Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
F ear grips me as I fall through the clouds, and cool air whips past my cheeks. The city lights below look so different from the city in my Kingdom. This one appears dark and gloomy, lacking colour and plant life. The buildings are enormous, towering over one another, and I am heading right for them.
Something inside finally clicks, and I spread my wings out and glide down to the rooftop of a tall building. Instinct tells me Kyle is inside. My wings slip into my back, and I close my eyes as I extend the veil, my invisible cover, into place.
The veil is our protection from humans. With it, they cannot see us. It is angel law that it must be in place at all times while on Earth.
I walk to the edge of the building and gaze out across the city. It’s nighttime, and the lights are magical. Flickering colours dance around, and unfamiliar city sounds fill the air—cars beeping, dogs barking, voices of the people.
And then I see them. Guardian angels flying about the city, following their humans. It appears crowded, but not to the human eye. They cannot see us.
I close my eyes and take in a deep breath, which shocks me somewhat. The stale air fills my nose, and I cringe at the smell. There’s nothing fresh about it, and I can’t help but feel for the humans forced to breathe it day in and day out.
My chest tightens as a familiar pain returns. Kyle. I need to find Kyle.
I hurry toward the rooftop door, surprised when I pass right through it. I suppose it would scare humans to see doors opening and closing of their own accord. My footsteps make no sound at all as I hurry down the concrete steps and focus on my bond with Kyle.
Where are you?
A bolt of electricity shoots through me, and I feel him. I know exactly where he is.
I head down three more flights of stairs, my robes dragging across the floor behind me, and pass through several walls. Humans in white coats walk about the halls. People lay dying in beds, their loved ones and guardians at their sides. I pass into a room and immediately see Kyle, along with his temporary guardian. Humans are given a temporary guardian until their chosen guardian turns eighteen and can take over the role.
Kyle’s sitting in an armchair pushed up against a small bed in the centre of the room, his guardian at his side. He stiffens and looks right at me, and I have to check the veil is still in place. It is.
Gods above, he’s beautiful. He reminds me of the god carved into the stone atop our castle. Kyle blinks, his long dark lashes shielding his steel blue eyes, and he runs a hand through his dishevelled dark-brown hair that, despite being untidy, somehow looks perfect. He rubs his hands over his eyes and focuses his attention back on the older woman lying in the bed.
It’s then I notice I cannot sense a heartbeat. She has passed, that much I am certain of. Kyle leans forward and takes the frail woman’s hand in his and presses it to his lips. Tears stain his cheeks as he stares at her.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispers, his voice coarse.
My heart aches at his words. He’s broken. Whoever this woman was, she was everything to him.
“You must be Zarla,” Kyle’s guardian states. “He has been through quite the ordeal, losing his caregiver.” Her gaze shifts to him for a moment before settling back on me. “She has been caring for him since he was thirteen. He is hurting.”
I nod, squeezing my robes over my chest. “I know, I can feel it.” Without thinking, I move forward to comfort him when there’s a knock on the door, and an elderly woman pokes her head in, halting me in my tracks.
“Kyle, sorry to bother you, love. I just wanted to see if you needed anything?” She adjusts her glasses as she waits for his response.
He wipes his eyes before turning to face her. “I’m good. Thanks, Kay.”
She gives him a gentle smile. “Okay, dear. I’m out here if you need me.”
I like this woman.
Once she’s gone, Kyle pushes his chair back and paces the room before leaning against the far wall. “Fuck!”
I jump at his outburst and hurry to his side. He may not know I’m here, but I am, and he needs me.
His guardian narrows her eyes at me. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
I gently touch his arm and close my eyes, sending as much warmth and light into him as I can. They taught us this technique at the academy, a way to calm our human. They don’t feel our touch, but they feel the effects of it.
“I’m sure. I’ve prepared for this for a long time.”
She tucks her long grey hair behind her ears. “Zarla, Kyle is special. There is more to him than you know.”
I knit my brows together at her words, as if they carry a hidden meaning behind them, but before I have time to ask her about it, she speaks.
“I had better get back to the Kingdom.” She walks to Kyle’s side and gently places her hand on his cheek. “Take care of him, Zarla.”
