Page 20 of Wings of Death

I twirl the locket in my fingers while I contemplate his words. How can I drop it? Someone sent this to me for a reason. I need to know why, whether he understands that or not. I decide to lie, which is something I hate doing.

I smile. “Yeah, okay, I’ll drop it.”

He pulls me in for a hug, which feels a little awkward. I don’t think he’s ever hugged me before.

He steps back. “It’ll be all right. I will alert the other guards, and we will ensure no one can get near your quarters again, okay? It’s just someone playing a sick prank on you.”

Before I can say anything else, the alarm bells sound, signalling an attack.

CHAPTER SIX

Amaros scans the room for danger before turning to me. “Get back to the castle and lock yourself in your quarters. Now,” he demands and disappears through the crowd.

I frantically search for Lacinda and spot her with Demetros. With our academy training, I know they’ll be safe.

Angels scatter in all directions as I push through the crowd and make my way outside. Screams cut through the still night air as I release my wings and take off. I’m aware that danger could be nearby, so I don’t fly too high.

It’s dark out, and the various lamps dotted along the pathways below don’t help much, particularly from up here. I contemplate whether it would be safer to land and take the rest of the way back to the castle by foot. It’s about a ten-minute run to get back to my castle, and I could probably do it in seven. After a few moments’ pause, I swoop down to ground level.

Regardless of who is attacking our Kingdom, I’m safer at ground level where I can better use and control my powers. I slip off my heels and sprint along the grass on the side of the gravel pathway. The lighting is along the opposite side of the path, so this is my safer bet where I can hide within the cover of darkness.

Sweat drips down my temples, and I wipe it with the back of my hand as I approach the gates of the perimeter of the castle. I slow to a stop, checking my surroundings before I approach the gates. Of course they’re locked. I release my wings and fly over them, and then I land with a gentle thud on the gravel and continue to run.

Our castle sits within its own privately gated zone, and outside of that are the surrounding manors of the high-class angel families. An exterior perimeter surrounds those manors. The exterior perimeter gates are a few miles from our castle and border the area surrounding the manors of the high-class angel families. It’s a sort of gated community, I suppose you would call it, to keep us safe from exterior threats within the Kingdom. My father always says we need further protection and wants an invisible shield of magic erected above the gates and fences that border the outer perimeter.

I imagine this situation is cause to see that idea through.

I scan the sky, but can’t make out much in the darkness. A cool, gentle breeze brushes against my skin, and I shiver, instantly regretting the dress I have chosen as it blows up around me while I run. Voices sound in the skies above, and I take cover up against a nearby tree. The voices are definitely male, but I can’t make out if they’re familiar or not.

I stay put. It isn’t worth the risk to check. After a few minutes, it’s quiet again, and I carry on. I’m almost at the castle gates when two large males land before me, and I skid to a stop, almost toppling over. The gold symbols on their invisible wings glow in the darkness. Watchers.

“The King’s daughter,” one of them snarls.

The other one eyes me before speaking. “You’re the one who killed three of our kind down on Earth.”

I furrow my brows, remembering. “They attacked us, unprovoked. I had no choice.”

He laughs. “I wonder if you could take me.”

I brace myself for a fight as the large male watcher removes his cloak and tosses it aside to reveal broad shoulders and muscular arms. Markings are dotted across his skin, the markings of the watchers. The academy taught us they receive those markings when they become a watcher, that the markings signify their loyalty to uphold the ancient angel laws.

So much for that.

He moves toward me, his fists balled at his sides. He doesn’t bother with a weapon, and fear creeps up inside me at the thought of his skills to warrant not using one. This male must be strong. Watchers don’t have powers, though, and maybe he underestimates mine. I make the first move, taking him off guard and landing a firm kick to his thigh. He barely flinches, his smirk widening.

I back up, trying to hold my ground, but failing miserably. I reach my hands out, but my powers do not come. My hands tremble as I stare down at them and give them a shake.Why isn’t it working?I glance up as he reaches out and grabs me by my throat, lifting me into the air. I claw at his hands, but his grip only tightens.

My vision blurs, and I wonder if this is it, if this is where I die. A figure darts across the ground, and the watcher holding me releases me. I fall onto the rough gravel and gasp for air as I search my surroundings.What in gods was that?And then Demetros swoops down on top of the watcher, plunging his sword into the watcher’s back.

The other watcher moves towards him as I climb to my feet. Demetros raises his hand to instruct me to stay back. But the anger building inside me is too strong. My body shakes, and I can no longer control myself. I grit my teeth as I raise my hands, my powers surging out of me in bright white tendrils. I throw Demetros to the side as my power surges forward and into thewatcher, lifting him into the air. He screams as I twist his body and throw him to the ground.

I take several deep breaths to calm myself, and I hear someone calling my name. I blink a few times until Demetros comes into focus. He’s sitting on the ground, cradling his arm. I hurry to his side and see his arm is bent at an unnatural angle.

“Demetros!”

He winces. “I’m okay. How did you do that? That was incredible.”

I instinctively reach out and take his arm, despite his protests. White light bursts out of my hands and flows into him. His arm straightens and his body relaxes. His eyes find mine, and we stare at one another. I can sense his curiosity, his questions, before he says a word.

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