Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

I stare into the eyes of the messenger angel who looks incredibly anxious as his gaze darts between the guards, Kyle, and me. He appears young, maybe a few years older than I. His deep-brown hair is shaved at the sides and styled neatly in waves on the top of his head.

There’s something about him I trust, and I think it’s the kindness I find in his eyes.

“You may relay your message,” one of the guards instructs.

“Zarla Quinn?” he says with an unsteady voice. “I have a message from Silanthia. Your father is gravely ill, and you have been summoned to return to the Kingdom.”

I blink away the last of my tears and wipe my cheeks. “What?”

He gives me a tight-lipped smile. “I know it’s difficult news to receive. But the King is unwell. You must return to Silanthia at once.”

Kyle is at my side in an instant. “I don’t trust this, Zarla. It’s a trap. Please don’t go.”

I turn back to the messenger angel while I comprehend the situation.

“I’ll wait at the border to escort you back. A reminder that this is not a request. It is a direct order from your King.” He spreads his white wings out wide and takes off up into the air with the two guards close behind, and they disappear into the darkness.

I face Kyle as my concern and confusion morphs into anger. “How dare you! How dare you kiss her and then tell me what to do.”

His brows knit together as he stares into my eyes and grabs my upper arms. “I didn’t kiss her back, Zarla, I swear. You didn’t see me push her away.”

My lip quivers while I try to hold it together, unsuccessfully. Tears fall down my cheeks as I back up from him, and his hands drop away.

“Zarla, please,” he begs, his eyes glistening in the dim light. “I would never do anything to hurt you.”

I know deep inside that he’s telling me the truth, but I can’t shake the fury boiling inside me. There’s movement behind Kyle, and I spot Em hovering near the entrance to the castle, leaning up against the stone pillar with her arms crossed, her expression smug as if she’s won something.

And then I lose it. My wings spring free, and I swoop up and then land right in front of her. Her smug expression quickly evaporates as she backs up.

I glare at her with my fists clenched at my sides.

“Zarla,” Kyle calls out from behind me.

I ignore him, unable to peel my eyes off her.

She holds her head high. “Kyle is mine,” she says with a hushed, level voice I know he won’t hear. “He just doesn’t know it yet, but he will. I’m going to show him you’re not good enough for a descendant of the gods.”

I frown at her words. What is she talking about?

Em laughs. “See? He doesn’t even tell you the most important parts about himself. But he tells me everything.”

I risk a glance behind me to see Kyle spread his wings out and swoop toward us.

“You and your Kingdom nearly got him killed. You’re a danger to him, and he doesn’t deserve it,” she says as Kyle lands next to me.

“He’s lost years of his life being stuck down on Earth because of you. How dare you come into my Kingdom and expect everything to be okay. That you can just be with Kyle now, after all the pain you’ve caused him.”

“Shut it, Em,” he warns her.

She chuckles. “What? It’s the truth.”

Kyle pins her with a hard glare, then grabs me by the arms, spinning me to face him. “That’s enough, Em.”

I push him away. “Is that true? You’re a descendant of the gods?”

Pain twists his features, and he shoots Em a death stare. “Yes, it’s true. But I wanted to tell you myself. I just wasn’t sure how.”

So it’s true. Apollon is a god.

I wave my hand toward Em. “But you told her ?”

“She’s just a friend, that’s all.”

Em snickers at his words and rolls her eyes.

“Leave, Em. Now.” Kyle’s demand booms through the still night air.

She opens her mouth to protest, but he shoots her a look I’ve never seen before. She storms off back into the castle.

“I’m sorry,” he says, reaching up to touch my face. “I love you more than anything, and I want to tell you all there is to know about me. I’m still learning of it myself.”

I back up. “But instead of telling me, you tell her,” I say, and when he doesn’t reply, I add, “I have to go. My family needs me.”

He grabs my wrist. “Don’t go. It’s a trap. You’re not safe in Silanthia. Your sister tried to kill you!”

