Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

A s I stare after Finlay, fear snakes its way into my chest. Although Kyle is an angel, I’m forbidden to lower my veil around him, my bonded “human.” If Finlay makes a case to The Throne that I did that previously, and showed myself to Kyle, it will be enough for them to act. Or worse, he might tell them Kyle’s an angel from Zarquon, and I’ll be forbidden to see him ever again. The thought twists at my stomach.

I broke angel law, regardless of the circumstances. But so did Finlay. Surely he won’t tell The Throne, because then I will tell them that he broke it too. Will they understand these circumstances are different though, now that we know Kyle isn’t even human? Somehow, knowing Finlay’s father, they won’t. Law is law. What better way to show your authority than taking down the King’s daughter?

Kyle places his hand on my shoulder and gently guides me back to the porch. We’re both soaked. Again.

“I’ll get some more towels,” he says, disappearing into the house.

I lean against the side of the doorway to the house as I wait for him. We can’t stay here. It’s far from safe now that Finlay knows the truth. If the watchers come back, or Finlay and his father, we’ll be screwed. Well, we may be able to take them on, but I can’t risk that. Kyle hasn’t been through the training I have at the academy. Despite how he handled himself with the last watcher attack, I can’t assume he will cope as well next time.

If only he had his wings, then we could go back to the Kingdom and look for answers, together.

The door creaks open, and Kyle holds a towel out to me. He wraps it around my shoulders, and we head inside to dry off by the fire. The flames lick up the fresh logs Kyle must have just put on, and the warmth helps soothe my worries.

He hands me a black mug, and I take it, breathing in the delicious, sweet, cinnamon aroma. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he replies and takes a sip from his mug.

“I have an idea,” I say, and try the delicious concoction he has made. “This is incredible, by the way.” I place my mug down on the coffee table.

He raises his brows. “It’s a spiced chai latte.”

I towel my hair off. “I don’t know how to get your wings back, yet, but I might know a way to restore your memories.”

His lips part. “How?”

I hang the towel on the back of a nearby chair. “In my Kingdom, Silanthia, we have what’s called the sacred golden fountain. It’s used in our guardian ceremonies to bond guardians with their human. It uses powerful magic from the gods, and I think it could help.”

He rubs the towel over his hair, leaving it dishevelled in the most gorgeous way, then tosses it onto the floor near the fire. My eyes drift down to his damp, white T-shirt clinging to his muscles, and I gulp, refocusing my attention on his face.

His shoulders slump a little as the excitement drains from his face. “Do you think that’s a good idea? I mean, if our Kingdoms are enemies, I shouldn’t step foot in yours, right?”

Although he has a point, I know I can get him in unnoticed. We just have to be careful, and to be fair, he doesn’t have wings, so no one will know he’s from Zarquon. No wings are pretty suspicious though, but I have a plan. Sort of.

“It’ll be fine,” I say, tugging off the soaked jumper he lent me. “We’ve just got to make sure no one sees us.”

His focus drops to my leather corset, and he swallows, lifting his gaze back up to meet mine. The desire we both feel for one another is strong. I can see it each time he looks at me, and it’s hard not to run into his arms right now and kiss him, feeling his soft lips on mine again.

“How am I supposed to get there with no wings?” he asks, snapping me out of my desire-filled thoughts.

My lips twist into a smile, unsure how he will take my plan. “I can carry you.”

He stares at me. “Seriously?”

I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing. “Yes, seriously. I’m stronger than I look.”

He nods, considering it as an option. “Okay. If you think it’s possible, I’m in.”

I pick up my mug and take another sip. Gods above, this tastes good. Kyle tugs his T-shirt off, and I can’t help but gawk at him. He is male perfection, and before I can look away, he catches my eye.

“If you keep looking at me like that, I might just have to kiss you again.”

I reluctantly look down, heat rising in my cheeks again, and he laughs as he crosses the room and then stops in the doorway. “Do you want to borrow a shirt? You’re pretty soaked.”

“Yes, please,” I say.

He gestures for me to come with him, and I follow him into his room. It’s much smaller than my quarters back in Silanthia, but it’s nice. There’s a decent sized bed near the back wall, adorned in black bedding, and an enormous TV hangs on the wall opposite it. There’s an open wardrobe to the left, and next to that, a small bathroom. He rummages through his wardrobe and eventually tosses me an oversized white shirt.

“Try that,” he suggests.

I stand awkwardly, unsure about changing in front of him before he offers for me to use the bathroom. There’s a bathtub in there, a walk-in shower, and a vanity with a sink. Everything is white except the black tap-ware on the sink and in the shower. I strip off my wet, leather corset and change into his shirt, which smells just like him. There’s not much I can do about my wet pants right now, but I can change when we get back to Silanthia.

