Page 26 of Wings of Death

Panic creeps up my spine as I fly down towards Kyle’s house. Three angels come into view. Watchers.

I land with a thud about forty feet away from them. All three watchers are huge. The golden symbols on their invisible wings glow before they tuck them away. They don’t even flinch at myarrival, and I can see why. Kyle is standing on the porch, staring right at them. They don’t have their veils up, and neither do I.

Before I can do anything about it, I catch one of the watchers reaching for his sword. I rush forward, unleashing my powers on him, and throw him off to the side of the yard. Another watcher pulls his sword and comes at me as the third watcher advances on Kyle. Before I can react, Kyle charges at him and attacks.

I’m too focused on Kyle to see the watcher coming. He lands a blow to my ribs, and I’m sent flying into the ground. I feel a crack and wince, grabbing my side. The watcher slowly stalks toward me, and I reach for my daggers.

His lips curl into an evil smirk. “We were warned about you, the King’s daughter. But you don’t seem so tough to me.”

A copper taste fills my mouth. I crawl to my feet, holding my daggers out in front of me. His eyes narrow on my locket hanging around my neck, and he charges forward. He grabs my wrist and snatches my locket from my neck. I use my free hand to slice my dagger across his side. He flinches back slightly before smacking me hard across the face.

I fall backwards into the ground and roll onto my stomach.Shit, he has my locket.

He moves toward me and chuckles before he kicks me in my side. I cry out as pain cuts through me, and he kicks me again. A cool feeling builds within me and I roll onto my back. Just when he moves to kick me again, my powers surge from my fingers like vines, wrap around his ankle, and toss him forty feet away.

He struggles to his feet while I do the same. He comes at me again, looking a little off-balance, and I release my power, throwing him up into the air and send him crashing into the ground in a twisted heap. This time he doesn’t move. I hurry over to him, snatch my locket from his hand, and slip it into my pocket.

My attention immediately shifts to Kyle, where he and the last remaining watcher are fighting. Kyle throws a punch at him, launching him back where he smashes into a nearby tree. I take in a sharp breath. How the hell did he do that? And then his gaze finds mine.

We stare at one another without saying a word, and a sudden jolt of electricity flows through my body. I blink a few times, confused at what just happened. Kyle frowns, and appears just as confused as I am. Did he feel it too? An unfamiliar feeling grows inside me that is urging me forward to Kyle. A sense of needing to be closer to him overpowers me, and I give in to it, and move closer.

Then I remember I’ve been so caught up in getting here to protect Kyle that I’ve gone in without my veil. I avert my attention to the watcher rolling around in the yard before attempting to get up on unsteady feet. I reach my hand out and blast him with a ball of power, and he stills.

Shoot. What am I supposed to do? My father is going to kill me when he finds out. In fact, The Throne may just kill me for this. I am breaking angel law by being seen.

Kyle’s brows knit together as he stares at me, and I know he deserves an explanation. I raise my hands and slowly walk toward him, but stop a few feet away. The strange feeling inside me that is like some kind of overpowering connection, grows stronger the closer I am to him. How can I possibly explain this situation?

“Who are you?” he asks, his voice the perfect, soothing mix of calm yet determined focus that makes my heart race.

I bite the inside of my cheek as I form the words in my head. “I’m Zarla.”

He shakes his head and takes a step closer, reaching his hand out to me. “Whatare you, and what arethey?”he asks with awave around the yard to the now dead watchers. “Because you’re clearly not human.”

I suck my bottom lip into my mouth, and saw my teeth along it as I try to find the right words. Gods above, please forgive me. “I’m a guardian angel.Yourguardian angel.” I pause a moment before continuing. “And they were watchers, a type of angel from another Kingdom. I’m so sorry. You weren’t supposed to see any of this.”

I search his face for any sign of how he’s handling this new information as I wait for his response. My gaze drops to his lips before it meets his, and I find him staring at me. I swallow hard, trying to clear my head when I notice blood dripping from a deep cut in his arm. Without thinking, I rush forward, and he flinches back.

I hold my hands up. “I’m sorry. I just want to check that you’re okay.”

He holds his arm up. “I’m fine, see?”

My eyes saucer as I watch the cut heal. “How did you…”

He shrugs. “I don’t know. I’ve always been able to do it.”

His expression is a mixture of confusion and deep pain that cuts through me. I can sense how alone he feels. I can’t help but want to comfort him, to take some of that pain away that I know he’s holding on to.

“I can heal, too,” I tell him.

He runs a hand through his dark-brown hair and takes a few steps back. “This is insane.”

His words slice through me like a sharp blade, and I withdraw slightly.

“I’m so sorry you had to witness this. I’ll go.” I’m about to leave when he slips his hand gently around my wrist.

An instant spark ignites a fire within me that flows through my body at his touch, and my breath quickens as we lock stares. He can feel it too. I know it.

“Please don’t go,” he pleads, his voice soft.

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