Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

" W here have you been?" Amaros demands again.

Shoot. What do I say? I open my mouth to answer but can't think of a good enough explanation.

He tightens his grip on my throat and I can't breathe. I claw at his hand as I gasp for a breath. Pure rage fills his eyes, and although it's a side I've seen before, this is a heightened version of it.

"Do not lie to me." He loosens his grip but doesn't remove his hand.

I suck in air and cough. "Let. Go."

He ignores my feeble attempts to have him release me.

"Answer me." He grits his teeth as his gaze bores into mine.

Tears well in my eyes, and I will them to go away. I will not cry in front of him.

After swallowing hard, I respond, "I went to see Lissian."

"Why?"

Gripping his hand, I attempt to pry it off again, but he's too strong. "Because she's like a mother to me. Am I not allowed to see her anymore?"

He removes his hand from my throat, braces them both on either side of my head against the stone wall, and leans in closer. "If I find out you've spoken a word to her about anything?—"

"I haven't! I mentioned nothing about Astelle. I swear to the gods."

He lingers in my space for far too long without saying a word. There's a deranged look in his eye and I've never felt so afraid in the presence of a male before. He then grabs my arm and drags me down the corridor.

"What are you doing?" I demand. "Let go of me!"

"I'm taking you back to your quarters, where you are to remain for the rest of the night."

I attempt to yank my arm free, but it's no use. Instead, I give in and allow him to take me back. Stubborn bastard. When we reach my quarters, he opens the door and shoves me inside. I trip, fall onto the floor, and quickly scramble to my feet while he takes a few steps toward me.

"Do not leave this room again. Do I make myself clear?"

I clench my fists at my sides. "How dare you! You don't own me, Amaros! I am not your property for you to dictate to. You have no right to make demands of me."

His jaw tenses, and he slowly walks up to me until we're merely inches apart. He stares down at me, but I hold my ground. I'm sick of this male. I'm sick of him thinking he can tell me what to do.

"Do you want to test me? Hmm? See what I'll do if you disobey me?" He takes a lock of my hair and twirls it in his fingers. "Because I'll tell you right now, the consequences won't be pretty."

His voice is even, and the threat is clear.

"What the fuck's going on?" Finlay demands from my doorway before storming into the room.

I shuffle away from Amaros.

Amaros turns on Finlay. "This doesn't concern you. Leave."

Finlay's gaze shifts to mine and back to Amaros. "Fuck no. I'm not going anywhere."

Zarla, what the fuck's going on here?

He's pissed that I visited Lissian, I reply through our mind link.

Amaros turns to me. "Don't forget our deal. You know what I have asked of you. You do not want to piss me off any further than you already have."

Finlay shoves Amaros. "Get the fuck out!"

Amaros steps toward him as a deep, possessive growl rumbles in his chest. They have a stare-off for a moment before Amaros storms out.

Finlay hurries to my side and pulls me into his arms. "Why didn't you call on me? He's gone too far. He can't treat you like that."

I pull away from Finlay and close my door. "I don't know. I panicked. Maybe I should've. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. That's what I'm here for. What good is this mind link if you don't use it when you need to the most? But seriously, we have to do something about this. We need to tell Harlum, at the very least."

I press my hands into my waist. He's right. Amaros is dangerous, and he's out of control. I thought I could handle him on my own, but after tonight, I'm not so sure.

"Yeah, okay," I say.

"And what deal was he talking about? Is this to do with him knowing where your real father is?"

I run my hand down my face. "Yeah. He wants us to be together, so I have to pretend I am considering it so he will tell me about my father."

He crosses the room and takes my hands in his. "You don't need to do this. We can find your father without his help."

I smile up at him. I'm genuinely blown away by his kindness. Never would I have imagined he had this side to him before we became bonded. And even then, he was still cruel. He's come a long way.

"Thank you. I really appreciate you. I hope you know that," I tell him.

He gives me a smug look as if to say, Of course I know that . "I do."

Over the next week, Amaros barely lets me out of his sight, and when he does, he has other guards watching me, following my every move around the Kingdom.

I haven't been allowed to see Harlum because he has apparently come down with some grave illness, and so his guards are limiting his visitors. I know Amaros is concerned that I'll tell Harlum what he's been up to. That's the only reason I'm not allowed to visit him.

I am worried about Harlum's safety. I know Amaros has plans to rule this Kingdom, with or without me. He cannot be trusted. The only guards I can trust right now, aside from Finlay, are Mikel and Nilo.