I step out of the bathroom, and his eyes trace my body.

He clears his throat. “You look, um, nice.”

I glance down at the oversized shirt, and my cheeks flush. “Thanks.”

He leaves the room, and I follow him back out to the lounge.

“Are you ready?” I ask after him.

He rubs his face and paces the floor before turning to me. “Yes, and no. I’ll ask a friend to pick up Millie while I’m away.”

He pulls out a little device I’ve learnt is a cell phone and moves his fingers across the screen before slipping it back into his pocket. Then he removes it again, holding it up. “Probably won’t need this, will I?”

I shake my head. “No, we don’t have those in the angel Kingdoms.”

After his friend agrees to watch Millie while Kyle’s gone, we move out to the yard, and I’m thankful the rain has stopped. It can hurt a bit when flying at speed, like tiny needles stabbing you all over. I glance at Kyle’s house, and his dog, Millie, is watching us through the porch door, her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth.

Knowing what we are about to do makes me a little nervous. I shake my hands out and take in a few deep breaths, then step closer to Kyle until our chests are touching. My eyes meet his as a sense of calm washes over me. I can almost get lost in the blue depths of his eyes. We stare at one another for a while before I finally break the silence.

“You ready?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper, and he nods.

We wrap our arms around one another as my white wings emerge, and I gently lift us up into the air. We hover for a moment until I’m sure this will work. I’m much stronger than he may have imagined me to be and can lift him easily. Angel strength is far superior to human strength.

“Ready?” I ask again.

His gaze is locked with mine, and he nods.

I take off up into the sky, and once I’m sure he’s safe, I increase my speed, and we soar higher and higher until the city lights resemble the stars in the night sky, twinkling down below us. I can sense we’re approaching the barrier, and I warn Kyle to prepare. It can feel strange the first time you go through it, like a feeling of unease or motion sickness.

It was designed that way to guard the Kingdoms from unwanted visitors, so it’s a small price to pay for our safety. The barrier is invisible to humans, and once we move through it, we’ll be in Silanthia. We learnt that angels from other Kingdoms will emerge in their own Kingdom once they pass the barrier. Maybe it’s to do with their markings, or their lineage. Or maybe the gods just know who is allowed to go where. No one really knows for certain.

For a moment, anxiety floods my body while I think about Kyle and whether he’ll be able to pass with me into Silanthia. I hadn’t thought about the fact he doesn’t have any angel markings, but once we pass through, it appears not to be an issue at all, and I let out a sigh of relief.

Kyle frowns at me. “Was that the barrier?”

I smile. “It was. We just passed through it to enter the Kingdom.”

I’m thankful when I don’t spot any other angels while we fly over the endless fields of grass and flowers on the outskirts of the Kingdom. The fields resemble a rainbow, and my breath catches at the beauty. My father kept the sacred golden fountain outside in a gorgeous garden near the manors. It’s filled with flowers of every kind and colour imaginable, and when the fountain isn’t required for the guardian ceremonies, it’s here. Having it here is a blessing, as it would be far riskier trying to sneak Kyle into the Great Hall without being seen.

Kyle scans his surroundings in awe as he takes everything in.

“Wow…” he breathes. “The air is so fresh, and everything is just so…unbelievable.”

He is practically speechless, and I don’t blame him. I still find beauty in our Kingdom despite growing up here. It truly is magical, and I can’t imagine a more perfect or stunning place. I’m excited to explore it further with Kyle, eventually anyway.

“Not bad, huh?” I say as we pass over the gardens toward the barrier surrounding the manors.

The fountain is up ahead, and I gently guide us down to it. The crystal-clear water spouts out of the golden angel at the top and sprays down like a springtime shower. He walks to it and takes a seat on the ledge surrounding the fountain. I follow and sit next to him. The fountain is enormous and can probably seat about fifty angels around the edge.

“Isn’t it magnificent?” I ask, closing my eyes as I breathe in the floral scent of the flowers surrounding us. “This fountain has been in our Kingdom for generations and generations. No one knows its true age. It was crafted by the gods. That much we do know.”

He opens his mouth, but no words come out. He’s speechless as he studies the intricate details of the fountain. He stares out into the water, his brows knitting together after a moment.

“What is it?” I ask.

He reaches out and grazes his fingers across the surface of the water, and it ripples out in little circles. “I’m not sure. It’s as if it’s calling to me.”

I rub my hand along his back. “Just give in to it. Let it guide you.”

Somehow, he knows what to do as he folds his sleeves back and dips both hands into the water. His forehead creases and he stares into the water.

“I see something…” he whispers, his focus still on the water.

He stares across the water at something only he can see unfolding before his eyes. He abruptly pulls his hands from the water, and his gaze snaps to mine.

