Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

O h, hell no. Nope nope nope .

Keva knows something's up before I even tell him, and he picks up the pace as the creature—dead angel, whatever it is—flies toward us, but I tap his side with my boot anyway to urge him to go faster.

"Go, go, go!"

Keva ducks his head down in concentration, his wings flapping faster than I've ever seen before. I can only imagine how Kyle is feeling right now. He would have absolutely sensed something was wrong. I focus on my ring and our connection, and his obvious concern filters through me, twisting my stomach into a knot. The last thing I want is him coming after me and getting ambushed by one of these creatures.

I risk a glance behind me. Stupid, I know, and the creature is gaining on us. It lets out a high-pitched, blood-curdling screech that has the tiny hairs on the back of my neck standing on end.

"Faster, Keva!" I beg.

We're not too far out from Silanthia, maybe a half hour. We can out-fly it, can't we? Doubt creeps in when I check again to find it's still hot on Keva's tail. Jumping off and flying myself isn't even an option, as Keva is much faster than I am.

Come on, come on.

Seeming frustrated with the chase, Keva shoots several poisonous spikes from his tail, narrowly missing the creature.

"Good boy, Keva. It's okay! You got this!"

He grunts at my acknowledgement as I spin around to check the distance once more, and the creature is right there. It swipes at me with long, black claws, and I lose my grip on Keva and fall off.

I immediately release my wings, swooping up and catching myself before I hit the ocean. Keva yelps and flies down to check on me. The creature screeches, shooting down toward me, but I duck out of the way at the last moment.

Gods above, it stinks. The scent of rotting flesh seeps into my nose, and I gag, trying desperately not to be sick right now. It's so not the time.

Come on, Zarla. Pull yourself together.

The creature is close behind as I fly back up to Keva. I don't bother looking back this time and instead put my trust in Keva. He knows what he's doing.

He turns his body right at the last moment, giving me the opportunity I need to grab hold of him. I retract my wings, wrapping my arms and legs around him, and he shoots through the sky like a bullet. The Silanthian borders are finally visible up ahead. We are so close.

I can almost feel the creature behind me, and I don't dare look in case it swipes at me again.

Keva crosses the border into Silanthia, and I risk a glance now that we're somewhat safe within the Kingdom, but the creature's gone. Frowning, I search the skies for it, but it's too dark to see. I urge Keva to fly on, and he takes me back to the castle, landing gently outside the main entrance. I scratch him behind the ears, and he purrs.

"Good boy, Keva."

He grunts, rubbing his face against mine before taking off toward the Dark Forest.

Several guards acknowledge me as I pass into the castle, their expressions pale, no doubt from being in the presence of a Zelon. I'm just inside the door when I spot Amaros.

Great.

His brows crease as he looks me over, but before I can dodge him, he's heading my way.

"Zarla, what happened?" he demands.

It's becoming more and more difficult to pretend I don't know the extent of his deception. But I have to set aside my anger, yet again, because the last thing I need is him knowing that I know. That I remember what he's done.

"I'm okay, but I need to speak with Harlum. Urgently."

He gives me a curt nod. "Follow me."

Amaros leads me through the castle and into the meeting room where Harlum and several other high-class angels are sitting around a large metal table. They all look up when we enter, and I wait at the door as Amaros hurries over and whispers in his ear. I spot Kastal Kallis, Finlay's father, sitting at the table. He gives me a kind smile.

"Please excuse me a moment," Harlum announces before leaving the table and crossing the room toward me.

He gestures for us to leave the room, and the guards close the doors behind us. Amaros stays back, but he's close enough that I know he'll probably hear what I have to say.

"Zarla, what is so important that you had to interrupt my meeting?"

I side-eye Amaros, who glances up to meet my gaze before looking down at his clasped hands. He's totally listening.

Harlum raises his brows as he grows impatient.

"Are you aware angels are being slaughtered on Earth?" I ask.

His eyes widen, and I catch Amaros appearing somewhat surprised, too. Interesting.

"How did you hear of this?"

So he's dodging my question with his own. Typical.

"From Zeta. They are aware that angels and archangels have been killed on Earth by some kind of creature. She wanted me to pass on a message. They are requesting a meeting with you and Zalore to discuss it."

He laughs, rubbing his chin as he shakes his head. "And they didn't bother to send word themselves?"

I frown at him, annoyed by his attitude, and ball my fists. "This isn't a joke. You have to meet with them. Something must be done."

He rubs his hands together and looks off into the distance, as if contemplating my words. "What makes you think it isn't some sort of trap?"

I look him in the eye. "Because I've seen them. I was literally just chased all the way from the Galespo borders by one of them."

His features immediately shift, concern wrinkling his forehead. "What did it look like?"

"Like one of us. Well, not really, actually. It looked dead with grey, flaking skin, straggly hair, and white wings, sparsely covered in feathers. It had these milky-coloured eyes and sharp, long, black claws. By the gods, it was creepy," I explain. "Oh, and its wings were bloody."

