Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

K yle draws his brows together, shoves his chair back, and moves around to stand in front of Amaros. The smug look on Amaros's face quickly disappears as the two large males stare at one another.

I'm frozen in place, unsure what to do.

"You kissed her?" Kyle asks, shoving his chest.

Harlum slams his chair back and grabs hold of Amaros's arm. "I said enough. Now leave."

Amaros laughs, completely ignoring Harlum. "Does that bother you? Because I can tell you she enjoyed it. A lot."

That did it. Kyle launches his fist at Amaros and hits him hard in the face, knocking him back. Amaros grits his teeth, charges into Kyle, and tackles him to the ground where they scuffle about, taking swings at one another.

"Stop! Harlum, do something!" I yell.

"Guards!" Harlum calls, and they hurry over and pull the males apart. "Get them out of here!"

The guards drag Amaros and Kyle from the dining room and throw them outside the main entrance. I hurry after them, desperately trying to get to Kyle.

"You lying son of a bitch!" Kyle tenses, his entire body shaking as veins protrude from his neck. .

Amaros breathes heavily, and that smug look reappears across his features. "Ask her yourself."

Kyle shakes his head in disbelief, then turns to me.

Oh no. what am I supposed to do? I can't lie to him, but telling him will break him. It could break us .

"Zarla, tell him. You'd never kiss him. I know you wouldn't. You hate him." Kyle seems so sure that it tears my heart.

I don't even need to answer him because the look on my face must be answer enough.

Kyle rears back slightly, as if he's just taken a dagger to the heart. "It's not true."

I hurry to his side and take hold of his arm. "Please, you don't understand. It's not what you think. It was a long time ago."

He yanks his arm back. "So it's true, then?"

Tears flow freely down my cheeks as I try to think of an explanation, anything to make him understand it was nothing. It meant nothing, especially not now after all that I have learned.

"I wasn't thinking straight. I was confused. You have to believe me. It meant nothing! It meant less than nothing!"

It's not the situation that kills me. It's not even Kyle knowing the truth. It's the way he's looking at me, as if I'm some kind of stranger.

A sob escapes my lips, and I try to grab onto him, but he pushes past me and punches Amaros hard in the jaw, knocking him to the ground for a second time.

"Kyle, please!" I beg, but without looking back, his black wings spring free, and he flies away into the darkness, leaving me behind.

I fall to my knees as uncontrollable sobs wrack my body, and I struggle to suck in enough air. A pair of arms wrap around my waist and haul me up into an embrace.

"Just breathe, Zarla, breathe," Amaros instructs, but I shove him away.

"Do not touch me!" I scream, wiping my nose on the back of my hand.

"It's for the best, Zarla. A healthy relationship doesn't contain secrets and lies. I told you, you can never be with him."

Red-hot rage flows through my veins as I level my gaze at him. "Even if I can never be with Kyle, I will never be with you!"

"What the fuck was that?" Harlum demands as he enters the courtyard, followed by Lissian, who pulls me into her arms.

Amaros clears his throat. "I apologise, Harlum. But it needed to be done. I trust you prefer Zarla is with an angel from within her own Kingdom rather than one from Zarquon?"

I glare at Amaros from over Lissian's shoulder, and Harlum grits his teeth and shoves Amaros.

"You do not get to make such decisions. Look at the pain you have caused my daughter. Have you been making advances on her, Amaros?"

I bet that part didn't cross Amaros's mind.

He swallows hard and tugs on his collar. "I am in love with your daughter, Harlum, and I know she feels the same. She's just confused."

"No! I do not love you. I could never love you." Angry tears continue to flow.

"Leave. Now," Harlum demands, and without further argument, Amaros storms back into the castle.

"Oh, Zarla, it'll be okay," Lissian whispers in my ear as I cry into her shoulder.

"I'm gonna kill him," Harlum says from somewhere behind us.

I pull away from Lissian and wipe my eyes. "Please don't do anything to him. Just leave it."

Harlum cracks his knuckles and looks to Lissian, shaking his head. "He has overstepped his place. You know that, right?"

