Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

K eva's wounds healed with my help, but despite that, the scars remain. And it doesn't look right. The flesh around the area, although now knitted back together, holds a green tinge to it, and around the outside of that, the skin appears red. It's infected.

"That was incredible. I didn't know you had the power to heal," Nilo says as he looks between Keva and me.

I shrug, biting my bottom lip. I really don't want word to get out about my multiple powers. It already feels odd having more than one when it's so uncommon. But I trust Nilo, and I know he's not the type to run off and spill my secrets to anyone who'll listen.

"It's nothing."

He raises gets to his feet, dusting leaves and dirt off his pants. "I wouldn't call it nothing."

My cheeks flush as nerves swirl inside me. "Please don't mention this to anyone."

His brows pull together. "I won't. You can trust me on that."

I give Keva a scratch behind his ears, and he stumbles to his feet, stretching out his front legs and then his back ones.

"Thanks, Nilo," I say and climb to my feet. "I appreciate that. I better get Keva home. The other Zelons might be able to help him. Or the forest. We still don't know the extent of the power that the forest holds."

Nilo nods, releasing his wings, and hesitates. "Hey, Zarla?"

I glance over my shoulder, and his expression holds genuine sincerity. "Yeah?"

"You know I meant what I said, right? I'm here if you ever need a friend."

I take in a deep breath of air and then let it out slowly. "Thanks, Nilo. I'll keep that in mind."

He swoops his large wings and lifts off into the air, heading in the castle's direction, leaving Keva and me alone.

"Come on, boy. Let's get you home."

Keva and I wander slowly back to the edge of the Dark Forest, and once we're there, Keva rubs his face against mine before disappearing into the dense bush.

Gods above, he better be okay. These so-called lost ones are bad news. If they can injure a Zelon like that, what can they do to the rest of us?

A shiver rakes down my spine.

Nope, so not going to think about that right now.

I fly back to the castle, and on my way, a familiar sense kicks in. My bond with Finlay. He's nearby. I glide down and land outside the perimeter, reaching out through our bond to find him near his manor.

"Zarla?"

Mikel appears before me, and I smile at him.

He bows his head low. "Zarla, Harlum has an urgent request for you. He wishes for you to gather the Zelons together and have them guard the borders of the Kingdom. He feels it's much-needed protection that could bolster our borders from unwanted attacks."

My brows pinch as I process the request. Seriously? That was his solution? "Um, I hate to break it to you, but I'm not some kind of animal whisperer."

Mikel stifles a laugh with a cough, covering his mouth with his fist, and I resist the urge to laugh, too.

"I believe he's referring to the bond you share with your own Zelon. He thinks it's worthwhile to see if that bond can extend to the entire Zelon pack."

I press my hands against my hips. "You know what I think is worthwhile? Strengthening our wards. Now that's something I can imagine would be a much easier, more realistic task. Why in the gods would he suggest using the Zelons when he has the means to do it properly?"

Mikel scratches his chin, and I get a sense that he agrees with me, although he's not going to voice that.

"Believe me, I am sure there are other ways. However, our King has made his decision. One he feels is in the best interest of the Kingdom. Can I assure him you will at least try?"

I let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Fine. But there are absolutely no guarantees. And if I get eaten, it's on him."

The edges of his lips twist into a small smile. "Very well. I will relay your message."

He releases his wings and disappears into the sky. That was interesting. How he expects me to convince I don't even know how many Zelons to guard the borders is beyond me. But I suppose Keva trusts me. So maybe they will, too.

I reconnect my bond to Finlay and head for his manor, which is only a few minutes away from my castle. It's strange having our bond back. I originally hated it, and I wanted to sever it at all costs. But it doesn't bother me so much now, and it's almost a comfort knowing someone has my back. Especially in these uncertain times.

I swoop down to land outside the entrance of Finlay's manor, my feet hitting the ground as I spot him walking around the side of the grand building. He sees me, too, although you wouldn't know it by the way he hurries in the opposite direction.

"Finlay!" I call out to him.

Great, he's avoiding me. Still, I hurry to catch up to him.

"Finlay, please just stop!"

He abruptly halts and turns to face me. His gaze darts around, as if he's trying to avoid looking at me.

Please look at me, I say through the mind link.

He immediately focuses his amethyst eyes on mine. Silence passes between us, but I hold his gaze. Then instinct takes over, and I rush forward and wrap my arms around him. His large frame tenses under my touch, but after a moment, he relaxes and hugs me back. When I pull away, he maintains eye contact, but the hollowed, pained look in his eyes remains.