Amaros takes several steps forward until he's standing next to Harlum.

"It's not possible," Harlum says, his voice laced with shock.

I knit my brows together. "What do you mean?"

He and Amaros share a look that can only be described as mutual understanding.

"It sounds like a lost one," Harlum says. "But they are safely trapped within the Realm of Lost Souls and cannot escape."

Amaros runs a hand through his hair, and Harlum paces the floor before us.

"Well, they obviously can get out, because it did. I saw one in Zarquon, and as I said, one outside Galespo that chased me back here before disappearing."

I knew this was going to be bad, but their reactions make everything so much worse. There's more to this than they're letting on. This is bad. Like, really bad.

"Give me a moment," Harlum says before storming back into the meeting room.

Once he's gone, Amaros steps in closer to me, and I look up to meet his angry glare.

"You ventured out of the Kingdom, yet again, after I made it clear you weren't to leave."

I take in a deep breath and blow it out as my blood begins to boil. "Excuse me? You don't own me, Amaros. And for the record, Harlum let me leave. He gave me my markings back, see?"

I roll my coat sleeve up to show him, and he grits his teeth.

Moments later, all the angels file out of the room. Clearly the meeting's off. Amaros backs up as Harlum walks over to us.

"Where were we?" Harlum asks. "Oh yes. Lost Souls are not in this life anymore."

I'm trying to concentrate on what he's saying, but I can feel Amaros's eyes on me. I risk a glance at him and catch his gaze dropping to my lips. Heat rises in my cheeks, and I glance away.

What is it with this male? He's so darn difficult to read. One minute he's all kind, and the next he's angry with me. Now he's checking me out?

"What are they?" I ask, although I can probably guess.

"They're deceased angel souls, evil creatures who have gone to a dark place after death," Harlum explains.

A chill runs down my spine at the thought. They can't have been very good to end up there.

"So you haven't heard about angels being killed on Earth?" I ask.

He looks to Amaros, and there's some sort of silent exchange between them.

"No, I would have heard about that by now if it were true."

I look at Amaros. This cocky male must know something.

"Why haven't you heard about it?" I ask.

He narrows his eyes at me. "I will look into it."

"Arrange a meeting with Apollon and Zalore," I say, maintaining eye contact with Amaros before shifting my gaze back to Harlum. "Especially if you are unaware of what's going on. They know, so they can discuss that with you. It's time to put your differences aside. After all, Hethenos killed my mother, not an archangel of Zarquon."

Amaros clears his throat and shuffles uncomfortably from one foot to the other, and Harlum glares at him.

"I will discuss this with the relevant parties and decide. I appreciate you bringing this to my attention, Zarla." He gives me a nod, and then he's gone, leaving me alone with Amaros.

Before he has time to talk to me, I hurry away. But then I hear footfalls as he follows behind me. Shoot.

"Hey, wait a second," he says, grabbing hold of my arm and spinning me to face him. "What's wrong? You've been acting strange toward me for weeks."

I pull my arm free and take a few steps back until I can feel the stone wall against my back.

"I'm not sure what you mean," I say, my voice cracking slightly.

I clear my throat and try to play it cool, like I don't know that he stole my memories from me, memories that I now have back.

"I'm fine," I tell him. "I'm just trying to process everything that happened with Hethenos and all the new information I learned about me and Astelle. And you. And how you never told me any of it. How you never told me Harlum isn't my father."

"Zarla," he says, reaching out to touch my face, but I jump back on instinct.

Not long ago, I enjoyed his touch. I welcomed it. I knew it was wrong, but I still liked it. But now…now I know what he has been keeping from me my entire life. And the thought of his hands on me, his lips on mine, makes me uneasy.

His brows crease, and his focus drops to the new ring Kyle gave me.

"Where'd you get that?" he asks, although something tells me he probably already knows.

Shoot. I cover it with my other hand, gently caressing the intricate gold details and blue stones. It reminds me of what's easily becoming my favourite place in all the Kingdoms. Zarquon. The last thing I need is him knowing what this ring is or what it represents. He really doesn't like Kyle, and all it will do is piss him off.

"It's none of your concern," I tell him and leave him in the corridor.

He deserves nothing from me. And he has no right to expect it. One day I'll confront him about what's he's done. And I look forward to hearing his explanation.

It's nearing the end of winter in Silanthia, and it's a beautiful day outside. The skies are blue, no clouds in sight, and it's calm.

I find a tree near the edge of the lawn and remove my coat, using it as a blanket to sit on. Leaning back on my elbows, I close my eyes and enjoy the sensation of the sun's rays hitting my skin.

"Nice day out, isn't it?"

I jump at the male's voice, shielding my eyes with my hand, to see Nilo standing over me.

He raises his hands. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

I sit forward, placing my free hand across my chest as my heartbeat returns to its normal rhythm. "Gods above, you scared me."

