Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

A gony tears through me with merciless, vicious talons, mocking me as I soar high above the Kingdom, riding my Zelon, Keva.

We're amongst the clouds now where the air is fresh as it whips my cheeks, cooling my skin to the point where I can barely feel my face. Keva snorts, his entire body rumbling, and a smile spreads across my lips despite the lingering ache of betrayal that throbs in time with each beat of my heart.

Flying on my own has always been an exhilarating experience, but riding my own Zelon, my protector, and the fiercest creature we have in our Kingdom is something truly special.

The weeks since learning the truth about my life have ticked slowly by like the arms on a dying clock. I was betrayed by everyone. Lied to my entire life. Taught to believe what they wanted me to. My real father is out there somewhere, and I have to believe he's alive. That he just doesn't know about me. Any alternative is too painful to bear.

Forced apart from Kyle and being watched like a hawk to ensure I don't go to him has been nothing short of torture. My heart aches whenever I think of him, which is every moment of every day. I feel as though a piece of me is missing, that there's a hole in my heart, and if it isn't repaired soon, I will die.

A whimper almost escapes my lips, but I have to force it down and pretend it doesn't physically hurt to think of him.

Epic fail.

Keva makes a sudden dive through the clouds, and my stomach free-falls, snapping me out of the emotional spiral I was heading down.

"Woah, easy, Keva." I stroke his neck to calm him, but it doesn't help.

He gives me a warning grunt, and I know exactly what's coming. I hug my legs and arms around him in a vise grip as he spirals vertically down in a nosedive. He then spins, almost knocking me off his back, before changing direction last minute and shooting back up toward the clouds. Although I've grown used to the many ways in which Keva flies, this is not something I enjoy.

"Keva, cut it out," I plead as nausea swirls in my stomach.

And then I spot them over my shoulder. Several guards are in pursuit, causing Keva's erratic flying patterns. He's attempting to lose them.

I pat his neck. "Keva, it's okay," I tell him, before releasing my wings and letting him go.

I hover in the air as the three guards catch up to me. One of them is Mikel, who stares at me, awaiting an explanation, his complexion pale.

"Hey, what's up?" I casually ask.

He pinches the bridge of his nose and takes in a deep breath. "That Zelon is crafty."

I narrow my gaze at him. "He's just protecting me. Why are you three following us?"

Mikel drops his arm to his side, his complexion slowly returning to normal. "Your father needs to speak with you."

I have grown used to hiding the truth, so my facial features don't change at the mention of the word "father." Harlum isn't my father, but they don't know that yet. In fact, I have told no one. Amaros, Harlum's first guard, is the only one who knows about it now that Hethenos, Harlum's crazy first wife, is dead.

Whether my real father knows it too is another matter. The memory of him looking at me for the briefest of moments before disappearing plays in my mind, as fresh as if I were living through it right now.

Had he recognized me? Had he known Serona was pregnant with his child, or had he simply thought I looked familiar? Maybe he just looked at me that way because I so strongly resembled Serona, my mother. His fated mate.

I shake the memory off and clear my throat. Mikel is waiting for me to respond, although he didn't actually ask me a question, did he? It's only then I note the other two guards hovering behind him. They're young, and I recall how Harlum had instructed Mikel to replace his guards after everything that went down.

"Where is he?" I ask, refocusing my attention on Mikel.

"Follow me," he says, swooping down through the clouds toward the castle.

The other two guards linger behind me. Standard protocol when following the King's orders, I guess.

I roll my eyes and follow Mikel. I haven't spoken to Harlum in two solid weeks. Probably the longest I have ever gone without speaking to him. Probably the longest I've ever gone without visiting him, either. I can't deny the anger I feel toward him after all those years of lying to me.

It has occurred to me that maybe he really thought Astelle and I were his daughters, but it just didn't sit right with me. Something deep inside tells me he knew, and he probably knew much more than that. He knew about Amaros, too.

I'm surprised when I find Mikel doesn't head for the castle, and instead veers off toward the city and lands near an alleyway lined with bars. It's fairly deserted, especially for this time of night, and I wonder if it's deliberate. Maybe he had his guards clear the area to dispel any threats. I wouldn't put it past him. Hell, I wouldn't even blame him. After everything that went down with Hethenos, the Kingdom had a somewhat divided view about our beloved King. About how his own wife manipulated him all these years.

Mikel lands on the cobblestone road outside a small, antique-looking bar. It's adorned with little lights draped around the exterior walls that glow in the early evening. A pretty sight with the colours of the setting sun strewn across the sky, just visible above the road between the various bars and restaurants.

Mikel holds the door open for me, and I retract my wings before stepping into the dimly lit space. I glance around before spotting Harlum sitting in a booth near the back wall.

The place holds an ominous vibe to it, but it's fitting, given the circumstances. Framed images of various angels dot the walls where the wallpaper is peeling away from the edges in places. Red wine stains the floor from drunken nights, several stools appear to be broken, and the place needs a serious revamp.