I glance down at his hand on my wrist, and even now, as angry as I am, I enjoy his touch.

“I have no choice,” I whisper.

He pulls me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me as if he never wants to let me go. “Please don’t leave, not in anger. I can’t lose you again, Zarla. I love you. Do you believe me?”

Something inside is screaming at me to say that yes, I believe him, but the stubborn part of me refuses to speak the words. He hurt me. Whether it’s his fault or not, he hurt me. He kissed Em.

And you also kissed someone else, too, my inner voice reminds me.

I pull back from his grasp. “I have to go. It’s my father, Kyle. I can’t just ignore it. I’ve been summoned. What if it’s serious?”

He grabs my hand, and I tug myself free.

“At least you’ll have Em.” I take off into the air, unable to look back.

Why did I just say that? He doesn’t care about Em. I know he doesn’t. Why am I trying to push him into her arms?

I fly through the darkness toward the edge of the Kingdom feeling more alone than ever. I spot a clearing below and land, unable to see through the tears any longer. A sob escapes my lips, and I sink down to my knees. My heart feels like it’s tearing in two. How did things get so bad in such a short time? Everything was great with Kyle. How could he betray me like that? And with her .

You betrayed him too, with Amaros, my inner voice annoyingly chimes in, and I mentally tell it to shut up.

I remind myself that Em means nothing to him, but I’m unsure whether that’s even the truth anymore. They have been together here in their Kingdom since she saved his life after the watcher attack and brought him back here. Gods know how close they could have grown in my absence.

Pain lurches in my heart, and I let out a scream as my power builds. It surges from my fingers, and I blast it across the clearing, snapping a nearby tree in two.

I decide then that I have to end this. I have to tell my father what I know about Hethenos. Only then do I have a chance of getting to the bottom of what’s been going on with the watchers, and maybe even save Finlay from his sentence and restore his wings, too. Hethenos needs to be punished for what she has done, and I know once my father knows of it, he will want the same. If my mother is as important to him as he says, he will want to avenge her death.

I take in a deep breath and wipe the tears from my cheeks. You’ve got this, I tell myself.

The messenger angel is waiting for me just as he said he would, and I fly down to meet him at the edge of the Kingdom.

“Zarla,” he greets me with a nod. “I have several guards waiting for us. For obvious reasons, they aren’t allowed into Zarquon. Are you ready?”

“What’s your name?” I ask.

I see the hesitation in his eyes under the glow of the moonlight.

“My name is Nilo,” he says.

“Is this a trap, Nilo? Is my father actually sick?”

“No, this is not a trap, and yes, he is sick,” he replies.

I pause and glance out over the ocean that separates the Kingdoms, wondering how long it’ll take us to get back to Silanthia. I was unconscious when Kyle made the journey with me, but I know my wings are strong enough to do it.

“Are you ready?” he quietly asks.

Placing my hand over my chest, which still feels like it’s tearing in two, I give him a simple nod. I’m right on the edge of a breakdown, but I have to contain myself. I’m not about to cry in front of this messenger angel.

We fly in silence through the night air away from Kyle’s Kingdom, despite every cell in my body wanting to turn back, and eventually reach the group of Silanthian guards who are hovering up ahead. I don’t recognise any of them, although it is dark, and my racing mind worries that maybe Kyle is right. This could be a trap.

But a couple of hours later, after we reach the Silanthian borders, I know it’s not. The guards lead me back to the castle, and we eventually land on the stone courtyard outside the main doors within the castle gates. There’s a heaviness in the air, and something feels off, but I can’t put my finger on it. I decide it’s probably just my paranoia at Kyle’s words.

The sun is rising on the horizon, covering the skies in red and orange hues, and I take a moment to enjoy it. I fill my lungs with a few deep breaths, preparing myself for the worst.

My father must be in a bad way for them to have sent a messenger angel to our enemy Kingdom to find me. I still don’t understand how that works. Perhaps there’s some sort of agreement between the Kingdoms when it comes to that.