"I don't blame you for what happened," I blurt out, searching his face for a reaction.

His brows crease together, confusion twisting his features. "I don't understand. I thought you'd hate me for what I did. Hell, I hate myself."

He runs a hand through his messy blond hair.

I tilt my head to the side and look him dead in the eyes as I regard him, a pang of his hurt seeping into my chest.

"No, I don't hate you. And I know why you did it. Hethenos told me everything." I gently take hold of his arm. "It's not your fault."

His focus drops to my hand, and I quickly remove it. I may be okay with the proximity, but it's clear he's not.

He swallows hard and nods. Thank the gods, he seems to accept that. He opens his mouth to speak then closes it, shuffling from one foot to the other.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Do you want to come inside? To talk?" He rubs the back of his neck, and I appreciate the effort he's making, despite how uncomfortable he appears.

My lips twitch, shifting into a wide smile. "I'd love to."

I follow Finlay through the vast entrance to his manor, and to my luck, I spot Kastal heading our way. I swallow hard and hope he doesn't mind me being here in his home.

Sorry, he wasn't supposed to be here, Finlay says through our mind link.

It's okay, I reply.

"Zarla," Kastal says in greeting, and his tone is surprisingly warm. "How lovely to have you in our home."

He takes hold of my upper arms and kisses me on both cheeks. Okay, a little unexpected, but I'll take it.

"Hi, Mr. Kallis. Thank you."

I awkwardly kiss him on the cheeks, too, and he takes a few steps back, giving me some space.

Finlay looks between me and his father, seeming unsure if he's supposed to say anything.

"I can't tell you how thankful we are that you relayed Hethenos's plans to us. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have gotten our son back."

Heat rises in my cheeks, and I glance down. "It was the right thing to do. I'm glad he could come home."

Finlay remains silent, and Kastal awkwardly eyes us both before clasping his hands together.

"Very well, then. I'll leave you to it." He heads out through the front entrance, and once he's gone, I'm able to relax a little.

"He likes you," Finlay says, surprising me.

I rear back a little, raising my brows. "He blames me for everything that happened to you. So does your mother."

"No, he doesn't. He knows I'm back here in the Kingdom because of you. He said so himself." He wanders farther into his manor, and after a moment's pause, I hurry to join him.

It's a relief that he likes me, if it's actually true. But I didn't miss his lack of reassurance about his mother's feelings toward me. Hopefully, in time, she'll realise I'm not to blame, either.

My eyes widen when Finlay opens a door on the second level to what appears to be his quarters, and I follow him inside. The room is large, and there's an enormous bed positioned in the center of the room. Thick charcoal curtains are pulled back at the edge of his windows, giving way to a stone balcony with a gorgeous view of the surrounding grounds. A built-in oak wood bookshelf lines the left wall of his room, and there must be hundreds of books stacked neatly on the shelves.

Interesting. I didn't peg Finlay as a reader.

Well, you never really gave me a chance. To get to know the real me.

I spin around to face him, and it's hard to miss the sadness etched in his eyes. "I'm sorry. That whole ‘don't judge a book by its cover' thing didn't click. You were always just so?—"

"Arrogant?" he finishes for me.

I giggle. "Something like that."

He walks over to some comfortable-looking charcoal armchairs positioned near the windows and sinks down into one. He stretches his left leg out to better fit his almost seven-foot frame. I sit in the other chair, and the silence presses down on us. I cough and open my mouth to speak when he does the same, and we both laugh.

"Thanks for coming to see me," he says, shifting his focus to his hands in his lap. "If I'm being honest, I didn't have the guts to visit you."

Wetting my lips, I mull over his words for a moment. I like this new, honest Finlay. I can get used to this.

I clear my throat. "It's okay. I just needed a bit of time, and I figured you could probably use the space, too. A lot went down."

He nods, and it's nice that he's willing to just listen. In the past, he's always been the one to interrupt. He absently picks at the edge of the armchair, his nerves showing through his usual cool demeanor.

"Harlum wouldn't let me leave the Kingdom for weeks. He finally gave me my markings back, though, so I could visit Kyle in Zarquon."

He runs his hand through his hair, tugging on the ends slightly. I can tell the mention of Kyle's name affects him. Maybe he still doesn't like him.

"Is there anything you wanna talk about?" I ask, feeling we need a change in subject. "Do you remember what happened when you were on Earth?"