Harlum looks up and raises his brows in greeting. I slowly cross the room and slide in opposite him, the leather fabric flexing beneath my weight.

"Zarla, thanks for meeting me," he says before his gaze falls to his hands, where he clasps them together on the table.

I roll my eyes. "Didn't have much of a choice."

He rubs his thumbs over one another. "I know you aren't happy with me. About my decisions. And I'm sorry. My plan was never to trap you here or to restrict your movements."

I let out a long breath, my patience growing thin. If he brought me here to lie to me some more, I will not sit here and listen to it. I move to the edge of the booth, about to get up, when he reaches out to me.

"Please don't go," he pleads, his hand outstretched across the table as if that can stop me.

I reluctantly turn to him. "I will not listen to more lies, so if that's what you asked me here for?—"

"I didn't," he assures me. "I asked you to come because I want to apologise. For everything. I should never have removed your markings, and I want to return them to you. You earned them."

I meet his gaze and can see he's being genuine. I fold my arms over my chest and wait, allowing him to continue.

He runs a hand over his face. "I was only trying to protect you, but I can see now that it was wrong. Here." He reaches both hands out to me.

I slowly place my hands on the table, and he takes them in his before closing his eyes. Deep concentration settles over his features.

A familiar burning sensation creeps up my arms, and I suck in a sharp breath. My guardian markings wind their way up my wrists, forearms, and upper arms, just as they did the first time I got them. Once it's done, he releases me. I swallow hard as a tear slides down my cheek, and I quickly wipe it away, hoping he didn't notice.

"Thank you," I say and then scoot out of the booth and leap to my feet.

"Zarla," he calls out, and I pause, looking back at him. "Be careful, okay?"

There's a hollow, almost empty look in his eyes, as if he knows something I don't. But I don't have time to wait around and find out. There's somewhere I need to be, like, yesterday.

I burst out of the bar, releasing my wings as I take off into the sky faster than ever before. For the first time in weeks, I feel something outside of the sadness and loneliness spectrum. It's been so long, I'm almost unfamiliar with the feeling.

A smile tugs at my lips as I shoot through the sky and descend into the clearing in the Dark Forest. The Gateway glows in its usual subtle way, but the surprising thing is there's no one guarding it. Amaros is nowhere to be seen.

I land with a thud, visualising the one and only place where I want to be right now, and leap through the gateway. The free-falling effect doesn't startle me this time. Instead, it electrifies something inside me, my body knowing it's about to get what it's been craving for the last few weeks.

I land in Zarquon at the edge of the forest near the beach, and the moonlight illuminates the surface of the water as the waves gently lap the shoreline. The salty air hits my nose, and I breathe it in deep as a wave of pure happiness washes over me.

Releasing my wings, I fly toward Kyle's castle and land outside the main entrance. As if sensing me coming, Kyle appears in the doorway, and we stare at one another to be sure this is real.

Gods above, he's handsome. He brushes his tousled hair off his forehead, appearing as if he's just woken, and he's shirtless, his tanned skin showcasing his toned body.

"Zarla?" he breathes.

I run into his arms, and he lifts me up as our lips crash in a frenzy unlike anything I've experienced before. He holds me firmly against him while I trail my hands up his back and into his hair, our tongues tasting and exploring each other.

And wow. He tastes so damn good. I pull back, breathing hard, and we stare into each other's eyes, taking in this moment in case it's nothing more than a beautiful dream that I'm about to wake up from.

"How are you here?" he asks, searching my eyes for answers as he sets me back down.

He seems almost taller somehow, and I feel even safer in his arms.

"My fa—Harlum—gave me my guardian markings back. He let me leave Silanthia."

He tenses. "He kept you from leaving?"

The sadness I have lived with for weeks resurfaces, and I nod, glancing down. He cups my chin in his hand and tilts my face until our eyes meet.

"I'm so sorry. I knew something was wrong when that messenger angel came for you, and I didn't want you to go, especially like that. Em means nothing to me, not in the way that you do."

I give him a small smile. After everything I've been through, it feels like a lifetime ago when I was last here.

But his words resurface the memory of Em's lips on his, and it pulls me back to that moment. Even though it hurt me, I believe him. I know she kissed him. I know he would never intentionally hurt me.

"What happened after you left here?" he asks.

I take a deep breath, holding the air for a moment before letting it rush out, along with the memories of Kyle and Em together. There's no room left for that. I forgave him already, and we have more important things to worry about.

"There's a lot to tell. Can we go inside?"

"Come on." Kyle takes my hand and leads me into the castle, nodding at the two guards posted at the entranceway as we pass by.

