Page 27 of Wings of Death

We stare at each other for a moment, and then without further thought, I wrap my arms around him. His arms encase me and the electric current between us flows deeper, along with the feeling that comes with it. Home. Warmth surges through my body as I breathe in his scent of rainwater and fresh cut grass, totally and utterly at peace in his arms.

“Wow,” he whispers, his breath grazing past my ear.

I pull back and stare up into his steel-blue eyes, feeling something so familiar about him, but I can’t put my finger on it.

“I feel like I know you,” he says, searching my face for an answer, “likereallyknow you.”

Despite the impossibility of it, I feel it too. But I can’t know him. He lives here on Earth. He’s a human, Ithink.Although I didn’t know humans could be so strong as to take on a watcher and survive. And he can heal himself. Humans can’t do that, at least not that fast.

I open my mouth to respond when I sense Finlay is near. Panic surges its way into my chest. “I’ve got to go. Please get back inside. I’ll return when I can, I promise.”

He hesitates, looking around the yard before settling his gaze on mine. “Why? What’s wrong?”

Finlay is close. I don’t have much time.

“Kyle, please,” I beg. “I will be in a lot of trouble if he sees me without the veil up. Please, I will explain more when I come back.”

He scans my face before he reluctantly hurries up the porch steps and into the house. He watches me out the window as I raise my veil, and a soft thud sounds behind me as Finlay lands in the yard.

Finlay eyes me suspiciously, and then scans the yard before his eyes find mine once more. “Zarla, what the hell happened?”

Without thinking, I storm towards him and punch him in the face.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Finlay falls back onto the grass, rubbing his nose.

“What the fuck, Zarla!” he complains.

I stand over him, fury blazing inside me. “Where the hell were you? You’re supposed to be here, protecting him while I’m not.”

He fumbles around a little as he gets to his feet, blood slowly streaking from his nose. “I was urgently called back to Silanthia. I had no choice. Where the hell wereyou?”

A familiar cooling sensation builds deep inside me as my body shakes. I grit my teeth together, keeping it at bay. As much as I’d love to unleash my powers on Finlay right now, it wouldn’t be the best idea.

“My father forbade me to return. As soon as I sensed Kyle was in danger, I came back.”

He runs a hand through his messy blond hair as he paces around the yard. “What the hell happened here?”

I let out a long breath and move over to one of the dead watchers. His twisted body makes my stomach turn, and I quickly avert my eyes. “Another watcher attack.”

He eyes me and arches a brow. “And you fought all three, on your own?”

I squeeze the bridge of my nose, more than a little irritated by his questions. “Yes, Finlay. I am capable of taking on watchers.”

He wanders over to the porch and sits on the bottom step, raising his hands in the air. “Hey, I’m impressed, that’s all. Why does this keep happening?”

It’s a question I’ve thought of several times already. It’s more than a little strange. Watchers were never known to attack humans, let alone guardian angels. Sure, if a guardian angel or second broke an ancient angel law, it’s their job to intervene. I have never heard of one attacking a human before. But that isn’t what happened here. Or any of the other times.

“I’m not sure, but I need to speak to my father about it,” I say as I release my wings. “Please stay here, no matter what. Do not leave. I mean it. And take care of those watchers.”

He nods, and I know he won’t leave this time. A guardian’s command to their second is binding.

Gods above, this is a mess. Kyle deserves answers, and leaving him right now feels so wrong. I take off into the air and head back to Silanthia, making a promise not only to myself, but to Kyle too, that I will return as soon as I can.

There is no sign of my father’s guards as I pass through the entrance to the castle. A bond with my father would come in handy right about now. Where is he? I turn the corner leading to my father’s quarters, and come to an abrupt halt when I spot Astelle and Amaros. I back up behind a large stone pillar out of sight but where I can still see them.

Astelle says something, but I’m too far away to hear. I move down the wall and reposition myself behind a closer pillar.

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