Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

A fter a rough night’s sleep, that didn’t involve much sleep at all, I decide to get up early and watch the sunrise before meeting Demetros and Lacinda outside the Dark Forest. The chilly autumn air blows my hair off my face as I fly over the Kingdom. There’s a faint glow on the horizon up ahead, and I know it’s going to be a beautiful sight.

I swoop down and land softly on a large boulder at the edge of the forest. There are many boulders like this one scattered around, and I wonder whether they were intentionally placed there. Sounds emerge from the trees, filling the calm morning air as it comes to life. Gorgeous colours consume the sky, with golden and pink hues, and I tell myself I have to do this more often. It truly is worth the early rise.

I let out a yawn and stretch my arms above my head as I perch on the edge of the boulder. I’m wearing my guardian leathers with a thick black cloak overtop, and I huddle beneath it, thankful for the extra layer. My thoughts drift to Kyle, and I wonder what he’s doing down on Earth. It feels like it’s been a week since I last saw him, rather than just yesterday, and I miss him.

Guilt tugs at my chest as I remember my kiss with Amaros. What was he thinking? It’s going to be awkward when I see him next, especially around my father. He shouldn’t have kissed me, and I shouldn’t have enjoyed it like I did. But compared to my kisses with Kyle, it meant less than nothing.

I’m so distracted by my thoughts I don’t notice right away as Lacinda and Demetros swoop down toward me. There’s something about the two of them that has me suspicious. They seem very cosy with one another, and I can’t help but wonder if something may have happened between them. But today is already nerve-racking enough, so I decide to file that question away for another time, when we’re not about to go on a hike through the Dark Forest to find the God of Death.

“Morning,” Lacinda says cheerily as she lands at the base of the boulder.

My wings spring free, and I swoop down to meet her and pull her in for a hug.

“Thank you for coming,” I say before moving back. “I know it wasn’t an easy decision for you.”

She tilts her head and smiles. “You’re right about that. But I’m here for you,” she says before adding, “but I better not be eaten by a Zelon, or I’m gonna be pissed.”

Demetros gives me a hug, too. “We’ve got your back,” he tells me, and I remind myself how damn lucky I am to have these two.

We all turn to face the forest. Despite the morning sun being well and truly up, the forest is dark, and it holds an eeriness about it that prickles my skin. I suppose its name, the Dark Forest, is fitting. There’s a howl in the distance, and Lacinda tenses beside me. It’s almost certainly a Zelon, and I’m sure she knows it.

“Hey,” I say, rubbing her arm, “they’re not as scary as you think. I’ve ridden one and spent time with them. Once they see you’re not a threat, they’re like big teddy bears.”

She swallows hard, and I’m not sure she believes me.

“Can’t we just fly over the forest and then land in the right spot?” she asks in a high-pitched tone.

Flying is something I have considered, but in all honesty, I don’t think we’d be able to see anything from above the tree line. The trees are too dense. It will be difficult to spot what we’re looking for, and something tells me it won’t be easy to find.

“We’ve got to do this by foot. We won’t be able to see anything from up there,” I explain, and she agrees.

After a few minutes of mental preparation, we step through the edge of the boundary and into the forest. I can understand Lacinda’s fears about the Zelons, but she’ll just have to take my word for it, or see for herself when we no doubt come across one. Or several.

“So, do you know where to go?” Demetros asks as we wind our way between the trees.

The forest plant life starts off sparsely spaced out, but the farther we go into the forest, the thicker it gets, and soon we’re striding through dense bush.

“I’m not sure exactly how to explain it, but I have this feeling, like the forest is speaking to me and guiding me through it.”

Lacinda glances at Demetros, her eyes laced with concern. “A feeling?”

I brush a large leaf out of the way, careful not to spring it back into Demetros’s face. “Yes. Trust me, okay?”

She takes a deep breath. “Okay.”

I catch Demetros watching me, as if he wants to say something, but every time I look at him, he glances away.

“Okay, what is it?” I finally ask.

His forehead wrinkles as he runs a hand through his thick locks. “Tell me to shut up if you don’t wanna talk about this, but what do you plan to do about Hethenos?”

It’s a question I have mulled over many times since learning she was likely the one responsible for my mother’s murder. But I don’t know what to do. Would my father even believe me? I feel as though I need solid proof if I’m going to voice an accusation of that nature to him.

“I’m not sure. I think I need proof,” I say. “My father isn’t going to take it well. I need to be certain if I’m to convince him.”