He waits until we're safely inside his room before pulling me into his arms once more. His lips find mine, and he grabs my ass, lifting me as I wrap my legs around his waist. He carries me toward the bed and settles his back against the headboard without breaking the kiss, and I straddle his hips. I rock against him, his desire building and pressing between my legs, sending a wave of pleasure through my body.

Gods above, I missed Kyle. I missed this.

But as much as I don't want this to stop, there is a lot Kyle needs to know. I pull back, and we're both breathing hard as we stare hungrily at one another. There's lust in his hooded gaze that sends an ache right to my core, and I bite my lip.

"You're so beautiful," he says, stroking my cheek.

I press my forehead against his and close my eyes, breathing in his delicious scent of cinnamon and freshly cut grass. If this moment has to end, I'm going to etch it into my mind. Every single part of it.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me," I whisper.

"You literally gave me my life back. You are everything to me," he replies, caressing my cheek.

I climb off his lap, despite his protests, and curl up at his side. "Believe me, that was probably harder for me to have to stop than it was for you," I tell him.

He laughs. "Somehow I doubt that. But I get it. We need to talk, and there'll be plenty of time for that after."

He playfully squeezes my thigh.

"Tell me," he softly encourages.

I recount everything that happened since I last saw him when the messenger angel, Nilo, took me back to Silanthia. I tell him how Harlum removed my guardian markings and had Amaros watch me like a hawk, preventing me from leaving the Kingdom. How Hethenos had Rimel and Yimel lock me in the cells, how she tortured me and Amaros saved me.

He tenses. "They did what?"

I cup his cheek. "It's okay. I'm okay, now."

He pinches the bridge of his nose and I continue. I tell him how I went after Hethenos, how she told me Harlum isn't my father, nor is he Astelle's. He clenches his fists as I tell him how she stabbed me with the sword of Silanthia, and I somehow survived. He gasps now and then as I recount everything that went down, and reliving the memories is more difficult than I expected. I tell him that Hethenos was a goddess, and Amaros is a god. They knew one another long ago, and they likely knew my father, too. My real one.

And then I tell him that my memories came back. That I remember watching Hethenos kill my mother, and how Harlum and Amaros knew because they were both there, and then Harlum instructed Amaros to remove my memories of the murder.

"He took your memories?" he asks, his voice strained.

I nod, wondering if he's put two and two together, realising Amaros must have taken his, too.

"I remember you, Kyle," I finally tell him, and he spins me around until we're facing one another.

He scans my face as if trying to find the right words.

"I remember everything. You were everything to me, Kyle. And they took that from me. They took that from us both." Before I can help it, tears fall down my cheeks, and Kyle wipes them with the pad of his thumb before running it over my lips.

His jaw tenses and his nostrils flare as he squeezes his eyes shut for a moment.

Oh no. It may not have been the best idea telling him all of this. He may actually kill Amaros.

"You mean it was Amaros who took your memories of me?" he asks, and I nod. "And he did the same to me, too?"

I nod again before reaching out and taking his hand. "What matters is we have those memories back. We have each other."

His gaze searches mine, and he holds my face in his hands, a look of total adoration in his eyes. Gods above, how did I get so lucky?

"I don't know what I did to deserve you, Zarla, but I'm never letting you go." His expression shifts as a darkness enters his gaze. "And those who sought to tear us apart will pay for what they have done."

And there it is. His words comfort me, knowing he has my back..

"Can we please just keep this between us for now? The last thing I need is Amaros finding out that I know. He can't. I don't know what he's capable of, but he's far more powerful than I ever imagined."

A cheeky and determined smirk twitches his lips. "As are we."

I bite my bottom lip, pulling it into my mouth as I think about whether it's the smartest idea to tell him this next thing. But he needs to know everything.

"What is it?"

I swallow down the fear and go for it. "Finlay is back. They sentenced him to have his wings removed, and he was down on Earth for some time. But when Hethenos admitted she threatened his family if he didn't do as she asked, it became clear it wasn't his fault. His sentence was revoked and his wings restored, thanks to his father."

He looks away and shakes his head. "So what, he's been forgiven? As if nothing happened?"

I give his hand a squeeze. "Not exactly. I haven't spoken to him yet, but I plan to. Kyle, he didn't do it of his own will. Hethenos tricked us all. She fooled us all. He deserves a second chance at redemption."

He glances down at our joined hands but doesn't say a word, and I really hope he understands where I'm coming from.

"I have to find my father. My real father. All I know about him is that he has gold wings, blond hair, and green eyes."

Kyle arches a brow at me. "Sounds like a male model or something."

I laugh at that. But he could be. He was that handsome.

A screeching sound outside startles me, and I jump off the bed. Kyle hears it too, and he scrambles off the bed and over to the balcony to check it out. We stare out the window into darkness, and then I see it.

A looming figure, hovering midair near the forest, its milky-white eyes glowing with malevolence.

A cold sweat trickles down my spine, but before I can understand what the figure is, it's gone.