Page 39 of Angel Condemned

Jody

“Axton,” I breathed his name like a magical chant, not quite believing that my horned winged hero was back with me. The little I slept gave me nightmares about the Roulex ripping him to pieces and feasting on his flesh. “I-I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you about the Roulex. I was blinded by their promises.”

He didn’t respond and I leaned back to look at him. Blood coated his face, chest, and everywhere I could see.

“Oh my God, you’re bleeding.” I pushed against him.

His body rolled away from me, but he didn’t make a sound. No, no, no. I lay my ear over his chest. His heartbeat was faint.

I needed to tend to his wounds. There weren’t any sutures around or even a needle and thread. All I had was the morning meal the Roulex dropped off. I jumped up and grabbed the water. A few paper napkins were on the tray as well as a chunk of moldy bread. Too bad I didn’t have time to see if that would turn into something I could use to make penicillin.

Dousing the napkins with water, I carefully cleaned the worst of his injuries until the napkins were soaked in blood.

I took off my prison shirt, using the inside of it and what was left of the water to wipe the excess blood from his face, arms and chest.

How could I have fallen for the Roulex’s lies? It was unbelievable that Axton didn’t despise me. Or maybe he did and was being nice to me so I didn’t freak out too much. Would he even want to be around me if we weren’t locked up together? How much of what he was feeling was only because I was in this situation with him and not because of anything else?

I swallowed against the tangled emotions pressing into my throat. Couldn’t dwell on what-ifs right now. I needed to get Axton stitched up and both of us out of this place.

I chewed on my lip as Axton remained unconscious. And I needed to cover my breasts as I couldn’t reuse the blood-covered shirt. I tore the cuffs of both of my pants, tying them together and then wrapping around myself. It looked like a giant orange Band-Aid, but better than going around topless.

For a long time, I sat and watched Axton, making sure his chest rose and fell at deep intervals.

We had to figure out an escape. With Axton’s condition, he wouldn’t be able to travel for quite a while. And by then, they would have my dad, if they didn’t already. I shuddered, rubbing my arms.

Then one of Axton’s wounds seemed to be sealed. I squinted, peering closer at the injury. I could’ve sworn it was a deeper laceration than that.

And another one was faded—almost like he’d been healing a few weeks rather than a few minutes. Was his healing ability really that fast?

I examined a few of his other wounds and they too appeared less severe. No sign of infection either. His bruises were now faded as well.

Realization struck me. Was this why the Roulex wanted us to mate? To gain more of his kind, even half-breeds, to discover how to manipulate his quick healing?

I sat back on my ass. The implications of this were enormous. Could he heal from broken bones as well? And his wings. They’d been molted looking when I first met him and before they took him they’d filled out substantially. I hadn’t even noticed until he spread them and dive-bombed one of his attackers as well as he could with the low ceiling in here.

The Roulex medic had said that they take from the strong. Their technology was a blend of others, I was sure now. This was one more arsenal they wanted. To be able to fight and recover serious wounds in minutes rather than weeks or months would put them at a huge advantage.

From what Axton had said, they probably had no intention of helping my father. Their goal was to get their hands on a hybrid baby to figure out the healing secret and I’d nearly played right into their hands.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you,” I whispered, leaning over Axton to brush my lips across his. There was so much I wanted to tell him. About how I’d felt so alone without him and missed him until I was desperate. How he felt like a balm to me. A calmness and shelter in the center of this shit storm.

“Time to go, sweetheart.” A Roulex clicked his tongue as he ogled me through the bars.

Three guards joined him.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

He chuckled and opened the door. “We’ve got to get you ready for the trash when he wakes up.”

Part of me didn’t believe this Roulex or any of them for that matter now. “I’m fine right here.”

“Touching. I didn’t know you cared for the beast.” The Roulex swung open the door. “Come now, human, don’t make me use the tractor beam to force you.”

As much as I wanted to fight, there were too many of them. I had to be smart about this. If I cooperated now they might lower their guard and I could figure a way for Axton and me to escape.

I nodded and stood. My legs felt heavy as I walked out of the cell and down the hallway. This time on the way to the medic, I paid more attention to everything around me. Counting the number of cells down each side. The barred windows and any guards we came across.

At the doorway, the Roulex placed his clawed hand on a white panel until a white beam scanned his hand, then the door swished open.

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