Page 84 of Dark Angel

She starts pulling out every drawer, sifting through every piece of paper. Scratches and cuts slice her fingers, but she ignores the feeling. Her skin heals instantly after each one.

Desperately, she pulls out a bunch of death notices, going through them when Jordan grabs her hands and turns her towards him.

“Stop, Kora. He’s not in here.”

Tears sting her eyes. Knowing that he’s right, she breathes out a wobbly breath.

Colton was never pronounced dead. Her parents had lied to Clarence.

All hope leaves her heart as she releases another exhale. Dropping the papers from her grip, she leans over the table, trying to collect herself. Her throat feels gritty, like sandpaper. Hands clammy and head spinning out of control.

“Calm down, Kora. We’ll speak with my parents tonight about all of this. They’re our best hopes in finding any more information we need.” Jordan tries to settle her down. “If your parents confided in anyone, it would’ve been them,”

Kora continues peering down at her shoes, holding onto the table in front of her to stabilise herself. She won’t let herself crumble just yet. “We will. If what the Infernal said is true, then we don’t have much time. Two adolescents have already been killed. How many more is he planning on killing before he brings his wrath onto Earth?”

Her body starts vibrating with fear. Jordan puts his hands on her waist, giving her extra support as she shivers with distress and trepidation.

“Ha.” Jordan suddenly lets out with realisation, looking around at the mess she has made with the parchment.

Kora finds her breathing again, looking up at him. “What is it?”

Jordan checks the papers one last time.

“It goes from Halsbury to Hamslot.” He states.

She frowns at him, searching his eyes for more words. “And?”

He glances between her and the papers in his hand. “If these are the death notices of Seraphim in London, then your parent’s names should also be in here, right?”

Kora’s face halts. Heart plummeting deep into the bottom of her stomach as if it’s a rock, threatening to bring up what little food she’s eaten today. Clutching her abdomen, she suddenly can’t suck in any air like it’s too thin and blistering cold. Her body slumps down to the cold floor. She has no idea what to believe anymore. Who to believe. Her world is beginning to crumble.

“Hamilton is not in here at all.”

“That has to be a mistake.”

Jordan crouches beside her, his hand resting on her cheek. “I don’t know what to say, Kora. Either this is a mistake, or someone is trying to cover something up.”

A hoarse sob escapes her throat. “What’s happening?”

“I don’t know,” his voice quiet like hers, “but this doesn’t make any sense.”

Tears blur her vision. Her hands are visibly trembling in her lap. Jordan reaches out to hold them tightly.

“My parents are dead. They have to be. Otherwise, where would they have been for the past fourteen years?” Her mind scrambles to fit the puzzle pieces together.

“We need to get you out of here.”

With a bit more convincing, Jordan helps her up off the cold floor. He tidies up the archive tables while Kora cries to herself beside the door.

Once he’s finished returning everything as best as he could, Jordan leads her out of the library into the hallway of the Ascendancy, which seems eerily quiet.

She stops him before the entrance doors. “I need to see Daisy before we leave.”

*?*?*

The group trample down the stairs into the infirmary. Clarence pushes open the door with the tip of his shoe. The Elders are all standing together, clearly discussing something important when they interrupt.

“What the…” Clarence stops himself, looking between Robert, Percy, Thomas and Tobias.

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