Page 96 of Wings of Death

I glance up to see a hole in the ceiling where it has caved in from the explosion. There are injured angels as far as the eye can see. I cough in a feeble attempt to clear my throat, which is raw from breathing in the dust and smoke-filled air.

“Amaros?” I call out again in a raspy voice.

He was right with me when the explosion happened. He couldn’t have gone far.

I take a few steps through the rubble before I trip, sending a fresh wave of pain through my leg. I scream and roll onto my side as I look for the source. There’s a shard of wood stuck in the back of my calf, and blood is slowly seeping from the wound.

With a shaky hand, I reach for it, but I know enough about this sort of thing to understand removing it could cause me to bleed out, unless my healing abilities can prevent that. I decide not to try it. It’s unlikely I’ll be able to do it myself anyway.

I spot Demetros across the other side of the hall helping injured angels, and I let out a sigh of relief knowing he’s all right.

“Zarla?” someone calls.

It’s Amaros. I stand and do my best to ignore the pain as I hobble in the direction of his voice.

“Zarla?” he calls again.

Gods above, where is he?

A sudden sharp pain tears into my side, and I turn to see Astelle holding the handle of the knife she just plunged into me. Her blue eyes bore into mine, and they are free from any ounce of remorse or regret.

“Amaros is mine. You will never have him.” Her voice is almost unrecognisable, thick with hatred.

Tears spill down my cheeks while I fall to my knees. I know I need to say something to her, to tell her I don’t want him, but I can’t. My vision sways as I glance down at the large knife sticking out of my side. My body shakes uncontrollably while I desperately try to hold on to consciousness.

She wouldn’t kill me, would she?

Astelle shoves her heel into my chest, and I fall onto my back. She bends down and grips the handle of the knife. I scream as an unimaginable pain takes hold of me.

“Time to join that whore of a mother,” she whispers into my ear as she twists the knife.

Something shoves into Astelle and sends her flying across the room into a pile of rubble, where she lands at an awkward angle.

I blink, unsure if I’m imagining it. Kyle?

He stands before me, his fists balled and his black wings spread out at his sides. I’ve never seen him so angry in all the time I’ve known him. Darkness hovers over him as he glares at Astelle across the room.

And then his eyes find mine.

Pain twists his features when he looks me over, and in an instant, he drops to my side and scoops me into his arms. I scream at the movement, but quickly relax against his chest. Anger flashes in his eyes as they search mine, as if trying to understand what’s happened to me. I reach up and cup his cheek to check that he’s real, and he smiles while his features soften.

“I’m going to save you, Zarla. I promise.”

His voice alone is enough to soothe and distract me from the pain I’m in. I spot Amaros across the room, standing behind Kyle. His face and clothes are dirty, as if he’s just crawled out from beneath the rubble. Maybe he has.

“Let her go. Now,” Amaros demands.

Kyle turns to face him but doesn’t put me down. Several angels nearby catch sight of Kyle and hurry out of the hall, likely terrified of the powerful male archangel from Zarquon, and I don’t blame them. He is larger and much stronger than most males within our Kingdom.

I risk a glance toward Astelle, and she’s lying still, strewn across some debris.

Amaros takes a step closer. “He’s dangerous, Zarla. You mustn’t trust him.”

I’m barely holding on to consciousness right now. My body is shaking, and a clammy layer of cold sweat covers my forehead.Although I am sure the pain is still there, somehow I’m unable to feel it. White spots dance across my vision as my body grows weaker, and I can feel myself slowly fading.

“Your father needs you,” Amaros says through a strained voice, grabbing my attention. “He’s in a bad way.”

I force myself to look at Amaros, and he’s holding his side. He’s injured.

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