Page 30 of Angel Unchained

Samantha

My heart hammered so hard in my chest I thought it was going to burst through my ribcage. Knox was severely injured and although I’d seen simple wounds on him heal in mere seconds or minutes, something told me this was worse. Like his wings had been shredded. His bones were broken.

I had to fix this. I had to distract the Roulex. But how? If I gave myself up, they’d still hunt for him.

I tore through the woods. Maybe someone could help us.

Yeah right. I was on an unknown planet, dressed in prison garb, and hoping to save my alien boyfriend. I let out a hysterical gasp at that notion.

Okay, think, Samantha, think.

I had no weapons. No way to contact anyone. Nothing.

Why did I think I could pull this off? I was useless. Because of me, Knox would get re-captured. And who knew what the Roulex would do to him this time.

I shuddered, pressing on.

A flock of crow-like birds squawked at me, giving flight and an idea formed in my mind. I just hoped this worked. It had to. There wasn’t another way that I could see.

I darted back to Knox, pulling as many of his feathers from the crash site as I could. My chest tightened at seeing him unconscious, sweat beading his brow. He didn’t look like he was healing and that sent a pang of worry clawing into my gut.

I pushed aside my fear, continuing in my task. When I had an armful of his feathers, I set them in a pile. Then I grabbed vines from nearby trees and prayed they weren’t poisonous. I tied the vines around the feathers, but they kept slipping out.

No, I needed something to glue them in place. I rummaged around for a sharp rock, then clipped off the bark of a nearby tree that looked like a cross between a pine and a fir tree with spikes.

The tree sap was gooey. I took swaths of it to the feathers, coating them with it and the vine. Making it look as much as I could like Knox’s wings.

Would his real wings grow back? Healing was one thing, but complete repair? I had no idea. But I wanted him to be able to fly the fuck out of here if he could.

Carefully, I lowered my fake wings down the cliff, where it would look like he crashed into the rocks below. I’d just gotten them into place when voices shouted nearby.

My heart slammed into my throat and I scrambled back from the ledge. I crawled on my belly to Knox. He looked the same. Pale and barely breathing.

Quickly, I took a tree branch, brushing across the burrowed path that Knox had made with his landing as best I could. In the deepest parts, I filled the holes with leaves and rocks.

My hands shook as I worked. Then I covered Knox with leaves, stepping back every few minutes to survey the camouflage. My pulse throbbing in my ears.

I quickly ducked under the leaves beside Knox as best I could. Praying that my luck would actually swing in my favor this time.

A noise sounded nearby. The crunch, crunch, crunch of leaves. I held my breath. I would fight now that I knew what awaited me in that breeding prison. I shuddered.

The Roulex clicks and whistles sounded and I forced myself still. How I wished one of them spoke the Universal Alien language, then I could have picked out a few words.

After several moments of stomping around, one did a shrill cry and I hoped to God that meant it had seen the fake wings I made and were going to pick their way down the cliff.

I’d bought us some time. But not much. When they reached the bottom and discovered what I’d done, they’d double the search, I was sure.

I lifted my head slowly, making sure none of the Roulex were around. Then sighed in relief.

Knox was still unconscious, but his breathing was even. And what was that bright glow he’d done back at the prison? Like some blast of light? But it seemed to have taken a lot out of him if his body still wasn’t healing.

I bit my lip. What if he was dying? I mean I couldn’t give him my blood, even though I was O negative — the universal donor — first off because he was an alien angel and second, because his blood was freaking blue.

Which was odd, ‘cause his skin wasn’t blue. It was pale with an undercoat of blue, I guess.

I shook my head. I needed to get Knox awake and as far away as possible from here.

“Please, Knox. Tell me how to help you.” I brushed a kiss over his mouth and a faint buzzing tickled my lips. Gasping, I pushed back. Was that the answer? Could I give him some of my energy?

I grasped his face in my hands and kissed his cool lips, willing strength into him. Willing to give it all to save him. Bones snapped and cracked, making me cringe.

He groaned a few times, but I kept kissing him, distracting him. Soon he was kissing me back. He tasted so good. Like autumn nights and campfires.

My eyes grew heavy and he tightened his grip on me. Did he have enough to complete his healing? What about his wings?

He pushed me away from him, I blinked heavily, trying to focus.

“What did you do to me?”

“You’re welcome,” I slurred before everything went black.

---