Page 119 of Wings of Death

She watches me for a moment before she replies. “I have her journal. It’s been an interesting read. I bet you don’t know why I killed her, do you?”

She halts a few feet back from the cell gate.

I take a step forward. “Because you were jealous of her.”

Anger fills her eyes, and her jaw tenses as she grips the cell bars. “She had to die. She was a threat to our kind and our Kingdom. Serona wanted to merge the Kingdoms together, and I caught her several times trying to do so. She had to be stopped.”

I take in several deep breaths. “You’re a monster. My father won’t let you get away with this.”

She laughs, shoving her hands into her suit pant pockets, and shuffles from one foot to another. “I have already taken care of that. This Kingdom is mine now, and you will pay for harming my daughter.”

I let out a strained laugh. “Harming her?Shestabbedme, and I was lucky that Kyle showed up before she could kill me.”

She tilts her head to the side. “Doesn’t really matter. She was just jealous of Amaros’s affection toward you, but that hardly matters now. He would never truly be interested in a female like you. He is Astelle’s, and they will be together, in line for the throne once I am gone.”

My powers are building inside me, but when I attempt to use them, nothing happens. They just fizzle out like water to a flame.

Hethenos claps her hands and smirks in amusement. “Your powers will obviously not work within the cells, or prisoners would escape.”

She raises her hand out toward me and tilts her head to the side as green magic seeps from her fingertips and curls its way through the air toward me. I back up into the corner of the cell, trying desperately to avoid it, but it’s pointless. It eventuallyfinds its way into my mouth. A burning pain trickles down my throat, and I scream while it settles into every cell in my body.

I fall to the ground as the green magic consumes me, and when I can no longer bear it, my vision blurs, and I black out. When I eventually open my eyes again, Alaron is hovering in the air directly above me, and I jump.

“For whatever reason, I find myself concerned about you,” he states.

My brows crease, and I quickly sit up, watching as he rights himself, still hovering just above the ground. He’s dressed in black with his shirt unbuttoned enough to reveal the contours of his chest. My focus drops to the various black markings across his pale skin, and when I meet his red eyes once more, he smirks at me, showing off his impossibly white teeth.

I open my mouth to speak and find I’m unable to. I grab my throat as panic sets in, and Alaron reaches out and pulls green magic from my mouth, like a string of twine.

“It’s a poison spell,” he explains.

I cough several times and instantly feel better. “Thank you,” I say, my voice rough, and I rub my throat. “How are you here, and why are you helping me?”

He stares at me without blinking. “You are special, little angel, and I find myself drawn to you.”

I move across the dirty ground back into the corner and lean my back against the cold stone wall. “Were you there the night my mother was murdered?” I ask, trying to make the most of his presence.

He lowers himself to the ground and walks over to me. “You are inquisitive, aren’t you?”

I bite the inside of my cheek, somewhat annoyed that he won’t answer my question.

“Your mother cared greatly for you. She wanted to ensure her beautiful baby girl, Zarla, would be okay. She asked me to watch over you.”

Tears gently flow down my cheeks, and he watches me for a moment before he reaches out and wipes them away. He stares into my eyes, and the intensity is too much. I have to look away.

“I’m sorry you are here,” he says, almost too quietly for me to hear.

I meet his red eyes once more. “You know, for a God of Death, you aren’t as scary as I would have assumed you to be.”

He chuckles. “It’s the name that scares most.” He wanders around the cell before his gaze shifts to mine, and he stops. “There is much more to you than you know, Zarla. You will find out in time.”

Afraid he’s about to poof into thin air, I quickly ask him if he can help me get out of here.

He glances at the cell door and then back at me. “No. I cannot intervene in the balance too much, and I fear I may have already done so with you. But I simply couldn’t resist. I like you, Zarla. You are strong.”

I smile at his words. I like him too.

“I must warn you about the twins. They’re no good, which I am sure you already know.”

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