“I will. I promise.”
She smiles softly and drifts out of the room.
Kyle frowns, lifts his other hand, and places it over mine. He can’t feel me, but I’m still surprised at his action. It’s almost as if he knows I’m here. I step back, and he drops his hand, releasing a long breath. I study his features, his defined jawline, and broad shoulders. He is young, early twenties perhaps.
He crosses the room to the woman, leans down, and presses a kiss to her forehead. “I love you, Susan. Goodbye for now.” He then leaves the room.
I pass through the door and follow him out to the nurse’s desk where the same kind woman, Kay, is standing, her guardian hovering close by.
This guardian does not speak to me. He is simply doing his job, caring for his human.
Kay lowers her glasses. “Everything all right, dear?”
“I’m gonna go,” Kyle tells her.
She moves around the front of the desk and pulls him into her arms. “I am so sorry for your loss, Kyle. She was a beautiful woman. She truly was.” She pulls back, giving his hands a gentle squeeze before letting go. “Take care.”
A smile curls at his lips, but it doesn’t touch his eyes, and he walks away. I follow him through the corridors and eventually out to the parking lot, where he climbs into a large black Ute. He sits quietly for a moment, staring out the windshield before he starts the engine, and it roars to life. I question whether to get in with him or follow from above. I go with the latter as he pulls out onto the street.
I fly overhead, following along as he winds his way out of the city and onto a country road. I’m growing curious to see where he lives now as we pass fields of what I have learned are cows. They taught us many things about what to expect down on Earth, but I am sure there will be some surprises.
Kyle eventually pulls into a long driveway that cuts through an extensive property, and I glide down and land in the yard. He climbs out of his truck and greets a big brown fluffy dog, who jumps up and licks his face. A laugh escapes my lips, and I’m happy that he has this animal to comfort him. I can feel the connection they have through our bond, and I sense his joy.
“Hey, girl,” he says, scratching the dog behind the ears.
The dog follows him into the house, as do I. He heads for the kitchen and grabs out a dark bottle of something from the fridge, pops off the top, and drinks it down. I wonder what it tastes like. He heads into another room, falls back onto a couch, and turns on the TV.
I sit down on the couch beside him, where he stays for the next hour before drifting off to sleep. Once I know he’s out to it, I reach for a nearby blanket but can’t grasp it. The damn veil is preventing me. He’s asleep, so there’s no harm in removing it for a minute. I take the veil down and drape the blanket over him.
Breaking more angel laws, I see.
I tense as the voice fills my mind. I immediately put the veil back in place and move through the house and out onto the front yard to find Finlay.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I demand.
He tilts his head to the side as he studies me. “Now that’s no way to greet your second.”
I storm toward him with my fists balled at my sides. “Why are you here?”
He reaches out and strokes my cheek, and I bat his hand away.
“Kyle is my human too, in a way. I wanted to see him, get a feel for where he lives. You know, the usual, as expected, for all seconds.”
I narrow my eyes at his sarcasm. “Bullshit. You couldn’t care less about him.”
He laughs, shuffling from one foot to the other. “Wow, that struck a nerve. And no, not really. But I can see that you do.”
I turn and head back to the house. Leave.
Wings swoop above, and I jump as Finlay lands before me.
“Can we stop this shit for a second?” he says. “Don’t get me wrong. I am enjoying it, but shouldn’t we actually have each other’s backs? I am willing to call a truce if you are.”
Without thinking, I smack my fist into his face, and he stumbles back, grabbing his nose as blood drips from both nostrils.
“What the fuck, Zarla?”
Satisfaction courses through me and I brush my hands down the front of my robes. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did that hurt?”
He presses his lips together, his breathing heavy. “I get it. I shouldn’t have hit you earlier. Payback, right?”
“Something like that. Now leave.” I step around him and climb the steps to the porch.
I could make you pay for that. Shall I call upon my father?
I squeeze my eyes shut, taking a deep breath before I face him once more. Seriously? You’re going to play the daddy card again?
He laughs, clapping his hands together. “Damn, Zarla. When did you get so feisty? I like it.”
I open my mouth to reply when an angel lands behind Finlay in the yard about thirty feet away. And then another, and another. Watchers.
