Page 104 of Wings of Betrayal

I pray to the gods we haven’t lost many angels. It seems we were well prepared though, considering how abrupt their invasion into the Kingdom was. I’m amazed at how fast the Zarquon army was ready for battle. It gives me hope knowing they are so well organized, if ever Amaros steps foot here again.

We arrive back to absolute chaos. Archangels are being carried through the castle to the healers’ chambers, and we have to duck out of the way to avoid bumping into anyone. Kyle takes my hand and leads me to the side of the entranceway.

He brushes his fingers across my cheek. “I want to go to the healers’ chambers and see if they need my help. I can tell how exhausted you are, so I don’t expect you to come with me. Why don’t you get some rest?”

I rear back from him. “Like hell I’m going to rest. I’m coming with you.”

He tilts his head to the side and studies me. “You’re stubborn, but okay. Come on, then.”

I follow him through the castle, and we keep to the left as angels rush past us carrying other injured angels. I’ve lost count at how many there are. Kyle leads me down three flights of stairs, and I realise the healers’ chambers are located beneath the castle. It’s cooler down here, and it scents of dirt and blood. Iswallow hard, preparing myself for what we are about to witness as we stop outside.

“You sure you wanna go in?” he asks.

“I’m sure. If they need our help, I want to help, however I can.”

He presses his lips together and pushes the doors open. Several of the healers, all females, look up as we enter, their eyes widening at the sight of Kyle. One of them hurries over to us with blood on her hands.

“Kyle, it’s an honor.” She bows her head low in greeting.

He touches her arm. “You don’t have to do that,” he tells her. “We’re here to help, if you need it.”

There are probably about fifty injured archangels in here, their injuries varying in severity, while healers tend to their wounds. Some of them lie in milky-white baths, as I remember doing myself back in Silanthia, and some lie on tables with healers bustling around them.

“We need help to hold them down. We don’t have enough hands,” she explains, leading us over to the tables.

A male guard lies on one, his face scrunched up in pain from the deep gash across his middle. I cover my mouth as blood oozes from the wound, and Kyle looks at me.

“If it’s too much for you, you can say,” he gently whispers in my ear.

Shaking my hands out, I step up to the table. “What can I do?”

The female healer takes my hands and puts them on the male’s arm. “Hold him down. We have to tend to the wound, or he’ll bleed out.”

Without thinking, I place my hands over his wound instead and allow my healing power to seep into him. My hands glow a bright white, and Kyle and the healer both watch in amazementas his wound knits back together. The male guard stares at me with wide eyes.

“You healed me…” he says in shock.

I take a step back, suddenly worried about revealing my power, but the healer gets down on her knees and clasps her hands together before me.

“You are our savior!” she cries.

I look at Kyle, who is staring at me with total adoration.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve asked, but I knew I could help.”

She gets to her feet and leads me to another table. “Please, if you can, heal as many as you are able.”

I can sense Kyle’s worry, but I brush it aside. It doesn’t matter how tired I am, or how much healing others is going to take out of me. I will do it.

Placing my hands over the next male guard, I heal a deep wound in his chest before I move around the room to heal as many as I can. I heal about fifteen angels before my legs give out, and I stumble.

Kyle catches me. I blink, trying to clear the haze from my vision.

“I’m… I’m fine,” I assure him, but he doesn’t buy it.

“No, you’re not. We need to get you some rest.” Concern laces his voice, and although I want to fight him on this, I know he’s right.

We’re just leaving the healing chambers when an ear-piercing screech echoes through the stone corridor. Kyle and I look at one another.

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