Page 78 of Wings of Death

They glance at one another, seeming unsure what to do.

“Look,” I say, taking a more casual tone with them, “I’m the King’s daughter, Zarla. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you I have no limitations within this Kingdom.”

My casual drop of being the King’s daughter seems to do the trick. They both give me a curt nod.

“Of course, Zarla. Follow me,” one of them says as he turns and heads into the caves.

I follow him through the large cave entrance, surprised at how un-cave like it is. The opening is tall, carved into a beautifully detailed archway. The walls are crimson, matching the colour of the stones outside, and they’re sculpted to hold lanterns, lighting the tunnels.

We walk for a while, winding deeper into the caves before he leads me down some stairs that curve around the walls and stop at the base of another tunnel. This one is just as well lit, and wefollow it for a few more minutes. We eventually reach a large gate, which he unlocks with a fancy-looking key. He allows me to pass through and locks the door behind us, and then he leads me past several gated cells along the stone walls.

I don’t dare look inside as dread fills the pit of my stomach. Whoever the angels are down here, they must’ve done some terrible things to be locked up.

The guard steps through an entranceway into a larger area with several cells spaced around the walls. He stops outside the largest cell at the end, and my mouth gapes open when I spot Finlay.

His appearance shocks me, and I take in a sharp breath. His face is dirty with stubble covering his cheeks, chin, and neck, and he’s thin. As if he hasn’t eaten in a week. He’s barely able to lift his head to meet my gaze.

“Finlay?” I say.

The guard shuffles awkwardly. “I’ll be waiting for you near the gate,” he says before disappearing back through the tunnel, leaving us alone.

“What do you want?” he says, his voice weak.

The shock quickly dissipates, and anger fills its place. My jaw tenses, and I take a deep breath as I try to calm myself. “What do I want? That’s all you have to say to me?”

He gets to his feet, stumbling a little as he braces himself against the stone wall. “What were you expecting?”

I let out a harsh laugh. “How about an apology, or hell, maybe an explanation?”

He slowly shuffles to the gate and grabs hold to steady himself, his knuckles turning white under the pressure. “I don’t owe you anything,” he spits out.

I bite my lip and glance down, trying to contain my anger. Stubborn asshole. I need answers, and I won’t get them if I provoke him. I need to play it cool.

“What happened to you?” I ask, my voice softer. “We were a team. We were getting along well.”

His eyes flash with an apologetic gleam for a moment, before returning to their cold, hard glare. “You’re blamingme?You’rethe one colluding with our enemy.”

Something happened to Finlay to pin him against me. Does he really believe Kyle is our enemy? That the gods chose for us to guardian over someone we ought to condemn?

I step closer, placing my hand over his, and he tenses. “Kyle is not the enemy. They lied to us. They aren’t a threat.”

His forehead creases, and he snatches his hand back, stumbling at the lack of support to hold himself up. “Don’t play games with me,” he grumbles.

I let out a long breath and grip the cell bars. “I’m not. Kyle witnessed a conversation between two angels within our Kingdom. The female spoke of how she murdered my mother,” I explain. “It was Hethenos.”

He frowns, confusion flashing in his features as he tries to put the pieces together, and then shakes his head. “No, that’s bullshit. He’s lying to you.”

I shake the cell bars, unable to contain my anger, and he jumps. “It’s true.”

He studies my face, no doubt seeing the truth there.

“Finlay, why did you bring the watchers to attack us? Who sent you?” My voice has grown desperate, as I know we’re running out of time. The guard will be back at any moment.

He rubs a hand over his face as if considering his options.

“Finlay,” I say with urgency, and he lifts his gaze to meet mine, “please.”

A haunted look twists his features, and he turns around. “They’ll kill me,” he says, his voice barely more than a whisper.

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