Demetros brushes his hair out of his eyes, tucking it behind his ear as he parts his way through the bushes. “If this all came to light from Kyle’s memories returning, couldn’t you point her out to him, like discreetly, so he can confirm if she is the female he remembers?”

I push my way between some dense bushes, almost tripping in the thick undergrowth, when Lacinda squeals.

“Something touched my leg.” She panics, her voice rising an octave.

I draw my daggers, prepared to slice and dice whatever may be lurking in these bushes with us, when she laughs.

“Sorry, false alarm. I think it was just a leaf.”

I press my lips together as a laugh rumbles up from my chest, and I slide my daggers back into my holders. After about five minutes, the bushes thin out a bit, providing us with much-needed relief. It was tough work pushing our way through that dense bush, and I’m already exhausted.

After about two hours of walking through this forest, I worry whether we are going in the right direction. How much farther can it be? I wasn’t lying when I said I felt as though the forest was guiding me. I close my eyes and home in on the sense, connecting with the forest. Something is definitely communicating with me, urging me forward.

Lacinda takes in a sharp breath, and my eyes snap open to see a massive male Zelon standing before me. I slowly raise my hand to tell them both to stay put. The last thing we need is for one of them to run off and scare the Zelon.

He takes several steps toward me, crunching leaves and twigs beneath his enormous paws. Once he’s only a couple of feet away, he sniffs me, his nostrils flaring. I hold still, praying to the gods that he’s a Zelon I have already come across. Just maybe he might remember me and know I’m not a threat.

He lowers his head and then rubs his face against mine, and I relax. I stroke the side of his face as he purrs and turns to Lacinda. Her complexion has considerably paled, and her face is clammy as she tries not to move, while Demetros simply stares at the Zelon without blinking.

“It’s okay,” I tell them both. “He’s friendly. Come and meet him.”

Demetros moves a foot forward, and the Zelon snaps his head in his direction, spreading his wings out.

“Maybe slower,” I suggest.

He pauses and holds his hands up.

Lacinda doesn’t move, but Demetros is soon at her side. He takes her hand, slowly leading her over to the Zelon.

She tugs her arm back, shaking her head. “No, no, no, I can’t do it.”

He gently grabs her upper arms. “Yes, you can. I’m right here with you. Look how calm he is,” he says, gesturing to the Zelon. “He won’t harm you.”

She looks at the Zelon then swallows hard, and Demetros leads her closer. The Zelon moves toward them, closing the short distance, and I’m thankful Lacinda doesn’t freak out and do something stupid. He lowers his head and sniffs them both, then rubs his face against Demetros and then Lacinda.

After that, it’s as if her nerves vanish, and a smile takes over her features. “Wow, this is…” she says in amazement.

“Incredible?” I finish for her, and she nods, totally speechless.

Demetros laughs, rubbing the Zelon’s neck. “What a handsome boy,” he says in a funny voice.

The Zelon licks his face and then turns and runs off back through the trees and out of sight.

Lacinda lets out a long breath. “You were right.”

“Big teddy bears,” I remind her.

We carry on walking, snaking our way deeper into the forest. I’m not sure how much farther it is to reach this clearing, but we can’t stop now. The Dark Forest is seriously big. I don’t think any of the angels within the Kingdom really know just how big. It takes up a huge footprint in our Kingdom and stretches on farther than the eye can see, past the distant mountains. Someone really ought to explore it further.

I can only hope it won’t take us longer than a day to reach it, because with the size of this forest, we could be hiking for days. I decide to keep that bit of information to myself. The last thing I want to do is freak Lacinda out.

Sounds of various creatures echo throughout the forest as I take in its beauty. Until this point, it’s been mostly lush greenery surrounding us in all shades imaginable. But now the colours of the forest are changing. The deeper we venture, the more magnificent it becomes. Enormous brightly coloured flowers surround us in shades of red, pink, and orange, and little birds and other small creatures fly above and occasionally land on the flowers as they curiously watch us.

The trees here are impossibly tall, with thick vines hanging between them. Four-legged grey creatures with long fluffy tails and silver wings swing on the vines through the forest above us, and they occasionally let go and free-fall before their wings snap out to catch them. I giggle at their thrilling little game as they fly back up to swing from the vines again, and we all stare in awe at the beauty surrounding us.

“I never knew the forest was like this,” Lacinda says, scanning her surroundings. “They never taught us much about it. Why do you think that is?”

“I don’t know,” I reply, confused myself. “Perhaps they were trying to protect the forest. Or maybe no one really knows.”

It wouldn’t surprise me if we were the only angels to have ventured this far into the forest. If other angels have, that information was sure kept private.

