Page 95 of Wings of Betrayal

“Let’s get out of here, then,” I suggest.

I follow her back out of the cave the same way I went in, and once we’re safely outside, she pulls me in for a hug.

“I’ve missed your visits,” she says.

“As have I.”

She runs her hand down my cheek and smiles. “I see so much of myself in you. Did you know that?”

I swallow hard and bite my bottom lip.

“You have my gifts. I can see them within you. You can control those portals, Zarla. You can open and close them, just as I once did.”

My jaw drops. “What? How? When did you do that?”

I have so many questions, my head feels heavy.

She wanders away from the cave, and I jog to catch up with her.

“It was accidental. I was practicing my powers, and I opened a portal to the Spirit Realm. Just as quickly as I opened it, it closed in on itself.”

My heart seizes, and I glance at her as we walk through the forest. Leaves and twigs crunch beneath our feet, and I enjoy the familiar sounds that remind me of home.

“You opened a portal?” I ask.

She nods. “And you can, too. That’s how you’ve been able to come here. Not just any angel or god can pass through into this realm. It takes a special ability.”

My mind reels with this new information. I take in a deep breath and blow it out slowly as I attempt to process it all.

“I know it’s a lot,” she says. “You’ll figure it out, eventually. Just be careful.”

I stop walking. “Why can’t you close the portal in that cave, then? They’re sucking angel spirits right through it.”

She tilts her head to the side, and a light breeze blows her blonde waves over her shoulder, making her even morebeautiful. “I have tried. But I do not possess those powers any longer, not since I have been here.”

The sadness in her features tightens my chest. I can’t even imagine how it must feel to be trapped here in this realm with no powers. And for so long. It’s a peaceful and incredibly beautiful place, but that doesn’t make it any easier, I’m sure.

“I met my father… My real father,” I admit.

Her eyes widen, and I search her face for any sign of remorse but find none. She could have told me about him the last time I visited her, or the first time. But she didn’t.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask.

Her eyes glisten in the moonlight. “There is much I wanted to tell you. But I didn’t know how.”

I think about that as I look out into the forest.

“I did not want to disrupt your life. Atticus had his faults. I loved him, but he wasn’t always the best male. He did not know you were his, as Harlum prevented me from leaving the Kingdom. But he was my true mate…” How did you find him?”

I fold my arms over my chest and shiver as a cool breeze blows through. “I found him in Galespo.”

“Zarla, that’s dangerous. You shouldn’t be going there.”

“I was fine. My powers are strong, and I had some help.”

Something bangs loudly, and we both whirl toward the cave.

“You should go,” she says frantically as she ushers me back through the forest. “It’s no longer safe here. Work on your abilities. You can open portals. You must trust your intuition.”

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