Cris caught me off guard, and Shaw has kept yet another thing from me since returning.
All I want right now is to finish this assignment so I can go to bed.
The elevator door opens, and I step inside, pressing the ‘R’ button to take me to the roof—it's the easiest access for a good view of my surroundings and the simplest way to take flight under the radar.
The bell chimes with each floor I ascend, and I let myself calm down, getting into the mindset for what lies ahead.
The broad metal doors open, and the hallway is silent. I waste no time walking toward the exit, in a hurry to escape the feeling of unease growing around me, the longer I’m alone. Nothing and no one feels safe right now, and I plan to find out why Shaw has been keeping so much from me.
I push through my final steps and exhale, letting the crisp air fill my lungs.
The sun hangs low on the horizon, casting a warm glow around the city.
The lights below begin to hum as they click on for the looming nightfall.
The wide space is nearly empty, with only a few angels I don’t recognize tucked into the various corners, keeping to themselves.
I walk forward, lowering my chin, and allow my wings to unfold in an elegant arc that stretches around me. Each white feather glimmers with traces of light reflecting from the city below and sunset above. I swallow down my human side, welcoming a divine feeling over my body.
I stand tall, walking to the edge of the building.
The people are specks on the street below, and I feel no fear—only concentration.
I lift my foot, keeping my body on the roof and suspended above.
I’m grounded, yet I’m not. I’m entirely on the edge.
Without a thought, I push myself, my body free-falling for a moment before my large wings propel me into the sky like a white bullet.
A whoosh of air fills my lungs as I use my powerful wings to pull myself higher.
The rosy hues of the fading sun turn my wings a soft shade of pink, and I look to each side of myself—in this form, I am beautiful.
A smile spreads across my face, and I know for certain I’ll never take this feeling for granted—this complete freedom.
With a plan in place, I propel my body forward at high speed.
The building isn’t far away, and at this rate, I’ll reach it in plenty of time to prepare my station for tonight’s events.
The buildings rush by in a blur, and I glance in all directions occasionally to ensure I’m alone.
No shadows catch my attention, and the sky is mine.
For now.
The tall skyscraper comes into view, and the towering glass mountain before me rises into the sky, demanding the attention of the surrounding buildings. I slow down, and my wings catch the breeze around me, pulling my body backward with a jerk.
I land swiftly on the hard surface, running to avoid falling forward from the force.
As my pace slows, I absorb the view around me.
It’s beautiful at this time, and I feel for those who will never witness the splendor of the open sky.
The joy I felt gradually begins to fade like the setting sun as I remember why I’m here.