Demetros stops near the base of a tree and glides his fingers over the soft green moss growing there. “Neither did I. It’s beautiful.”

A rainbow-coloured bird flies down and lands on a low branch, tilting its head as it studies us. It’s about the size of my palm. I hold my arm out to it as it flitters down and lands on me.

“Hello, little fella,” I say as I gently reach up with my other hand and pat its head.

It chirps, hopping up my arm before flying ahead and landing on another low-hanging branch. I laugh and follow it. When I reach it, it flies off again to the next tree branch. Something tells me it’s leading us somewhere, and that we should follow.

“Is it…?” Demetros asks.

“I think it wants us to follow,” I say.

Lacinda stops. “Look, I agree it’s a cute little bird. But should we follow it? I mean, what happened to the feeling inside you that was leading us?”

“It’s telling me to follow the bird,” I tell her.

She sighs and gestures for me to lead the way.

We follow the bird for about fifteen minutes until it eventually flies inside a clearing and lands on top of a large stone covered in vines. My eyes widen when I recognise the clearing from the book, although it looks quite different now. The forest has well and truly claimed it. I rush forward through the trees into the clearing. Vines snake across everything in sight, covering the stones until they are only just visible through a few small gaps. It’s as if the forest is trying to hide them.

“Thank you, little fella,” I whisper to the bird, and it chirps and flies off out of sight.

Trees line the circular clearing, which is about twice the size of my quarters. There are large stones in the centre, in the same circular pattern, surrounding an even larger circular stone that is embedded into the ground.

“Wow…” Demetros and Lacinda both whisper as they move into the clearing.

I walk over to the stones and stop near a gap big enough to fit through. The air is thick and powerful, and it’s as if my body is telling me to run. That it’s dangerous here. There is a heaviness pressing down on me, and I’m finding it difficult to move. I slip my way through the gap and into the centre of the stones.

I take deep breaths through my nose as dizziness takes hold, and eventually, I have to crouch down for a moment to catch my breath.

“Are you okay?” Lacinda asks.

I nod, unable to voice anything just yet.

She and Demetros try to approach, but they seem unable to get much farther than the exterior of the stones.

“Something’s preventing me from getting any closer,” Demetros says, his brow creased.

“Same here,” Lacinda protests.

I close my eyes and try to focus. I’m here for a reason. For Kyle. I force myself to stand, stumbling a little as I go.

Demetros reaches out to me, concern etched into his features. “Zarla!”

I swallow hard and hold my hand up. “I’m… I’m okay,” I say.

I glance down at the stone I’m standing on and notice the ancient symbols etched into its surface. The language of the gods.

“Of Kingdoms, angels, and gods?—”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Demetros says. “We don’t know what this is all about, or what will happen if you read from these stones.”

Nausea twists my stomach as my head grows heavy. I know if I don’t do this now, I won’t be able to at all. I can’t handle it much longer. Something doesn’t want me here. I can feel it.

“I have to,” I say, before continuing. “Of Kingdoms, angels, and gods, he shall rise?—”

“Zarla!” Lacinda protests.

“—and bestow his power across the Kingdoms,” I say, ignoring their concerns.

The forest grows eerily quiet then, and I can hear nothing more than my rapid breaths and the beating of my heart. It’s as if time slows, and I turn to my friends, panic twisting their features.

“Something doesn’t feel right,” Demetros says, his voice barely audible.

I close my eyes for a moment, trying to steady myself.

There’s a low rumble as the ground shakes, and I snap my attention back to the stones. Demetros and Lacinda call out to me as they back away, but I’m unable to move. Literally. Panic creeps up my spine. Sweat beads on my forehead.

A bright white light shines up through the centre of the stone, and I have to shield my eyes from its intensity.

There’s an even stronger surge of energy, and it pushes me down to the ground. I fall to my knees, unable to resist it. I curl myself into a ball, holding my hands over my ears as a loud screech fills the air. The rumbling stops, and I realise the screams are my own.

“Zarla!” Lacinda calls.

“Talk to us!” Demetros demands.

I remove my hands from my ears and slowly uncurl myself to see a pair of impeccable black leather boots standing before me.

“Well, hello there, Zarla Quinn.”

The voice is deep and alluring, and every fibre in my body is screaming at me to get away from it. Away from him .

I slowly raise my attention up to see a dangerously gorgeous male. His dark, dishevelled hair is falling over his forehead, his pale skin almost illuminated beneath the glow of the moonlight, and he has the most incredible red eyes. He is absolutely mesmerising. He looks young, maybe in his twenties, but something tells me he is much, much older than that.

