Chapter 23 #2
Vast fields and towering trees swiftly replace the tall city buildings, and I reflect on the first flight I took after getting out of prison. The fresh air, the open wheat fields, and the freedom. This is my happy place, and this is where I’m meant to be—within the expanse the world has to offer.
As we continue forward, I can’t help but be grateful I have Damien here as a buffer between Crew and me. With what happened, he clearly isn’t willing to speak to me, and I don’t think I’m in a position to push him.
But everything feels as if I’m in some strange limbo of confusion and anger.
My dad’s murder plays over and over in my mind.
Even as an assassin, I had never seen so much blood, and most days I find myself obsessively cleaning my hands to rid them of the stain.
I screamed into the air that night, letting my raw emotions rip through me like a hurricane, and that’s when I saw Crew round the corner.
It doesn’t make sense. Why would he have been there? I feel stupid for carrying this much hate with me without ever confronting him. Another fantastic personality trait I possess is decisiveness. I’ve fantasized about shooting and stabbing him for years, and now it just feels… wrong.
My thoughts turn to Lowell, and the anger boils within me. I swear, Damien looks at me as if he can feel my body temperature radiating off my skin.
“You’re in your head,” Damien says through the howling wind. “Breathe and relax so I don’t drop you. I don’t want to clean up splattered angel today.”
I take a shallow breath as my thoughts continue to pull at me.
Lowell’s been manipulating me from the beginning, watching me and making sure he keeps me as his puppet.
I’m leaving the Order as soon as I can find a way out of this, and I pray it ends with Lowell’s last breath.
As bad as it is, I love that the Elders are afraid.
They’re finally experiencing the torment they’ve inflicted, knowing death lurks around every corner.
My thoughts continue to swirl, but I refuse to let myself dwell on the night I was arrested. There is something about that night I’ve yet to come to terms with, and I believe it’s the root of all my problems since returning.
Lost in my thoughts, I don’t immediately notice Damien is slowing down, and I press myself closer against his chest. Even after an hour of flying, his breath remains steady, and not an ounce of exhaustion is evident in his body.
I watch Crew lower himself close to the ground before folding in his wings, landing on the outskirts of town with a graceful step.
Damien follows the same pattern, and before I know it, my feet touch solid ground.
The town is silent, still waking from the night before, and instead of towering buildings crowding the sky, only a few structures in the distance mark the quaint city center.
It makes city life seem chaotic and congested.
Crew walks as if he has been here before, moving toward a small building without a sign indicating what it is. He stomps up the metal staircase to a small back entrance and unlocks the deadbolt with keys from his bag, swinging open the door, then entering the room in a flash.
Who’s grumpy now, demon boy?
I glance at Damien, who follows Crew, waving for me to join. As we approach the staircase, Damien speaks over his shoulder.
“This is Locke’s place. You two will stay here for the assignment.”
I stop in my tracks. “You aren’t staying?”
“Hell no. I was a ride, Mara. Plus, this place is too small for three of us.” He laughs. “You are growing on me, but I’m not sticking around to watch you and Crew kill each other.”
I follow him up the rickety metal stairs and through the dark doorframe leading to the small apartment.
The living area is cramped, featuring a single loveseat, an outdated television, and a galley kitchen that barely accommodates one cook.
The furniture is worn, and a musty smell permeates the air.
I watch as Crew opens a window in the kitchen, and my gaze pans to another door that must lead to the single bedroom.
“The two of us are staying here?” My eyes widen. “Together?”
“Not fancy enough for you?” Crew says.
I walk into the other room, which has only a single bed and a tiny attached bathroom.
“No,” I bite back, over my shoulder. “That’s not what I meant. It’s fine. I was expecting something larger.”
Crew glares at me and plops down onto the old loveseat. Dust fills the air, and he coughs while waving his hand.
“You can have the bed. I’ll sleep on the floor, or outside if you prefer.” Crew scowls at me. “Or here’s an idea, you can just go ahead and kill me and have the place to yourself.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Crew,” I snap. “Outside is fine.”
He rolls his eyes.
“The only way it would be better is if I had a kennel for you,” I say sarcastically, as my mood allows. “I’d lock you up and put you in the corner.”
Crew jerks his eyes to me, and I flash a smile in his direction. He narrows his gaze and slowly turns his head, as if I completely threw him off.
Damien clears his throat and walks toward the door. “Well, this was painfully exciting, but I think I’ll be off.”
I walk toward him, desperate for him to stay. “Don’t you want to rest?”
“I can rest at the Order.” He smiles with a wink. “I’ll be back in a few days to assist with you coming home if you still can’t fly.”
“I can just get a car or something. Don’t bother,” I respond.
Crew huffs a laugh from the loveseat but never looks our way as he speaks to us from the threshold. “Don’t be dramatic.”
“Oh, I am not the dramatic one, Mr. I’ll Sleep Outside,” I bite back.
Damien leans forward and half-hugs me, whispering, “Talk to him. Don’t stab him.”
I nod and make a pained face.
Damien smiles before making his way down the metal stairs. His steps echo in the silence, and nerves twist in my gut. “Don’t kill each other,” Damien shouts from the ground. “And don’t call me if you do.”
Before I can blink, his leather wings propel him into the sky, fading into the distance.
Anxiety pools in my core as I turn to face the heir of the Jade Order, who is lounging on the couch. I’m alone with the man I’ve despised for years—the man I’ve shot, tormented, stabbed, and humiliated—and I have no idea what the fuck to say.