Lissian nods. "He has, but that all depends on whether or not his advances were welcomed."

Lissian arches a brow at me, and I bite my bottom lip.

She closes her eyes and takes in a deep breath before letting the air whoosh out of her lungs. "Oh, Zarla. I know this is messy, but in time, Kyle will forgive you. I am sure of it. Amaros is an older male. He should have known better."

"You can't stay in here like this. It isn't healthy," Finlay says as he fiddles with an apple, passing it from one hand to the other in the most annoying way possible.

I'm lying in bed, trying to pretend he isn't here, but it's not working.

First, he got into my head, literally, telling me to get outside for some fresh air. When that didn't work, he came to my room and has been coming here every day for the past week to coerce me to go with him. He's getting on my nerves to the point that I may just have to give in to get him off my case.

He takes a bite of the apple, and the crunch of it is too much.

I throw the covers off and leap to my feet. "All right, all right. Just get out already!"

He smirks and runs his tongue over his teeth. "Thatta girl. Now, I have a surprise for you. Something that'll be sure to cheer you up. Get your leathers on and meet me out front in ten."

He leaves the room, and I let out a sigh. Finally, some peace and quiet. I take a quick shower and get ready.

Although I don't really feel like whatever it is he has planned, he's right. I can't just stay in here for the rest of my life, despite how tempting that may sound right about now. I dress in my leathers as instructed and head for the door.

Ticktock, Finlay's annoying voice says in my head.

Oh, shut it! I'm coming, I reply, and he laughs.

I find Finlay waiting for me near the gates to the castle, and I storm over to him, fidgeting with my daggers. He eyes them somewhat cautiously, as if he thinks I may just stab him. I must admit, the thought crossed my mind.

"So what is this surprise, then? It had better be good, Finlay." I roll my eyes and slip my daggers into their holsters.

He strums his fingers together as a wide grin spreads across his lips. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

I scoff and impatiently fold my arms across my chest. "Ah, yes, I would. Hence why I just asked."

"Just follow me, okay?" He releases his wings and takes off toward the Kingdom gates, and I follow.

A spark ignites inside me when I realise we're going to Earth. What has he got planned? We free-fall through the clouds until an unfamiliar city appears before us, and I put my veil in place as we glide down and land on the cobblestone street. It's beautiful, wherever we are, and the air is fresh here. I take in a deep breath, and the scent of fresh-cut flowers fills my nose from a flower stall on the corner.

Finlay takes my hand, and I smile at him.

"Thank you for this," I tell him, sweat beading on my forehead beneath the sun's rays. "It wasn't what I expected."

He jiggles his brows up and down. "Pretty good, huh? But this isn't the surprise. Come on."

Curious, I follow along as he drags me down several streets past small storefronts selling various things from baked goods to jewelry. We round another corner, and there's a beautiful park up ahead with lush green grass framed by tall trees.

I'm wondering what in the gods we're doing here when I spot Demetros and Lacinda on a park bench about a hundred feet away.

My eyes must've grown twice their size as I quickly look at Finlay. He shoots me a wink and nods in their direction, and I run toward them. Lacinda spots me first, and she leaps to her feet and sprints to me. We crash into one another in a tight embrace.

"Oh my gosh, I have missed you so much!" she squeals.

"Me too!" I pull back and grab her hands, giving them a squeeze. "How have you been?"

Two enormous arms wrap around me from behind, lifting me up, and I let out a squeak as the air squeezes from my lungs.

"Hey, girl, long time no see!"

"Demetros! Put me down!" I say through a laugh.

He sets me down, and I wrap my arms around him. It feels so damn good to see them. I can't remember the last time I did, but it's been way too long.

Finlay soon joins us, and Demetros gives him a fist bump.

"How did you know where to find them?" I ask him.

Finlay shrugs. "I have my ways."

I shoot him a side smile and then leap into his arms. "Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."

I do, and you're welcome, he says through our mind link.

We all sit down on the grass in a half circle and watch the endless humans pass by, oblivious to our presence. It's such a gorgeous city, wherever we are.