I make my way through the castle in search of one of them and eventually find Mikel speaking with a group of guards near the main entrance.

I scan my surroundings, and sure enough, I am being tailed by the same two creepy guards who have been following me this past week.

Mikel spots me and finishes his conversation before heading over to see me.

He pulls me in for a hug. "Zarla, I haven't seen you for a while. How have you been?"

I side-eye the two guards who hover in the corridor behind me. They're far enough away that they shouldn't be able to hear me, but it's still too risky.

"Yeah, it's been a crazy few weeks with training the angels at the academy."

He folds his arms across his broad chest. "And how is all that going? I heard you helped to pair up just about every single angel with their own Zelon. I must have you do the same for me sometime," he says with a laugh.

"Yeah, absolutely. Let me know when you're next free."

He draws his brows together and scratches his chin. "Unfortunately, that may not be for some time. With Harlum being unwell and Amaros taking on more of his responsibilities, we're rushed off our feet."

What? Harlum has passed on his responsibilities as King to Amaros?

He raises his hands. "Hey, I was just as surprised as you, if I'm being honest. Sure, Amaros is a powerful male, but you would be the logical choice to take on such responsibilities as the King's daughter."

I swallow the lump in my throat. It's difficult not being able to tell him the truth, but I have to be careful right now. If Amaros caught wind of me telling anyone about anything he's been doing, it wouldn't go down well.

"Is everything okay?" His gaze shifts to the two guards in the corridor and then back to me.

Clearly, he's noticed they're tailing me.

I nervously look around. "Yeah, I'm okay. Can't really talk about it here." I lower my voice and add, "I'm worried about Harlum. Please don't leave him alone with anyone."

He frowns. "Do you know something I don't?"

I carefully glance over my shoulder and find the two guards watching me. "As I said, I can't really talk here."

He pulls me in for another hug and whispers in my ear, "I see those guards following you. Be careful. I'll come find you sometime to talk more privately."

He gives me a tight-lipped smile and then rejoins the group of guards he was with earlier. I head for the main entrance doors and spot Amaros leaning against the wall beside them with his arms folded over his chest, watching me.

I keep walking. As I pass him, he grabs hold of my arm and stops me. I glance around to find no one else has noticed.

He leans in close to my ear. "I've got many eyes on you. Don't forget that."

I grit my teeth, tug my arm free, and continue out the door. Releasing my wings, I then take to the skies and head toward the academy. I don't need to look behind me to know the two guards are following me. Their wings flap loudly in the breeze.

The field outside the academy is a very different sight these days, with students and Zelons scattered about. I make my way into the arena and find the Master training several groups of angels. Judging by their sparring, they've improved vastly from the last time I visited.

The Master heads over to me.

"Quite something, isn't it?" he says with his hands clasped behind his back as he looks out over the students.

It really is, and I'm no longer as concerned as I once was about an attack on the Kingdom. I can see we may actually have a decent chance of fighting one off.

"It's great," I say. "Does it make you want to change the way we train angels here in the future? To better prepare them for anything that may happen?"

He meets my gaze and smiles. "The way the academy operated in the past has always been in the best interests of the Kingdom. But yes, it does. We need all angels to fight and protect not only their human, but their Kingdom. That was never something we prepared them for. It was always in respect to their human on Earth."

We both look back out at the students.

"Do you think we're prepared for a large attack?" I ask.

"We have to be."

I don't miss the doubt in his words, and it concerns me. He has always been optimistic and confident about everything, especially things as important as this. His doubt feeds the worry growing inside me like the wild vines on the castle's exterior walls.

He moves in closer and whispers in my ear, "There's a female in the city worth visiting. She holds information about the lost ones. She was around when they last entered the Kingdom and were seen on Earth."

He subtly hands me a small note, and I slip it into my pocket.

"Weren't you around, too?" I ask.

He chuckles. "I was. But I do not have the…special abilities that she has."

I leave the arena and fish out the piece of paper from my pocket. It's an address, and I know where it is. I shove it back into my pocket and spot my two shadows staring at me.

Shoot. I'm going to have to lose them if I'm going to do this.

Zarla, what are you up to now? I can sense you're up to no good, Finlay says.

Watching the two guards, I slip into the female changing rooms, knowing they won't be able to enter, and then look for an escape route.

