Page 62 of Wings of Death

Suda’s eyes scan my face, and she gives me a curt nod as she leads me through the library to the section on fallen angels. She glides her finger across three books.

“Let me know if you need anything,” she says and leaves me alone.

I take all three books from the shelf and place them down on a nearby desk with a thud. A puff of dust flitters into the air, andI cough, waving it away. All the books are thick with fine print, and I know I’ll be here for some time.

I spend the next couple of hours flicking through the books, learning everything I can about fallen angels. Fallen angels are angels who have usually committed a crime or broken one of the sacred angel laws. The Throne is then tasked to decide their fate, whether they are to have their wings torn off and be thrown down to Earth, or killed.

Most of them live out their lives on Earth without the slightest clue who they really are. It’s awfully cruel, and my heart aches knowing Kyle had to endure this for almost a decade.

I shiver at the thought of having my wings torn off. It must be excruciating. But that’s not what happened to Kyle, at least that’s not how it sounds. I continue flipping through the third book and find a section about fallen angels, a curse by way of magic. This also removes the angels’ memories, but if the magic curse were to be broken, then so too would their cruel fate.

But how can the curse be broken? And then I find it. Only an angel with a god or goddess bloodline, or an angel using the forbidden dark magic, can break the magic curse.

God or goddess bloodlines.I didn’t even know such an angel existed. I’m fairly sure Hethenos doesn’t have a god or goddess bloodline. She just didn’t seem the type. So it’s clear she must have harnessed the forbidden dark magic.

So according to this, I either have to find someone with a god or goddess bloodline, or I will need to harness the forbidden dark magic myself. I didn’t like the latter option, but I will do whatever it takes to get Kyle his wings back.

The section on dark magic is easy enough to find myself, as I know Suda will disapprove. I need to be discreet.

My mother’s words echo in my mind from her note, reminding me to trust no one.

I pull two books on dark magic and flick through them. Nerves twist in my stomach, and I know I am teetering on the edge of dangerous territory. I hear footsteps, and my heart hammers against my chest as I slam the book closed, scanning the library. But I’m still alone.

Calm down, Zarla,I tell myself as I reopen the book and continue reading.

Bingo. I find a section on using dark magic to remove an angel’s wings. It sounds like a dangerous task to even attempt to use this magic, and once you harness it, you are stuck with it. I shudder at the thought. Farther along, I read about a place within the Dark Forest, in a clearing, hidden deep inside the forest where you can call upon the God of Death for the power of the dark magic.

There’s an image of the clearing, and it looks ancient. It’s made from large stones with symbols etched into them surrounding a circular stone in the centre. It’s incredible, like ancient ruins from a time long ago. A time of the gods.

I’m studying the image when I hear footsteps once more and casually close the book, covering it with another one about guardian angels as Yimel and Rimel appear.

“Zarla,” Rimel says, his eyes filled with suspicion, “what are you doing?”

He leans up against the bookshelf opposite me and crosses his thick arms over his chest. Yimel circles me, clearly trying to see what book I’m reading. I only hope the guardian angel book is covering the others well.

An uncomfortable wave of anxiety creeps into my throat as I sense they’re checking up on me, but not at my father’s request.

Rimel narrows his eyes. “Why are you reading about the forbidden dark magic?”

Oh no. He saw it.

I swallow the lump in my throat. “Curiosity got the better of me, I suppose,” I say with a forced laugh.

I don’t think he buys it.

He pushes off from the shelf and takes a few steps toward me, and then he presses his hands down onto the desk as he leans forward. “Many angels have gone down that route despite the warnings. Once you dabble in the dark magic, it consumes you, often to the point of no return.”

Something tells me he’s trying to intimidate me, perhaps even scare me off this trail, so I have to play it cool.

“Oh, I heard someone mention it, and I was curious, that’s all. I would never actually use it.” I see Yimel in my peripheral vision, eying Rimel.

Yimel doesn’t say a word, and I can feel his eyes on me again. An unsettling feeling twists my stomach, and I have an overpowering urge to leave, but I can’t. I’m frozen to the chair.

“You wouldn’t be lying to us, now would you, Zarla?”

I meet Rimel’s untrusting eyes and hold his stare. I’m not about to be intimidated by this asshole. His accusation surprises me and feels more like a threat.

Yimel moves closer, and I can almost feel him brushing up against my arm. They are way too close for comfort, and I’m contemplating telling them to back off.

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