"So, how's everything going down here?" I ask. "Where's your human?"

Demetros points to a couple who are having a picnic across the park. "That's Michael and his girlfriend."

The protective glint in his eyes warms my heart, and Lacinda shares it, too, as they watch their human.

"I'm happy for you both," I tell them.

Demetros narrows his eyes. "I believe you, but you're not happy. I can feel it. What's going on?"

He can always tell when I'm a bit off. I'm not even trying to hide it at this point. Things are messy. More than messy, in fact.

I sigh and scratch my forehead. "There's so much to tell. My life's a mess."

Lacinda scoots closer to me and drapes her arm around my shoulder. "Whatever it is, we can help you get through it."

I fill them in on the Amaros and Kyle drama, and I can tell by their shocked expressions that it wasn't what they were expecting.

"Amaros? Really?" Lacinda asks as she fiddles with the ends of her fiery-red curls. "Didn't think he had it in him."

"He's a piece of shit," Finlay adds.

I scoff at that.

Demetros arches his brows. "So why did you kiss him back, then?"

I shrug. "I don't know. It's like he drew me in somehow, and I couldn't fight it. He really is a decent male. I don't know why he felt the need to ruin everything with Kyle."

Finlay laughs, and I glare at him.

He holds his hands up in apology. "He felt the need to fuck it all up because he wants you for himself."

Demetros looks between Finlay and me. "I agree. But as interesting as all of this is, there's something we need to tell you."

He glances at Lacinda, and I'm thankful for the change in subject.

I shuffle around into a more comfortable position and eye them both. "What is it?"

"Strange things have been happening down here. For one, we've seen watchers and lost ones interacting together, as if they are working with one another. And…" He looks at Lacinda again. "We've seen watchers killing guardians."

I gasp. This is really happening again?

"And we've also seen lost ones killing guardians and archangels, too," he adds. "But the strange part is that we've never seen lost ones killing watchers."

My brows pull together. "That doesn't make any sense. Why would lost ones spare the watchers?"

And then it occurs to me that maybe Zalore is trying to set Zarquon up by making it look as though archangels are killing guardians by having his watchers do it. Would he really go to such lengths?

"Have either of you felt in danger?" It's an important question, because if they have, then this may be a bigger issue than it already is.

Demetros runs a hand through his hair. "Yes and no. I am confident we can defend ourselves. But…"

I frown. "But what?"

He flicks his gaze to Lacinda, then back at me. "If a lot of them show up, I don't know that we can take them. They're strong, and their claws are deadly. I've seen what they can do. We both have."

Finlay and I fly back to Silanthia after that, but our conversation with Demetros and Lacinda has left me rattled.

I don't want my friends put in a dangerous position where they can't defend themselves. It's not okay. Something has to be done about this. Where are these lost ones coming from?

You all good? Finlay asks through the mind link as we pass the barrier into Silanthia.

It's difficult to communicate any other way when we're flying at this speed.

I'm just worried about them, that's all.

I know it's scary, but they'll be all right. They are powerful fighters. Plus, Harlum sent more seconds down, remember?

I'm about to respond when an ear-piercing screech sounds from behind. Finlay and I both look back to find a horde of about twenty lost ones following us through the Kingdom.

With wide eyes, I look at Finlay.

What do we do? A note of panic edges his voice.

I don't know! We need to keep them away from populated areas. Head for the Dark Forest, I suggest.

There's a loud snarl, and I whip around to see a group of Zelons flying close behind in pursuit of the lost ones. Thank the gods they've seen them breech the Kingdom boundary.

Finlay and I swoop down toward the edge of the Dark Forest along the east side of the Kingdom boundary where more Zelons are guarding the borders.

We both land at speed with a thud and draw our weapons.

The lost ones land one by one before us, their long claws extending out farther than I remembered from last time. Their expressions are hollow and void of emotion. The angels they used to be are long gone, and all that remains is a thirst for blood. Up close, they are terrifying. Their pale skin is flaking off, and their hair is straggly and barely attached to their heads. Their wings, sparsely covered with feathers, are dripping with black blood.