The Master told me about a woman in the city who has information about the lost ones. I'm going to see her.

Then I'm coming with you.

No, you're not. It could be dangerous, and I don't want you getting into trouble.

Windows line the back wall, and I should be able to squeeze out of one. Perfect.

That's literally the exact reason I should come with you, he replies.

I push one window open, climb out of it, and land with a soft thud on the grass behind the building. Not wanting to risk them spotting me in the sky, I make a run for the forest.

Finlay, trust me on this. I can handle myself. The Master wouldn't put me in danger.

His frustrated grunt sounds in my mind, and I can't help but smile. I do enjoy winding him up.

Fine, then. But you had better keep me updated.

I will, I promise.

Once I'm in the forest, I look back to see if they've followed me. Luckily, they haven't. They probably haven't even noticed I'm gone. Oh, sweet victory.

I run for about five minutes and then take to the sky once I know I'm in the clear. The city isn't far from here. I can see it in the distance, and it's much larger than the one in Zarquon. The charcoal rooftops and grey stone buildings fit with their surroundings. The jaw-dropping mountains frame the skyline, and a crystal-clear blue river cuts through the landscape and snakes around the city in a mesmerizing way.

I land on the outskirts on the west side and pull my hood over my head. The last thing I need is for someone to recognise me and then report back to Harlum, or worse, Amaros. I'm sure by now my two creepy followers have reported back to him, and he's probably already scouring the Kingdom looking for me.

It's late in the afternoon now, and the sun is making its descent behind the mountains, casting shadows over the city.

I glance down at my mother's ring and run my finger over the red diamond. It comforts me, knowing it will alert me if danger is near. An ominous feeling presses around this part of the city, and the derelict state of these buildings does nothing to ease my anxiety. Teachers at the academy taught us to avoid this area, and so growing up, the only time we ventured here was on a dare.

It's where the unsociable and unfavorable angels live, undertaking their dodgy dealings with one another. It's a bad idea to be caught in these parts and give other angels something to gossip about.

A bang sounds nearby. I shuffle against a nearby building and flatten my back against it before scanning the streets to ensure there's no danger. I don't spot anything suspicious, and my ring isn't glowing red, so it mustn't be anything sinister. To me, at least.

I pull the address from my pocket and study the worn paper. The street is only a couple of blocks over, if I'm remembering it correctly. It's near an old armory where the best weapons in our city used to be forged. That was until some brats set it alight one night. It never reopened after that, so instead, a new armory was built on the east side of the city, where the more respectable angels live. Quite sad, really.

The streets are mostly empty, and I haven't seen anyone around for a while now. I round the next corner and find I'm only one block away.

There's a group of angels gathered outside a bar on the corner, and I tug my hood down to further hide my face as I pass by, luckily unnoticed.

The old factory is nowhere to be seen, and in its place is nothing but a dirty slab of concrete where it once stood. Blackmouth Street comes into view ahead, and I make my way down it and stop when I reach number eighty-two. I glance around to ensure I'm alone before I gently rap my knuckles against the burgundy wood door.

A crash sounds, followed by rustling about on the other side of the door.

"Who goes there?" an older female demands.

"Zarla Quinn," I say in a hushed voice.

I'm met with silence.

"Speak up!"

I clear my throat. "My name is Zarla Quinn. The Master sent me."

A click sounds as well as metal chains moving, and then the door creaks open a fraction to reveal a frail old female. She looks at me through milky-white eyes, and I'm unsure if she can actually see me or not.

"I was wondering when you'd show up." She pulls the door open and steps aside.

I hesitate and she gestures impatiently with a wave of her arm for me to come in.

I step inside and wait while she locks the door. Her home is cramped and cluttered, the wooden walls decorated with anything and everything, by the looks of it. Spoons, paintings, teacups on wonky shelves. There's even an empty birdcage hanging from the corner with a rainbow-coloured toy bird inside. Interesting.

I follow her down the narrow hallway and into her living room, which is decorated in much the same way. Her furniture is mismatched and brightly coloured, and now I really don't know whether she has her sight.

She points at the armchairs in the center of the small room, and I sit down in one while she shuffles off into the small kitchen. She pats her hands over the cupboard doors, and I realise she is, in fact, blind.

She yanks a door open, pulls out two mismatched teacups, and proceeds to make us some tea. Once she's done, she picks up the tray.

I get to my feet to help, but she frowns.

