Page 146 of Wings of Betrayal

He caresses my cheek. “I’ll come with you.”

“No, it’s okay. I won’t be long. You wait here.” I kiss him once more then wander off down the steps toward the beach.

The warm sea breeze blows by me as I breathe it in deep. I untie my braid and let my hair hang loose around my shoulders. The sand comforts my feet as I move across the beach toward the waves. My vision is a little hazy still, and I blink a few times in an attempt to clear it. Maybe I drank a bit too much.

“Hi, Zarla.”

The voice startles me, and I whip around.

Em is the last angel I expect to see. Did she follow me down here?

“Zarla, can we please talk?”

I narrow my eyes at her, immediately suspicious. “I’m just taking a walk. Alone.”

She parts her lips to say something else, but I walk away.

“I know I’ve said some things that have upset you,” she says, and I turn around. “I just want to clear the air and apologise.”

I bite my bottom lip and shake my head. “Some things that have upset me? You got my friend killed!”

She looks down at her feet.

The last thing I want to do is to be down here alone with her. I don’t need to hear her lies.

“Look, I’m really not in the mood, Em.” I walk off again but stumble then right myself.

“Please? I just want to talk. It won’t take long, I promise.”

I glance up at the lights from my celebration with Kyle, and all I want to do is go back. “Fine, but it has to be quick. Kyle’s waiting for me.”

“I’ll be quick, I promise.” She gestures for me to walk with her and then heads down closer to the shoreline.

I bite my bottom lip and glance back up at the celebration. Unease swells inside me, but I ignore it and follow her. I don’t trust this female, but it’s probably for the best to clear the air, as she said, especially since I’ll be living in Zarquon now. So I allow her to lead me away down the beach.

She eventually stops, and I keep my distance from her, needing the space as I fold my arms across my chest.

“Can we call it a truce?” she asks. “With everything that’s happened, I want to make sure there are no hard feelings between us. I don't hold any toward you anyway. And I didn't push you down that hole. You tripped, and I tried to grab you. Don’t you remember?”

I frown at her. “Em, I know what happened. You shoved me into the tunnel wall, and it collapsed. You may not have known that would happen, but don’t stand there and tell me I tripped.”

She raises her hand. “I’m sorry. That’s just how I remember it. But it’s okay if you remember it differently.”

I narrow my eyes at the female. It’s difficult to see clearly down here in the darkness, but something feels off. I never feelcomfortable around her, especially now that my gut instinct is screaming at me to get away from her.

“Look, I need to get back to Kyle,” I say, knowing this was a mistake.

She grabs my arm, but I yank it free.

“Can we just start over?” she pleads. “I have known Kyle my whole life, and I just want him to be happy. If that’s with you, then so be it.”

I think on her words, still unable to trust her intentions. She’s lying to me. I know that much. But why? Why bother with all of this?

“A lot has happened, Em. I really don’t think we can mend this. And I don’t think I want to, either.”

She nods. “I get that. Maybe you just need some time.”

“I don’t know if time will fix this.”

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