“Zarla, I hate to rush you, but your father requested you be brought to him immediately.”

I face Nilo, who’s standing with his hands clasped together in front of him, and his eyes hold genuine concern.

“Okay, let’s go,” I say.

Several guards flank me as we head into the castle, while the others join a large array of guards positioned around the outside of the castle.

Confusion tugs my brows until I remember the explosion. Of course they will be on high alert after that. Gods above, Demetros. I have been so caught up in my own life I have barely thought about whether my friends were okay after the explosion. Surely they’re okay. They have to be.

We pass through the corridors of the castle, and I notice I’m being led to my father’s quarters. Devastation gnaws away at me, remembering my last words with Kyle. How could I have been so stupid, so cruel? He didn’t deserve that. Em is loving having me gone now, I’m sure. I brush the thoughts aside. I need to focus on my father now.

We reach his quarters, and I halt when I spot Amaros leaning against the double doors with his thick arms crossed over his chest. There’s an angel wing tattoo on his right forearm I haven’t noticed before. He glances over at me, and his eyes lock with mine before he quickly straightens up.

Nilo gives me a kind smile and joins the other guards who hang back, and I slowly walk to Amaros. I can tell right away he’s pissed, but there’s a mixture of relief in his eyes at my return. His gaze traces down my body, admiring my green gown, and he swallows hard.

“Hi,” I whisper.

He doesn’t answer right away and presses his lips together, as if waiting for me to say more.

“I had no choice, okay? I had to go with Kyle. Someone tried to blow up the ball, and Astelle stabbed me.”

His eyes widen, and he rushes forward and scans his eyes over my body. “She did what? Where? Are you all right?”

I raise a brow at him. “I’m fine now. Kyle’s healers helped me, and then I healed myself. She used some sort of lethal weapon, apparently.” I pause. “Zarquon is not as we were led to believe. They aren’t the enemy, Amaros.”

He drops his arms to his sides and sighs. “I’m sorry she hurt you. I will deal with her. But you’re playing with fire.”

I sense his walls are up again, and it bothers me how he does that. It’s probably for the best, though. Things tend to get a bit handsy when he lowers his guard and is vulnerable around me.

“Is my father really ill?” I question, still unsure if this is a trap.

His expression shifts, and the sorrow is clear in his features. He clasps his hands in front of himself and lowers his head slightly. “Yes. You should go in.”

I take in a deep breath, preparing myself for the worst. He needs to know about Hethenos, but that will depend on his health. I’m not about to bombard him with hard truths if he’s really unwell. I step toward the doors, and Amaros opens one for me to enter and closes it once I’m through.

His room is dimly lit, and his fire is crackling away in the corner, providing a comforting warmth. I glance at the double doors to his room, where Mikel is standing guard.

“Nice to see you back in Silanthia.” He smiles at me as I approach.

“I can’t say it’s good to be back in all honestly after what happened at the ball, but I’m here for my father,” I tell him.

He nods and opens the door to let me through.

My father sits up in his bed as I hover near the doorway. “Zarla?”

“Yes, it’s me,” I say.

He fumbles out of bed and storms toward me on unsteady feet. Okay, so he seems pretty well. Well enough to scold me, anyway.

“Have you any idea how worried I have been? What were you thinking? You could’ve been killed!” His voice is harsh, but there’s serious concern laced into his words that cuts at my heart.

“I’m sorry,” I softly say, “but I had to go with him.”

He rakes his hands over his face. “You had to go? I don’t think so, Zarla. An enemy angel? Have you any idea how dangerous that is?”

I grit my teeth together as I try to contain my anger. “He is not dangerous, and nor is his Kingdom. I seem to be in more danger here. Astelle stabbed me after the explosion, and that’s why I left with him. I could’ve died.”

His eyes widen at my words. “She what ?”

“Why have you been lying to me?”