"I can do it myself. I've managed for hundreds of years without any help, and I'm not about to need any now."

I stifle a laugh and sit back down as she carries the tray over and sets it on the coffee table before us. I reach for a teacup and carefully blow on it before taking a sip. She watches my every move, confusing me once more as to whether she can actually see me or not.

"I am completely blind. But I have learned to heighten my other senses to where I do not need my eyes to see."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare."

"I know why you're here," she says, getting straight to the point. "Lost ones are getting into our Kingdom once again. History always has a funny way of repeating itself, doesn't it?"

I sit forward, placing my teacup down, and clasp my hands together in my lap. "What do you know of them?"

She takes a small sip of her tea and stares off into space, deep in thought, and I wait until she's ready to explain. Her eyes grow wide, and she quickly places her teacup down, spilling it a little. I reach out to touch her hand, but she flinches away.

"I'm sorry. Are you all right?"

She grips the arms of her chair and moves her milky gaze around the room before refocusing on me. "They were let into the Kingdom once before, and they've been let in again now. It's no accident, I tell ya'."

I frown. "Let in? By whom?"

"We never found out who was responsible for those atrocities, but it was someone close to the King. I know it," she says, pointing her finger before picking up her teacup and taking another sip. "It was a specific and strategic plan to distract the King and perhaps even overthrow him."

There's something about her story that is so familiar to what is currently happening that it can't possibly be a coincidence. Someone who was involved in this back then is involved now. I know it.

"The Realm of Lost Souls has been opened…" she whispers, almost too quiet to hear, and the hairs on my arms and the back of my neck rise.

My mother was right.

She cradles her teacup between both hands. "There is a weapon of the gods that was used to open the realms, and it can be used to close them."

My eyes grow wide. "You know of the weapons of the gods? Where is this weapon, and how do I find it?"

She finishes her tea and places her cup down, then grips my hands between hers. "I do not know the answers to your questions. I can sense evil brewing in the Kingdom, and the wards used to protect it are weak. We are being purposely exposed to outside threats."

I attempt to pull my hands free, but she tightens her grip on them.

"Powerful magic must be used to strengthen the wards, but the King's guard refuses to listen. Amaros is a stubborn fool." She grunts in annoyance and finally releases my hands. "You must act now before it's too late. Strengthen the wards."

The woman's words echo in my mind as I leave her home and pass through the streets. How am I to strengthen the wards? And what magic is required?

I need to speak with Harlum, like, yesterday. There's got to be a way to get to him and explain what's been going on without Amaros finding out.

It's dark out now, and with the darkness, danger looms around every corner. I shouldn't be here at nighttime, and it isn't safe to release my wings just yet and risk revealing myself.

I huddle into myself and round the next corner. Heavy footfalls sound behind me. I pick up my pace.

I'm so caught up in evading whoever is behind me, I lose my way. Scanning the streets, I search for any sign of familiarity, but there is none. I don't know where I am.

I'm lost.

Zarla, what's going on? Finlay's concerned voice fills my mind.

Gods above, this is bad. A group of five males rounds the corner ahead of me, including my two creepy followers. I immediately recognise their guard uniform. They're from the castle.

Shoot, they must've sounded the alert when they lost me back at the academy.

Zarla, I mean it! Answer me!

The one in front points at me, and they all run in my direction. I take off, praying to the gods I can find my way out of here. I pound the pavement, willing my legs to run faster, but I can hear them gaining on me.

I can't talk now! Being chased! I reply.

My heart drops when I round the next corner and find it comes to a dead end. Panic rises in my chest, gripping my throat, and I swallow hard.

Think, Zarla.

Where are you? I'm coming to find you!

I release my wings and only just leave the ground when something snakes around my ankle and hauls me back down. I slam into the stone alley so hard that my shoulder cracks. A scream escapes my lips, and I roll onto my back as the pain radiates up my neck.

Fuck, Zarla! What's going on? Where are you?

Despite the pain, I get back to my feet just as they surround the end of the alley, blocking my way out.

I'm in the city. Don't come.

Fuck, Zarla! I can sense your pain and your fear. I'm on my way!

I reach for my powers, building them within before releasing them into my hands. I'm about to blast these assholes across the Kingdom when a dark figure shoots down from the sky and lands in front of them, cracking the stones beneath his feet. His large silver wings are spread out wide at his sides, blocking the guards' view of me.

I suck in a shaky breath.

Amaros.