Page 104 of Dark Angel

Clarence lifts a brow. “You are aware that your father patrols with us from time to time?”

“Yes, and I don’t agree with that. He doesn’t need to help patrol. He has more important things to worry about.”

“Well, no, he doesn’tneedto, but it’s considerate to help out once in a while.”

Charles shakes his raven hair. “Well, I will not be helping when I am the leader.”

Clarence just rolls his eyes. There’s no use trying to talk him into it. Charles is overly stubborn and too smug to consider helping out others. Clarence doesn’t even know why he’s trying right now. It just seems pointless.

They stroll past one of the bars in Soho. Some Marked creatures stumble out from an entire night of drinking and dancing. It’s still early morning. Dawn broke over the city less than an hour ago. It’s normal to see people out this early returning home.

They continue down the alley. Oil lamps have burnt out on either side, but the warm glow of the rising sun is enough to light up the laneway. Dew and chill fill the air. Winter has most certainly arrived. A wintry breeze blows through the narrow walkway, and frost drops in tiny flakes to the cobblestone ground.

At the end of the alley, Clarence sees a few people rushing past. A few yells and gasps fill the air, and he instantly knows something is wrong.

Clarence breaks out into a run.

Charles calls out for him to slow down, but Clarence ignores his request.

A cluster of onlookers surround something on the ground. Women cover their eyes as men kneel to investigate.

Clarence pushes between two people to see his body lying in an unnatural way on the cold cobblestones. Light brown eyes staring dully into the sky, his bark-coloured hair strewn about like a bird’s nest and mattered with essence and blood. His body is stripped of material, and deep carvings have been etched into his skin. His own bodily fluids pooling around him, drying into the stone beneath.

Clarence pushes down the unpleasant bile burning its way up his oesophagus, kneeling beside Levi’s contorted body. Reaching out his fingers in the slightest bit of hope, he’s immediately shattered by the lack of pulse beating through his friend’s veins. Clarence’s chest feels as though someone has slammed it with a sledgehammer. Devastation icing his insides.

Charles brushes against him, covering his mouth in shock. “Levi. They got Levi.”

Clarence stares up at him momentarily before removing his coat and covering up Levi’s torn body. “Tell them all to leave.” He mutters to Charles. “We need to get him out of here.”

Listening to him for once, Charles scatters the crowd that’s accumulated around them, gasping and commenting on the bloody scene.

Closing Levi’s eyes, Clarence takes him into his arms, not caring if Levi’s blood ruins his own clothes. Levi was one of his closest friends, being only a few months younger than himself. His throat works as he looks at Levi’s limp body hanging in his arms, lifeless and battered.

“We have to get him to the infirmary. The Elders will know what to do.” Clarence tells Charles without looking at him.

Charles’ face twists with a look of disgust, “Are you sure we should not just leave him here to be assessed? I can tell them to come down here themselves.”

That scored him an icy glare from Clarence. “We are not just leaving him here. Levi was my friend. The least we can do is take his body to the Ascendancy like decent people. Do you have even a lick of respect in that cold heart of yours?” Clarence grits out as he walks away towards the Ascendancy building.

Charles scurries after him like a frightened puppy. “I just don’t really like dead bodies.” He admits in a murmur.

Clarence scoffs repulsively, “Really? I hadn’t noticed.” Sarcasm dripping off each word.

“I am not like you, Clarence,” Charles lets out, sounding vulnerable for a moment, “I have never been around death like you and Kora. This is why I don’t want to join the Night Guard. It’s not that I am scared of Infernals. I amterrifiedof dead bodies.”

Clarence halts and looks slightly down at his olive-green eyes. They look wide with honesty, which he’s never seen before in Charles. “Charles, nobodylikesdead bodies-except perhaps the White Women-but apart from them, nobody elselikesdead bodies. Believe me, the last thing I want to be doing right now is carrying my deceased friend to the infirmary like this, but it’s what we do. We are fighters, not pansies!”

Charles’ eyes flare even more at Clarence’s irritation. “All right. You’re right. It’s the least we can do, just,” he pauses to bite the corner of his mouth, “can you carry him on your own? I don’t think I can handle touching a dead body.”

He swallows as Clarence rolls his eyes and walks past him, not bothering to say anything.

They make their way back to the Ascendancy. Everyone’s gaze is on Clarence as they hurry from Soho to Holborn. Charles strides infront of him, never turning around to see if Clarence was behind him still with Levi’s body-not, that Clarence even expected him to care.

“Who is that?” A young Elemental couple gawks at Levi as they pass by. The silver of her Mark peeking out from the top of the ladies’ dress sleeve.

“Have you never seen a dead Seraphim before?” Charles grumbles at her.

The lady shakes his head hurriedly, eyes widening in astonishment as her husband drags her away before Charles has time to snap at them again.

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