I know it's probably a sensitive subject, and him remembering anything at all could be a long shot, but it's possible. Kyle does.

Silence passes between us, and I wonder if I've taken it a step too far by asking, but then he looks at me.

"I remember now, but it was strange, because at the time, I didn't remember this life. When I woke up on Earth, I had no memory of my past. But now that I'm back here, I remember everything."

"Kyle said the same thing."

He chews his nails, his focus off in the distance as if he's deep in thought, or memory. "I remember things I wish I didn't. I remember seeing things, things that shouldn't have been possible. At the time, they didn't make sense to me. But they make sense now, sort of."

I sit forward in my chair, drawing my brows together. "What do you mean?"

"I saw a group of these creepy-looking creatures. They looked like dead angels, and they attacked a guardian and an archangel, killing them both like it was nothing. I'm lucky they didn't spot me, or they would've killed me, too."

So Finlay has seen the lost ones. Gods above, how many of them are there?

"Zarquon knows about the attacks," I say. "Kyle's parents told me, and they want to meet with Harlum and Zalore to discuss it."

His brows shoot up, then he sits forward in his seat. "Do you think he'll go for that?"

I throw my hands up. "They don't have a choice. Angels are being slaughtered. They have to do something ."

I question whether to tell him about the creature who chased me back from outside Galespo, but as I sink into our bond, I know I can trust him. "I was chased by one."

He stares at me, and his mouth drops open as his forehead wrinkles. "What? When?"

"On my way back from Zarquon. I was riding my Zelon?—"

He raises a hand in the air to stop me. "Hold on. You were riding a Zelon?"

I laugh. It had become second nature to me, riding Keva. I completely forgot that it isn't as easy to comprehend for others. And of course Finlay has no idea because we haven't seen one another in months since he was sentenced as a fallen angel.

"Yeah. A lot's changed around here. That's for sure. I connected with a Zelon, and his name's Keva. He lets me ride him. Turns out they're quite trainable, and they're pretty affectionate creatures."

He shakes his head a little as he takes this new information on board, and then his eyes light up as they meet mine. "Can I ride one?"

"Anything's possible." A laugh rumbles out of my chest, and for the first time in a long while, a sense of calm washes over me, and I know the wounds deep inside are starting to heal.

Wounds I thought I would have to live with forever, thanks to Hethenos.

"As I was saying, one of these creatures chased me when I was riding back from Zarquon. I saw it outside Galespo, and it saw me, even through my veil. Harlum wants me to have the Zelons guard the borders of the Kingdom."

He rubs the back of his neck. "It's not a bad idea. Do you reckon they'll listen to you?"

I purse my lips and scrunch my nose. "It's worth a try, I guess."

He gets to his feet, shoves his hands into his pockets, and starts slowly pacing the floor before me. There's something he's not saying. Something he wants to ask me that I can't quite pick up on.

I narrow my eyes at him. "What is it?"

He pauses in front of me, scratching the bridge of his nose. "I don't know how you're going to feel about this, so I'm just going to say it. I want to be your guard."

I incline my head and open my mouth to speak when he stops me.

"Let me finish. Please."

I give him a nod and pretend to zip my mouth closed.

"I didn't realise we would still share this guardian-and-second bond that we have. I thought my time on Earth would have severed it, but here we are. What better guard could you ask for than one who can connect with you the way I can? I will know if you're ever in trouble, I'll be able to find you, and we have our secret way of communicating, too, that I know you love." He says the last part with sarcasm. "But I get it if you can't trust me."

Shadows dance behind his features, his uncertainty showing.

Pushing up out of my chair, I stand before him and can practically feel the apprehension coming off him in waves. I'm unsure, too. Kyle won't like it. I know that much. But Finlay is a friend, and I would much prefer him guarding me than Amaros. And I know Kyle would agree with that part, too.

Finlay needs this, and in a way, I do, too. We've been through so much together, and this may be what it takes to mend our friendship.

"I don't trust Amaros, and I'd much prefer you watching my back than him."

A haunted look settles in his gaze as his concern pours into me. "What did he do?"

I part my lips to explain, but something stops me. I'm not ready to talk about it with him, and I don't need him to confront Amaros about it, either, which he probably would.

His brows pull together. "Zarla, what did he do?"

Swallowing hard, I compose myself. "Can we just drop it? Please?"

I head toward the door as his frustration and fury seep into me through our bond. With my hand on the doorknob, I glance over my shoulder at him.

"Yes, we can drop it," he says, his jaw tense. "For now."