Page 76 of Wings of Death

He crosses the room and sits on the edge of my bed. I tug the covers up, covering myself as much as I can. His eyes scan over my face, as if searching for an answer to some internal question.

“Was there a reason for your unwanted visit?” I ask, my voice sounding harsh, even to my ears.

He swallows hard. “Zarla, I’m sorry. For everything. I never meant to hurt you?—”

“But you did.”

He nods, glancing down. “I know. But if I didn’t, you could’ve been killed.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “How could I have been killed? The watchers were dead. Kyle needed me and…” A sob escapes my lips, and I’m unable to finish the sentence.

He takes in a deep breath, repositioning himself. “If I had left you there, and more watchers had shown up. I hate to think of what the outcome could have been.”

I raise my brows and look away.

He shuffles closer, taking my hand in his, and I snatch it back, glaring at him.

“Sorry. I just…” He pauses for a moment. “All I care about is your safety.”

Despite how mad I am with him right now, I can sense he is telling the truth. He does seem to care about me, a lot. But it doesn’t give him the right to force me to do anything.

“I get the feeling there’s something you’re not telling me.” His eyes soften as they lock with mine.

Despite my anger toward him right now, I do feel I can trust him. “Kyle witnessed something. Something bad. It’s a long story.”

He gives me a small smile. “I have plenty of time.”

I nod. “When I was younger, Kyle used to visit me in the Kingdom.”

His eyes widen, filled with a flicker of anger, but I continue.

“We became friends. But he witnessed a conversation between a male and a female. She was talking to the male about how she killed my mother and how I cannot reach my potential.”

He shakes his head, a genuine apologetic look mixed with shock crossing his features. “Is he sure?”

“He is. And from his description, it sounds like Hethenos. But we’re not sure about the male.”

Amaros stands and slowly paces around as he grates his hands down his face.

“I don’t think Kyle’s dangerous. Or the other angels from his Kingdom. It was all a lie. An enemy angel didn’t kill my mother.”

Amaros stops pacing and faces me. “What did they do to Kyle?”

“He had his wings removed and was thrown down to Earth. He grew up down there, as a human. The gods bonded us together for a reason.”

His forehead creases, and he takes a step closer. “How did he get his wings back?”

I swallow hard and bite my bottom lip. “I used the dark magic.”

Amaros runs a hand through his hair and lets out a frustrated sigh. “Zarla, that’s incredibly dangerous,” he says. “You entered the Dark Forest?”

I nod. “I had no choice. Kyle deserved to have his wings back. He’s an angel. Can you imagine finding out you’re an angel with no wings?”

He clenches his fists and moves toward me. “You don’t know how reckless that was. The God of Death does not dispose kindness to those who summon him. He could have taken your life.”

I slip out of the covers without a care at what I’m wearing and stand before him. “I am a grown angel. I can not only look after myself, but I can make my own decisions. And as you can see, he didn’t kill me. In fact, he was kind.”

His eyes scan over my white, skin-tight nightdress. He steps closer to me, and my breath catches. “Kyle is dangerous, Zarla. You may not see that now, but he is lying to you. He is not good enough for you.”

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