Page 122 of Wings of Death

A sudden thought hits me then. “What about a messenger angel? They sent one there to summon me back to Silanthia. They must be able to pass through into Zarquon?”

They look at one another.

“Yeah, that could work,” Demetros says.

“Let’s go. Now,” she urges, grabbing Demetros by the arm.

Footsteps alert us someone is coming, but there’s nowhere for them to hide. Yimel appears in the tunnel entrance, and his gaze darts between the three of us before he pulls his sword.

“Stand back,” Demetros instructs Lacinda, pulling his own sword as he moves toward Yimel.

Yimel points his sword at Demetros. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“And neither should she,” he replies, gesturing to me.

They circle one another before Yimel charges forward and clashes his sword against Demetros’s. A loud clang echoes through the tunnel. Lacinda stands back against the cell gate, her focus darting between the two of them.

And then she rushes Yimel and lands a firm kick to his chest. He stumbles back, giving Demetros an advantage. His sword slices through Yimel’s arm, and he grunts, stumbling a little.

“I’m giving you a chance now to end this and let Zarla go,” she says.

Yimel chuckles. “You think I’m going to listen to you? A second? I’m the King’s guard. I don’t take orders from the likes of you.”

Yimel swings his sword at Demetros, who ducks out of the way. Lacinda moves in to strike Yimel again, but he’s prepared for her and smacks her in the face, sending her flying back into the wall.

“No!” I scream when she hits her head and falls to the ground.

Demetros strikes Yimel in the side of the head and then spins around and lands a solid kick to his side. Yimel winces, grabbing his torso before gripping his sword with both hands and moving in on Demetros. Demetros raises his sword to strike, but Yimel is faster, knocking his sword across the ground, giving him an opportunity to strike Demetros across his stomach.

Demetros grunts as Yimel’s sword slices through his middle, and he drops to his knees. Yimel points his sword at Demetros’s neck, and I scream.

“NO! Don’t hurt him! Please!”

Demetros raises his hands, his chest rising rapidly as he regains his breath.

“Please, Yimel, don’t hurt him!”

Yimel looks at me through wide, angry eyes, blood dripping from his nose, and then slams the handle of his sword into Demetros’s head, knocking him out cold. He slides his sword back into his holster, ignoring the blood, and then drags them both into a nearby cell.

My eyes well as I grip the bars and watch Yimel storm toward my cell, his eyes blazing with anger.

“What the fuck was that?” he demands.

I back up a little at his sudden outburst. I’ve never seen him so angry before. “They just came to help me.”

He glares at me for a while, his jaw tense as he balls his fists. He then pulls out a set of keys, unlocks my cell, and steps inside. I back up until I feel the cool stone on my back, and he moves forward until we’re merely inches apart.

His dark eyes focus on me. “We could rule this Kingdom together,” he says. “We could take care of Hethenos and Rimel. Amaros too. Even Harlum, and we could rule. You’re a powerful angel, Zarla, and you would make a powerful Queen at my side.”

I furrow my brows as I stare into his eyes. “I will never be at your side. You are not worthy to rule any Kingdom.”

Anger seeps from within him, and he thrusts his hand against my neck, pinning me to the wall.

His lips curl into a smirk. “You don’t know what I’m capable of. I’ve watched you for years from the shadows. Always the quiet one. But I’ve thought long and hard about this. Don’t push me.”

He kisses me, and I squeeze my eyes shut as an image of Kyle moves to the forefront of my mind. I imagine I’m anywhere but here.

Suddenly he breaks contact, and my eyes snap open as he’s thrust across my cell and smashes into the wall. He lands in a twisted and unnatural way.

---