They stare at us through milky eyes before letting out another awful screech. Then, they charge forward.

But the Zelons are fast, and they land around us, boxing the lost ones in. We outnumber the lost ones three to one, but I won't allow their obvious disadvantage to get the best of my confidence. I know how deadly a slash from their claws can be.

"Careful!" Finlay shouts, and I duck out of the way as a lost one slashes their claws toward my face.

A huge Zelon catches the movement and leaps in front of me, biting down on the lost one's arm and tearing it right off. It screeches again but doesn't seem too fazed by the loss of its limb.

My stomach turns at the sight, and I have to take a deep breath to calm the nausea.

It bares its broken and rotten teeth and launches toward the Zelon. He's quicker though and snaps onto the lost one's head, taking it clean off and tossing it to the side, where it comes to a rolling stop against a tree.

Gross.

The remaining lost ones charge forward and crash into the Zelons with teeth and claws snapping at one another. It's total chaos, and I'm unsure what to do.

Finlay and I exchange a brief look before jumping into action and joining in on the carnage.

Don't get scratched! I warn Finlay.

He slashes his sword across a lost one's back, and it falls face-first into the ground. Wasn't planning on it!

A lost one comes at me, and I spin out of the way and slice my daggers along its wings. It screeches and arches its back before turning on me. I slide my daggers away and draw my power, allowing it to build in my palms before blasting it into the lost one.

It absorbs my power, and its entire body shakes as cracks appear in its thin, flaky skin. Light bursts from its chest as it stares up at the sky, and I rear back just as it explodes into a thousand pieces.

Finlay takes a pause from fighting, having watched the whole thing, and stares at me with wide eyes.

What the fuck was that? he asks.

I have no idea, I reply.

A lost one charges him, and he's caught up in a tussle.

In my brief moment of reprieve, I survey the battle taking place before me, and it appears we're winning. That's something, at least. There's only a dozen lost ones left, but several Zelons are injured. We still have the advantage, though.

A strained grunt snaps me back to the situation at hand. Finlay is being overwhelmed by lost ones.

I charge toward him, and a lost one tackles me to the ground. It snaps at my face, spraying me with green saliva that smells worse than death. I blast it off, giving myself enough time to get up before it charges again.

I build my powers once more and blast them into the lost one in a powerful stream of white light, but nothing happens. It keeps charging.

Oh shoot. How the hell did I kill that one before?

Zarla!

I glance over as Finlay battles with three lost ones, and then two Zelons dive at them and knock them out of the way.

Come on, Zarla, you can do this .

I close my eyes, which may or may not be a stupid idea, and build my powers in my palms to the point where I'm straining and feeling lightheaded. I then scream as I snap my eyes open and blast the lost one.

It works. Its skin cracks, and light bursts from within it, exploding it into pieces.

There are only a few lost ones left now, but the Zelons take care of them quickly. I hurry over to help Finlay to his feet, and he's staring at me like I have something stuck in my teeth.

"What?" I ask as he dusts off his leathers.

"It's just… How did you do that? When I used my powers on them, it didn't do that."

I scan the area where lost ones lay ripped apart, their limbs scattered around them. My stomach turns at the sight, and I have to mentally prompt myself to breathe through my mouth only. The stench is unlike anything I have experienced before.

Several Zelons are injured with deep gashes in their bodies. One is dead.

I hurry over to the deceased Zelon and run my hand along the smooth skin of its body. Poor creature.

But then it shakes, its body wracking back and forth as if it's possessed. Its eyes snap open. They're milky white, just like the lost ones. It opens its mouth and lets out an awful screech as I leap back.

Gods above, what's happening?

Zarla… Finlay's concerned voice sounds in my head. Back away slowly.

I don't dare to blink as I take small, slow steps backward, away from the Zelon. It climbs onto all fours, stumbling a little as if it's drunk. It sniffs the air and then tilts its head in my direction.

My heart pounds as I stand frozen in place, staring at the creature.

Shit. It's turned into one of them.

"Zarla, run!"