I notice the nausea has eased and the heaviness I felt has lifted. I slowly stand as the male watches my every move. His stare is powerful and has me feeling as though I should kneel before him or something.

He chuckles. “No need to kneel, little angel.”

My eyes widen. He can hear my thoughts?

“I can indeed. But not to fear. I won’t hold them against you. I usually have the same impression on those who dare call upon me.” His perfectly shaped lips curl up into a smirk.

Heat rises in my cheeks, and I pretend not to notice. His gaze shifts to Demetros and Lacinda, and his brow creases slightly.

“You brought…friends,” he says, his voice laced with discontent.

I stare at my friends, who both take a step back and glance down.

“Are you…the God of Death?” I finally ask.

It’s pretty obvious by now, but I have to know for sure. He isn’t what I was expecting.

His eyes find mine. “I am. But you already knew that,” he says. “Now, what exactly were you expecting?”

I swallow hard. “Perhaps an older male.”

He smirks once more. “Don’t let my looks fool you. I am thousands of years old, little angel.”

My mouth drops open, and I have to force myself to close it.

His smirk vanishes as his features shift into a more serious and somewhat terrifying glare. “Why have you summoned me?”

My heart thumps against my chest, and I have to remind myself to breathe. Just breathe. “The gods bonded me to a human on Earth, who isn’t a human at all. He is a fallen angel who had his wings removed, and I believe you may know how to get them back.”

He narrows his eyes and clasps his hands behind his back as he slowly circles me. He is a predator, and I am his prey. I swallow hard and try to slow my breathing. His warm breath tickles my neck as I realise he’s close behind me, and I force myself to stand still. He grazes his fingers down my neck, and I shiver at their cool touch.

“So you summon me for a favour?” he asks as he moves around to stand before me.

He’s very close, but I force myself to maintain eye contact. Something tells me this male— god —admires strength.

“I do not know if it is a favour. I want to know of the dark magic.”

The male laughs. “There are other ways to return wings to an angel, and it does not require the dark magic. Ways in which you do not know.”

My brows furrow. “Other ways?”

He doesn’t respond and just stares at me until I can’t bear it any longer and look away. His fingers caress my cheek, moving down to my chin, and he gently turns my face toward his.

“If you wish for the dark magic, I can help you,” he says, and I can feel my face light up at his words, “but I cannot guarantee it will end well.”

His fingers remain on my face, which is growing cooler as the seconds go by.

I shiver. “So the dark magic can give me the power to restore his wings?”

“Zarla, I’m not sure—” Lacinda says, and the male glares at her.

“Do not speak!” he bellows. “You do not speak in my presence unless called upon.”

Lacinda blinks and takes several steps back, bowing her head.

Oh no. The last thing we want to do is anger the God of Death.

Reading my thoughts, he smiles, and it takes my breath away. Gods above, he’s handsome. His smile widens, and I have to remind myself to stop thinking.

“The answer to your question is yes. The dark magic can restore his wings.”

“Then I want to do it,” I firmly say.

He presses his lips together as he scans my face. “Very well, then.”

He takes my face between his hands and closes his eyes as a searing pain shoots through my head. I scream as the pain rips through every cell in my body, and I feel as though I’m about to die, and if not, I wish for death. Anything to stop this.

“Zarla!” Demetros calls out.

After what feels like an eternity, he lets me go, and the pain drops just as fast as I do. My knees give out, and I hit the stone floor, my breathing rapid.

Lacinda and Demetros rush to the edge of the stones, desperately trying to get through, but still unable to pass through the invisible barrier.

“What have you done to her?” Demetros demands.

“Only what she has asked of me.”

My legs shake as I stand. “How do I use it?”

“You simply think of what you want, and the dark magic will do all the work for you.” He takes my hand and presses his lips to my skin before disappearing.

I stand there, speechless, staring into the space he was in just seconds ago. My skin feels cool where he touched me.

I turn to face my friends. They’re both clammy, with concern laced across their features.

“Are you okay?” they ask.

I smile, feeling better than I have in a long time. “I’m fine,” I say as I step back through the gap in the stones, “but I must go to Kyle.”

“Be safe,” Lacinda says against my ear as we hug.

“I will. I promise.”

“Go to him,” Demetros says.

Tears sting my eyes as my wings spring free, and I shoot into the air high above the Dark Forest where the sun is setting in the distance. I fly faster than I have ever flown before. I don’t care if I’m seen. I pass through the gates and dive back down to Earth to restore Kyle’s wings.