Page 104 of Wings of Death

His mother is over the moon to see Em, and it makes me anxious at how much she likes her. I need to pull myself together. She’s probably known Em her entire life. Of course she would react that way. She’s likely close friends with Em’s mother, Klara.

“It’s lovely to be here,” Em says with a beaming smile.

There’s a dinging sound, and I look over to Kyle’s father, Apollon, holding a knife in one hand and a glass of bubbly in the other.

“Let the feast begin!” he announces, and all the angels walk to the table to be seated.

My stomach drops when I see them looking around the table to find their seats, and I notice little name tags at each place setting. There’s a seating plan? Oh no. Please have me next to Kyle.Please.

“Here we are,” Kyle says, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

It’s short-lived though when I notice Em sit down on the other side of him. Who chooses the seating around here? Did Em request to be seated next to Kyle? I try to shake the paranoia from my mind, but I can’t help it. I am an outsider here, and by the looks of it, Em was supposed to be with him. Or at least, that’s what she wants, and possibly his mother, Zeta, as well.

Zeta and Apollon are seated at the end of the large table where there is enough room for two, and once everyone is seated, they both stand.

“Thank you to our dear friends and family for attending our feast this evening,” Zeta says.

“It is with great honour we celebrate the return of our son, Kyle.” Apollon gestures to him with a wave of his hand, and everyone claps. “I want to thank the young female next to him, Zarla Quinn, for finding him down on Earth, and for helping him remember who he is. And to Em, our dear family friend, for bringing him back from Earth when he was left injured and alone.”

Apollon’s gaze falls on me as gasps sound around the table, and I can’t help but look down. In the same sentence, he managed to thank me, but also blame me. I guess it is my fault. It was my second who brought those watchers to Kyle’s house to attack us both. It was angels from my Kingdom who took me back, leaving Kyle for dead.

My eyes moisten, and I swallow back the tears, refusing to let them fall here, surrounded by angels I do not know.

Kyle finds my hand and gives it a squeeze.

“Zarla, you will always be welcome in our Kingdom, and in our home,” Zeta adds.

“We love you, son. Welcome home,” his father finishes.

All the angels around the table clap, and I join in too, without meeting the eyes of any of them.

“Sorry about my father. Are you all right?” Kyle asks once everyone is chatting away and distracted by the keepers.

They move around the table placing small plates in front of each guest.

He slips a hand over my thigh, and I blink a few times before meeting his eyes once I’m sure the tears are gone.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I say with a tight smile, feeling more out of place than I have since arriving in his Kingdom.

I don’t think he buys it, but he seems to let it go. A keeper places a small plate with a delicious-looking salad in front of me, and I wait until other angels start to eat before I do. I can feel the stares of other angels on me, and I lean into Kyle.

“Are you sure they’re all okay with me being here?”

He strokes my cheek with the back of his fingers. “Of course they are. And regardless of it, both my parents, and especially I, are more than okay with it. And that’s all that matters.”

He kisses my cheek and continues eating his salad.

I pick up a small fork and pick at my salad when I notice Em place her hand on Kyle’s thigh. Anger bubbles in my chest, and I have to mentally force myself to ignore it. Kyle knows how that will make me feel. He knows I am right here next to him and can probably see it. Relief flows through me when he grabs her hand and removes it from his thigh.

You trust him,I remind myself.It’s not like he’s been kissing other angels like you have.

I mentally tell the voice in my head to go away, despite knowing it’s right. I did kiss another male. Twice now. Oh gods, what will Kyle think if he finds out? The last thing I want to do is upset him, but guilt tugs at my chest as I realise I probably have to. Whatever it is between Amaros and me is nothing. I know in my heart Kyle is my mate.

My focus shifts to Em as she leans into Kyle and whispers something in his ear, and he laughs. What the heck was that?What did she say that was so funny? I close my eyes for a moment and take in a few deep breaths, trying not to give her the reaction she is no doubt looking for.

And then it occurs to me: Kyle’s memories of Em have most likely come back. What does he remember of their relationship? And what’s the extent of it?

My mind is abuzz with so many questions it’s making me dizzy.Pull yourself together, Zarla, I tell myself. I grit my teeth throughout the feast and try to remain calm as Em steals Kyle’s attention the entire evening. He shoots me an apologetic look before telling me he’s going to the bathroom. He gives me a kiss on the cheek and leaves.

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