He frowns at the turn in conversation. “I haven’t lied, Zarla. They can’t be trusted. How long have you known he was from Zarquon?”

I swallow hard and bite the inside of my cheek. “A while,” I admit, “but none of this matters. I know who murdered my mother, and it wasn’t an angel from Zarquon.”

He moves past me through the door and into his living quarters. He stops by the fire and pours himself a glass of something strong, and then he throws it back in one go before smashing the glass against the stone fireplace. It explodes into a thousand pieces, and I jump.

My focus shifts to Mikel, who shuffles uncomfortably before leaving the room to join Amaros in the corridor outside.

“I forbid you to leave this Kingdom,” my father says in an even voice, ignoring what I’ve just said. “I forbid you to see that angel ever again. You are a Silanthian, Zarla, and you will remain here where you belong.”

I notice his skin is off coloured, and although he’s far away from me, it almost looks as though his veins are green and are protruding out of his face. What in the gods is wrong with him?

I ball my fists at my sides as my powers build inside. “You can’t do that,” I say as I move halfway across the room toward him. “Did you hear what I said? It wasn’t an angel from Zarquon. It was?—”

“Enough!” His voice booms through his quarters.

He storms toward me and stops inches away, his eyes red as he glares at me with a deep anger.

I panic. “What are you doing?”

He grabs hold of my wrists while his powers surge up my arms, and I scream as deep pain cuts through them. I watch in horror as my guardian markings slowly disappear. I try to yank my arms away, but it’s no use. He is far stronger than I.

In my peripheral vision, the door bursts open, and Mikel and Amaros hesitate near the doorway, unsure whether to do something.

“Stop! Please!” I scream.

“What are you doing?” Amaros demands, but my father ignores him.

The pain intensifies into a burning sensation as I desperately try to escape his grasp. He eventually releases me, and I crumple to the floor.

Amaros rushes to my side to check on me while I lay shaking from the intensity of the pain.

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

My father narrows his eyes at me. “I have followed your advice and removed her markings. She will no longer be able to leave this Kingdom,” he says and levels his stare at Amaros. “I trust you will watch her properly this time?”

“I will, my King.”

My father stumbles a little as he crosses the room back through to his bedroom and climbs under the covers of his bed.

I meet Amaros’s worried eyes.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

I shake my head, unable to speak yet, and he picks me up and carries me through the doors. I can’t stop shaking, and the burning sensation in my arms is still there, only not as intense now. We pass through the guards who escorted me to my father’s quarters, and I keep my eyes down, focused on Amaros’s armour instead.

Amaros carries me all the way to my quarters and places me down on my bed. I climb under the covers without meeting his eyes. He sits on the edge of my bed and reaches out to me, but I flinch away.

“I’m sorry, Zarla. I didn’t know?—”

“Was it really your idea? To remove my markings and trap me within the Kingdom?”

He’s silent, and I almost ask it again, but when he meets my gaze, I find my answer in the regret within his eyes.

“How could you?” I ask, and my voice breaks.

He slumps his shoulders and presses his lips together. “I was just trying to protect you.”

“Get out,” I whisper.

His brows knit together. “What?”

I level my eyes at him. “Get. Out,” I repeat, louder this time as a sob escapes my lips.

He swallows hard but doesn’t move.

“Get out!” I demand while tears flow down my cheeks.

He reaches out to me and then pulls back as a pained look crosses his features. Giving me a nod, he stands before slowly moving to the door. He pauses and looks back at me, and I glance away. He opens the door and closes it, and then I break down. Screams rip out through my lungs as tears stain my pillow.

Kyle was right, after all. This was a trap, a way to lure me back to the Kingdom so my father could remove my markings and trap me here. I should have stayed with Kyle, and I probably would have if I hadn’t watched him and Em kiss.

Who am I kidding? She kissed him. He didn’t kiss her back. I knew it all along, and yet I blamed him and left. This is my fault. I’ve done this to myself.