Page 111 of Wings of Death

She opens her arms wide, and I don’t hesitate as I run right to her. She holds me against her chest while I break down, sobbing like a child. I don’t realise how much I need her until this moment.

She strokes my back, whispering soothing words into my ear, and after a few minutes, I finally settle down. I pull back and stare at her, and she gives me a wide smile.

“How did you get here?” she asks, her expression twisted with concern.

“The Gateway of the Gods,” I tell her. “I just jumped through it and ended up here.”

Her gaze drops to my arms, and her brows furrow. “Where are your guardian markings?”

I glance down at my arms and bite my bottom lip. “Father removed them. He has forbidden me from leaving the Kingdom. I tried to tell him it was Hethenos who murdered you, but he refused to listen to me,” I say, and a sob escapes my lips. “I was with Kyle in Zarquon, and I met his parents. They knew you.”

She reaches up and wipes my tears away. “Yes, I remember them. Zeta was a dear friend of mine. Apollon is a strong and stern male, but he too is kind, and you can trust him.”

“Did you know he’s a god?” I ask.

She stares at me without blinking, and I almost ask her again.

“I did,” she finally says.

“And Zalore from Galespo, too. How many gods are there?”

Her expression softens, and she cups my cheek. “You are inquisitive, my beautiful daughter.”

Okay, so that feels like she’s avoiding the question.

She drops her hand to her side and wanders toward the trees as I follow her. I realise she’s taking me to the waterfall, and once we reach it, she stops near the edge. The sounds of cascading water are peaceful to my ears while I gaze out across its sparkling surface.

“There is much I cannot tell you, Zarla,” she says as she looks out over the water, “but you will learn of it in time.”

I notice how light is reflecting off the surface of the water onto her dress, causing it to sparkle in the most magical way. She turns and smiles at me over her shoulder, as if reading my thoughts. I don’t know if I’ll get used to that in a hurry.

She laughs, and it’s a wonderful sound. She holds her dress up and steps into the water to just below her knees.

“Come in. The water is quite lovely.”

I glance down at my guardian leathers, decide screw it, and walk in. It’s the perfect temperature, and I barely notice it’s water at all as it blends against my skin. How interesting. It’s almost like it’s the same temperature as my body.

“There’s something wrong in the Kingdom,” I tell her. “I can sense it.”

She nods but doesn’t look at me. “You must trust your intuition, Zarla. Trust yourself, but no one else.”

“Why did the Gateway of the Gods take me here? I visualised Kyle’s Kingdom, Zarquon, but I ended up here instead.”

She reaches her hand down and glides her fingers across the surface of the water, and it shimmers with the movement. “The gateway is a magical portal. There is one in each Kingdom. Any angel can pass through it, but it takes a special ability to come here. One harnessed by the gods.”

I frown at her words. “So how didIpass through it, then?” And then the realisation hits me.

Hold on a second. I’m a descendant of a god too?

She turns to face me and lets her dress fall into the water as she takes my hands. I need her to explain this to me right now.

“I can see you have put the pieces together in your own mind. I am a goddess, Zarla.”

My lips part while I take in a sharp breath. “Why didn’t you tell me that? Not in your note, or the last time I visited you?”

She tilts her head to the side and gently squeezes my hands. “It is something we needed to discuss in person, not through a note, and I am limited to what I can share with you here, especially if you do not ask. But some things I just cannot explain.”

“Did my father know?” I ask.

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