He chuckles and kneels down on the grass in front of me. "Sorry. How are you doing? Haven't seen you in a while."

I haven't had much interaction with Nilo, but the few times we have spoken, he has always been kind to me. I really like this male, and I trust him.

Although you trusted Amaros once, and look how that turned out , my conscience reminds me.

He arches a brow at me, and I realise I haven't answered him.

"Oh, I'm okay. Still processing everything, but I'm good. How have you been?"

He tilts his head from side to side and bites his bottom lip. "Not too bad. Trying out for a new guard role."

"Nice. I hope it works out for you."

He smiles, his dimples showing on either side of his cheeks. "Hey, I was about to head to the academy to train. Wanna join me? I find it's a great way to let off some steam."

That is exactly what I need. I haven't trained in a while. I think I have forgotten to since my body has been through enough in my day-to-day life. But I am ready to get back into a routine.

"Yeah, sure, that sounds great."

Nilo gives me a hand up before releasing his wings and flying up into the sky. I release mine and follow him as he flies over the Kingdom toward the Academy. We land on the back field and head into the arena. It's empty at this time of day, which is nice. Being known as the King's daughter has always brought unwanted attention, so time alone without an audience is always welcome.

Nilo heads to the gym and snatches us both a sweat towel, tossing one at me. I catch it at the last second, and he laughs.

"You ready? I won't go easy on you," he says with a cheeky glint in his eyes.

"I'd expect nothing less," I reply.

We both focus on upper-body strength today, and I let Nilo take the lead, putting me through an intensive session. My muscles are aching by the end. I find my bottle in my bag and take a long sip, and Nilo has a drink from the fountain that I didn't even know was there.

"So what's this new guard role, then?" I ask, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

He dabs his towel over his face, removing some of the sweat beads from his forehead. "Mikel actually requested it on my behalf. It's guarding your father."

Guilt tugs at my heart. I want to tell Nilo the truth, but I can't. This secret is too big, and if it gets out, the repercussions could be detrimental. So for now, I have to keep up the lie. A lie I didn't even create.

"That's amazing. I'm sure you'll get it. He would be lucky to have you. We could use some trustworthy angels around here." I slip my bottle back into my bag and wipe my face with my sweat towel.

Nilo narrows his eyes at me for a moment, and my heart stalls. Shoot, he knows. Maybe it was just a test?

I stare at him, waiting for him to say something.

"You're stronger than I expected," he says finally. "You'd make a great guard yourself."

I laugh. There's no way I, a female, could be a guard. A guardian, sure, but not a guard. The rules in our Kingdom are so outdated it's ridiculous. We have never had a female guard before.

"I'm serious," he says, folding his arms across his chest as he leans up against the wall. "And I've heard how you can fight. You'd give most of the males in our Kingdom a good run for their money, I reckon."

The edge of my lip curls up. "I don't disagree with you there."

I throw my bag over my shoulder before heading toward the exit.

"Hey," he calls out, and I spin around. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here. As a friend."

I open my mouth to thank him when a scream echoes outside. We both look at one another before sprinting for the door. When we make it outside, it's chaos. There's a bunch of angels grouped around something, panic etched across their faces. Some are gasping, others covering their mouths.

I hurry forward, pushing through the crowds to find a Zelon lying on the field near the forest edge. Blue blood oozes from a deep gash in his hind leg and from another large gash across his side. He grunts, and I realise it's Keva. I gasp and drop to his side, and Nilo instructs the other angels to back up and give us some space.

"Keva!" I rush my hands over his dark-purple skin.

I know Keva has his own rapid healing abilities, but I want to try mine. Healing an animal isn't something I've done before though, and I can't do it with everyone watching, either. I glance up at Nilo, and he somehow understands what I need. He doesn't know about my unique healing abilities, but he's about to find out.

"Okay, that's enough. Everyone move on," he says, gesturing for them to leave.

A few males back up and hang around, but Nilo's not having it.

He strides up to them, towering over them with his almost seven-foot frame. "Time to leave. Now."

This time they listen and give him a nod before they walk away toward the academy. He's back at my side in an instant, and Keva growls at his proximity.

"Easy, boy. He's a friend," I tell him.

Without hesitation, I place my hands over his leg, which has already started to heal on its own, and close my eyes. Feeling for my power, I will it to the surface and allow it to seep into Keva. I hear Nilo's surprised gasp and open my eyes to find Keva's leg is healed, but the mark remains. I frown, confused at how that's possible. Whenever I've healed myself in the past, or anyone else, there's never a mark left.

"He's been marked…" Nilo whispers.

His tone chills me to the core, and even though I voice my next words, I already know the answer. "By what?"

He scratches his head, his eyes focused on Keva. "It doesn't make any sense."

I gently grab his arm. "Nilo, by what?"

He finally turns to me. "By a lost one."