“I remember something,” he whispers, blinking like he’s trying to hold on to the memory. “I remember my past. I remember our Kingdoms being at war, and sneaking into Silanthia to see you…”

I take in a sharp breath. We knew each other? I reach my hand out and give his arm a gentle squeeze as he continues.

“I witnessed something, a conversation I shouldn’t have.”

I scan his face as he stares off into the distance. “Between who?”

“I don’t know. A blonde woman. She was angry. The other angel was a male, but it wasn’t clear. I don’t recognise them. She was talking to him about how they killed Serona, and how you must never learn the truth, or reach your true potential.”

His eyes find mine, and I release his hand as I jump to my feet and back up slightly. It can’t be true… She wouldn’t have… My vision blurs as I stumble, but Kyle catches me and lowers me to the ground. It was Hethenos, I know it.

“Just breathe, Zarla. Breathe,” he urges.

My chest feels tight, too tight. I can’t breathe. Panic floods my body as my hands tremble until Kyle locks eyes with mine, stealing my focus.

“Breathe, please, Zarla!”

Something snaps me out of my panic attack, and I take a gasp of air as my gaze darts around the gardens. Kyle strokes my face, which feels clammy now, and I restore my breathing to its normal rhythm. A sob escapes my lips as his words come back to me. He saw who killed my mother.

He pulls me against his chest, and I wrap my arms around him, holding on for dear life as the wounds of my past are ripped open. We stay like that for some time before he gently lifts me up and carries me in his arms back to the fountain edge. He sits down with me in his lap as I sob into his shoulder.

Once I calm myself, I look up into his eyes. Why can’t I remember him?

“I’m so sorry,” he says, wiping my tears with the pad of his thumb. “Serona is your mother’s name?”

I nod. “I can’t believe it. Hethenos has always been horrible to me, but…”

Kyle stares at me, and I can feel his excitement. He’s battling an inner torment, feeling my pain, yet happy at his memories returning. “We were friends.”

Another tear spills down my cheek. It isn’t fair. None of this is. “I wish I could remember you.”

He slides me out of his lap and gently guides my hands into the cool water. “Here, try it.”

It’s a good idea. Maybe it will work for me, too, if it worked for him. I wait as the water ripples around my hands, but no images appear. I swirl my hands around, but there’s no change as I stare impatiently into the water.

“It’s not fair. Why won’t it work for me?” I question, as if Kyle has all the answers.

His eyes hold the disappointment I feel. “I don’t know. But we’ll figure it out,” he says. “She did this to me. Hethenos took my memories and my wings, then threw me down to Earth. I was only thirteen years old. All because I overheard her cruelty.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you. You didn’t deserve that.” A weak smile curls at my lips.

I’m happy for Kyle, and I’m thankful that this actually worked for him. But I can’t help the sadness and disappointment I feel, knowing my father is married to a monster who took everything from me. From us both.

Kyle runs the back of his fingers along my cheek. “I remember you so clearly, how beautiful I thought you were, this little blonde girl with the greenest eyes I had ever seen. I longed to see you every day, and I would come here through a gateway in the Dark Forest, and we would play together, building huts.”

I throw myself into his arms as tears continue to fall, and we hold each other for a long while.

“I’m so glad I found you again,” he whispers into my hair and then presses a kiss to the top of my head. “It was fate.”

As the words leave his lips, I know he’s right. I can feel it deep inside in every cell in my body. It was fate.

Voices sound in the near distance, and I pull back.

“Someone’s coming,” I tell him, wiping my tear-stained cheeks. “I have an idea.”

I extend my veil over us both, thankful that it works. “Come on. Let’s go. I’ll take you somewhere safe.”

He presses a kiss to my cheek, and we wrap our arms around one another as I take off up into the air and fly us back to my quarters. We land on my balcony, the easiest and quickest way in, and hurry inside. The veil releases at my will, and we stand, staring at one another, totally and utterly mesmerised, before Kyle takes my hands in his.

“I know this is hard for you, but I want you to understand that I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. We’ll get through this together, I promise.”

His words seep in, and I can sense how serious he is. My heart warms knowing I have him here with me, someone I have grown to trust more than anyone. It’s a strange thought, how two angels from enemy Kingdoms can grow so close in such a short space of time, despite all attempts to tear us apart. I can’t wait to get my memories back, to remember him.

Suddenly my mother’s journal jumps to the forefront of my mind as I remember I haven’t yet read it. I race to my bed and reach under the mattress, but it’s not there. Panic floods through me as I frantically search for it, trying farther up the bed, and around the other side, but it’s not there.

“What is it?” Kyle asks once I sit on the edge of the bed.

This is bad.

“It’s gone. My mother’s journal… Someone’s taken it.”