Page 74 of Dark Angel

His hand clamps down on her mouth as he stares at her. “I only just remember him,” he begins, not bringing himself to look at her distressed face, “you were both so small. He had problems when he was born, so our parents thought it was best to put him out of his misery.”

Kora sucks in a breath.

He knew this whole time and never told her. He never mentioned she had a twin brother. Never mentioned that their parents were the ones that killed him. That his soul was stolen by the Dark Angels of Hell!”

“They didn’t want to do it, but it was their only choice,” Clarence continues. “I was only three years old. I asked what happened, and they said it was for the best for everyone. I didn’t know anything about it. I was only a child myself. So, I never mentioned him again, and neither did they. I never told you because I knew it would have upset you or you would have become so obsessed with finding out more that it would consume you.”

He touches her arm again, and Kora flinches away from him. “You are always protecting me too much, Clarence. I should have known about this. When Scarlett told me, I freaked out. I looked insane for not knowing!”

“Scarlett?” he questions her.

“Yes, Scarlett Delacroix. The Augur at the market. I wanted to go see someone after Jordan told me to-” Kora makes herself stop. Herlips part as her eyes widen with realisation. She wasn’t meant to mention Jordan seeing her heal.

Clarence’s gaze narrows at hers. His body stiffening at the name she just breathed. “Why wouldJordantell you to see an Augur?” he questions in a harsh tone. “What did he do?”

Kora winces, more at her big mouth than at Clarence’s perusing. “He hurt me,” she says and watches her brother step backwards in horror. “We were training, and he cut me and saw what happens with my blood. He promised he wouldn’t tell anyone, and I believe him, Clarence.”

“You let him see your healing ability? Kora, are youmad!” Clarence yells at her.

Mortals pass by, peering over to see them arguing. Kora just eyes them off, giving them an icy glare to mind their own business.

“You don’t know what he will do with that information. You just painted a target of your back for the whole Ascendancy.”

Kora growls back at him. “He wouldn’t do that to me, Clarence. He said he will help me, and he is.”

“You hardly know this boy!” He yells again. His face beginning to fume. “This is why I need to protect you. You can’t be trusted on your own!”

“I am not a child!” Kora shouts back, feeling her own rage beginning to flourish.

“Well, you act like one most of the time,” Clarence steps forward, pressing her further into the cold stone wall, “you get attacked after the Sage and you don’t tell me. You get hurt and exposed to someone and you don’t tell me. You get your mind read by some Augur and allow her to see things about you that nobody should be seeing. You need to grow up, Kora, and realise that people out there aren’t going to protect you. Only I will!”

She feels the stinging inside of her chest, like it’s being squeezed between a vise. “You’re the overly protective one. You keep everything from me!”

“Like what?” Clarence asks in a jaded voice.

“Our brother. Our finances… Daisy.”

The mention of her friend makes his eyes soften. “She asked me not to tell you about us. It wasn’t for me to share with anyone, especially you.”

“And you didn’t,” she reminds him, “just like I told Jordan not to mention what happened to me to anyone, including you.”

“This is different. Daisy and I have known each other our whole lives. You have known Jordan for a mere three seconds.”

Kora quivers at him. “I trust him. Just like you trust Daisy. I wanted to know why I was so different from everyone else. Why I can heal faster, run faster and fight harder. You said it yourself. I am unique, and now I know why.”

She watches as his muscles loosen, his jaw slackening and gaze relaxing on her. Clarence processes everything. Controls his breathing before asking in a shaky voice, “What did you find out?”

“Scarlett said I am a direct descendant of the Archangel, Uriel. Archangel blood runs through my veins. It’s what they call anAngelus Purus, or Pure Angel.”

“A Pure Angel,” he repeats quietly. She can see the gears turning inside of his mind as he ponders her realisation, “I have never heard of anyone being a Pure Angel before.”

Kora shrugs, “Neither have I, but that is what Scarlett called me. She said it’s extremely rare. There hasn’t been one for centuries.”

Clarence scratches his forehead as he puts some distance between the two of them. He looks down at her. The black leather sheath of her blade tied around her back. “Let me see your blade again for a moment.” He says, holding out his hand to her.

She hesitates before unsheathing the weapon and handing it to him.

The golden glow is strong in her grasp, dimming slightly in his. He looks at the symbols engraved. One is the sword for Seraphim,another is the familiar symbol of lines and dots connected, forming something like a G, but slightly different.The symbol of Uriel.

---