“Zarla, get back to Silanthia,” Finlay instructs as he pulls a sword from his belt.
My heart pounds as I assess the situation. Why are they here? Watchers are powerful and deadly angels from the Kingdom of Galespo, put on Earth to watch over guardians, seconds, and archangels, and to ensure we follow the ancient angel laws. What are they doing here ?
“State your purpose for this visit,” Finlay says, and I am thankful one of us knows what to do.
I reach for my daggers and hurry to his side. The watchers are all enormous males wearing black leathers and black hooded cloaks. The one in front is clearly in charge. He glares at us through dark eyes, his translucent wings dotted with the golden markings of the watchers, glowing in the darkness.
Fuck, Zarla. I told you to leave.
I’m not going anywhere. It’s my job to protect Kyle.
“Drop your weapons, and we will let you both live.” An unfamiliar accent laces his voice, and it’s rough, like he’s smoked ten packs of cigarettes a day for the last thirty years. Maybe he has.
I tighten my grip on my mother’s daggers, feeling their warmth.
“No,” Finlay says. “State your visit.”
The watcher in front smirks at us, his rotten teeth showing. “Zarla Quinn, the King of Silanthia’s daughter,” he says with piqued interest.
I panic. What do we do?
Shit, I don’t know. This doesn’t feel right. They shouldn’t be here.
And then the watcher charges forward, unsheathing his sword and bringing it down toward Finlay. Finlay unsheathes his own sword, swinging it up, and they clash together, the sound of metal on metal echoing through the still country air. I shuffle back as one watcher moves around him toward the house. What the hell?
And then I see the other heading for me. His eyes flicker down to my daggers and back to my face several times. I narrow my eyes at him as he moves closer, holding my daggers up in defence. He charges at me, and I spin out of the way, slicing his arm as I do. He doesn’t even flinch and charges once more. I duck down, sending a firm kick to his thigh, and he stumbles back. His expression hardens, and he grits his teeth.
“Give me the daggers, and I will let you live,” he warns.
Ignoring him, I rush forward and leap into the air, but before I can land my kick, he grabs my ankle and swings me around, sending me flying into the ground, where I land hard on my side. I wince as he approaches me. The other watcher is almost at the house now.
“Hey!” I shout, but he ignores me.
I think back to my training. Finlay is busy fighting the big one. He can’t help me. I have to stop them. I release my wings and surge forward, and then plunge my dagger into the watcher’s chest, moving so fast he doesn’t see me coming. His soul slowly drains from his body as he stares at me through wide eyes. I remove my dagger, and he falls face-first onto the lawn.
My hands are shaking and covered in blood. I have never killed anyone before, and my stomach turns at what I just had to do. I refocus my attention on the other watcher, who is moving up the porch steps. Don’t be sick, just focus. Kyle. I need to protect Kyle. I swoop up into the air and then come down fast, kicking the watcher in the head. He falls back and rolls down the porch steps and I land in front of him, blocking him from the house. I brace myself as he removes his sword.
“This isn’t a fight you want to have, sweetheart,” he says, removing his cloak, and I’m surprised at how handsome he is. A thick scar runs up his arm, and I wonder what he did to get it.
“Oh, I think it is,” I say, flying forward and slicing my daggers across his side.
I spin back around and land in the yard as he thrusts his fist out to punch me, but I duck out of the way. He wraps his arms around mine from behind, and I can’t move. He laughs in my ear, as if he thinks he has me, but they taught us exactly what to do in this situation. I kick off the ground and flip over the top of him, pulling him down to the ground as I go. I smack my elbow into the back of his head, and leap away as he hits the ground.
He quickly gets to his feet and stares at me through wide, rage-filled eyes. Clearly, he underestimated me. I waste no time as I charge at him, spinning around and landing a kick to his stomach. He stumbles back, but rights himself quicker than I expect and punches me in the chest. My daggers slip from my grasp as I fly back and smash into a nearby tree.
Gasping for air, I look up to see Finlay lying on his back, both watchers now heading toward the porch steps. I push through the pain, coughing as I rise on unsteady feet, stumbling a little as I go.
A rage like nothing I have experienced before surges through me, and I scream, shoving my hands out in front as streams of white light burst out and blast into the two watchers. They shoot up into the air before falling back down to the ground with a loud thud. I slowly move toward them, but they’re lying still, in an unnaturally twisted heap. They won’t be getting up again.
“What the hell was that?” Finlay asks from behind.
My hands are shaking and I glance down, studying them as if they are foreign objects that didn’t just blast power. “I don’t know.” I meet Finlay’s curious eyes.
“That was your power, Zarla,” he states, blood oozing from a cut above his eye.
Without thinking, I reach up and cup his cheek, sending the white light through his skin.
What are you ? —
Shhh , I mentally tell him.
He stands as still as a statue as the cut slowly knits back together, leaving nothing in its wake but dried blood.
“Did you just?—”
“Yes,” I interrupt, “I healed you.”
He blinks, reaching up to touch the cut that is no longer there. “You have more than one power? That’s impossible.”
I frown. “No, it’s not. I’m sure lots of angels have more than one. It’s nothing.” I turn and head toward the porch to check on Kyle, snatching up my daggers on the way and strapping them against my thighs. What did they want with my mother’s daggers, anyway?
“It’s not nothing, Zarla,” he says from close behind, following me up the porch steps. “I’ve never heard of that before.”
I bite the inside of my cheek and cross my arms. “I suppose you want to tell your daddy about that too?”
He runs his hand through his hair and sighs. “No, I don’t. Look, I’m not out to get you. I just want to be there for you. As your second.”
I roll my eyes, and he reaches out and places his hand on my forearm.
“I’m serious, Zarla. I’m sorry about what happened earlier, on the roof. It wasn’t cool, and I don’t know what came over me. I don’t know why I’m like that sometimes. I think I get it from my father.”
I laugh. “You think?”
He drops his hands. “I’m trying to apologise here. I won’t tell anyone about your powers, but you should. You need to know what you’re dealing with.”
I flex my hands, clicking my fingers. “Yeah, okay, I will.”
“Will what?”
I jump as Amaros lands in the yard near the dead watchers, flanked by two other angels.
“Nothing. Ah, I was just?—”
Finlay steps in front of me. “I was telling Zarla we needed to go back to the Kingdom to tell her father what happened here. Three watchers attacked us.”
Amaros scans the yard before settling his gaze on me. “Are you hurt?”
I shake my head. “I’m fine.”
“And you?” he asks Finlay.
Finlay raises his hands. “I’m good.”
“Was this you?” he asks Finlay with a wave of his hand toward the dead watchers.
Don’t tell him, I say through the bond.
He awkwardly shuffles from one foot to the other. “Ah, yeah, it was me.”
Thank you.
Anytime. I’ve got your back, he replies.
“Interesting,” Amaros says before he clicks his fingers, and the two angels crouch down by the watchers, and with a touch, the watchers disintegrate into nothing.
I inhale a sharp breath. I have never seen an angel do that before. But then again, I have never been around any dead watchers or angels before, either.
“Come. Your father has asked that I bring you back,” Amaros says and extends his hand to me.
I take a step back. “No, I’m not going back. I need to be here to protect Kyle. Those watchers were here for him.”
Amaros narrows his eyes at me. “No, that’s impossible. They don’t care for humans. They were here for you.”
Finlay steps down into the yard. “No, she’s right. They fought us, but they were trying to get past us to the house. To Kyle.”
Amaros ignores Finlay and walks around him, joining me on the porch. “Like I said, that’s impossible. You’re both mistaken. Now, I don’t believe I am making myself clear. It is not a request. Your father has asked that I bring you back.”
Before I have time to respond, he takes hold of me and lifts up into the air. I scream, but he ignores it, instead wrapping his arms around me as he guides me up through the clouds. We pass through an invisible layer above the clouds, the barrier, and back into our Kingdom. He doesn’t release me until we land outside the castle.
I push him away, breathing hard. “How dare you! You have no right to take me like that.”
He reaches out to touch me, and I move back.
“Don’t.” I run into the castle to find my father. He needs to know what has happened, and I have questions. Like what the hell a group of watchers wanted with Kyle.