Page 82 of Dark Angel

Essence drips from its chin into the shadows beneath. Its blackened eyes somehow looking even more soulless than before.

Kora bites back a sob. She’s by no means upset about the Infernal dying. She’s mad that she wasn’t able to get a straightforward answer from the creature.

Glancing sideways to Jordan, who is fighting off yet another creature, she stumbles over, jumping onto its back and twisting its neck until she feels the tendons and bones snap apart. Its body falls limp against her.

Jordan stares in her direction, panting and wiping sweat from his forehead.

“You killed it.” Kora breathes out.

“I had to Kora. It was going to kill you itself if you waited any longer.”

“No,” she shakes her head at him, “it was warning me of-” She can’t bring herself to speak her brother’s name out loud.

“It was lying to you, Kora! That is what they do. Why would it tell you the truth? Colton is dead.DEAD! He’s not their master, he is nothing to them. It was just a way to get under your skin!” Jordan yells at her.

She wants to believe him, but part of her can’t.

Shaking her head at him aggressively, she retorts, “What if it wasn’t lying to me?”

Jordan looks at her like she’s out of her mind. Perhaps she is. “Clarence said he’s dead. What makes you think he is alive and out there mastering Infernals and becoming a Dark Angel?”

She stares at him.

Jordan’s gaze settles on something over her shoulder. Pulling her behind him like a shield, Jordan tosses a knife at an Infernal advancing on them.

“If there is a chance, then I have to believe it.” She says loudly into his ear.

“I know you want to believe it, but Infernals are demonic, cunning creatures. They will lie shamelessly to you. You can’t believe what it tells you. You need to find out if he really died for yourself.” He shouts back at her.

Another dagger releases from his weapons belt. It flies through the air, missing the Infernal attacking Lewis.

Jordan curses loudly.

“And how do you suggest that?”

“Go to the archives in the Ascendancy. They record every death there. That should tell you your answer,” Jordan tells her.

He goes to grab another weapon, but his belt is empty.

Kora jumps out from behind, unsheathing the golden blade from her back. Driving it at the Infernal, its eyes light up as it hisses towards her.

Kora grunts, forcing the blade out. The creature’s hand grabs onto the blade and the sizzling sound of flesh burning crackles around them.

The Infernal curls over, shying away as he pins her with a dark glare. Kora slashes her mother’s blade once again and the Infernal flops limply into the grass. Clear blood sprays onto her bare skin. She feels the familiar burning sensation of the essence, but she’s too shocked to register it.

The shadowy mist begins to fade around them and the dusking sun peeks through the sky once again. The few Infernals left diminish in thin air as the last of the mist dissolves.

Kora’s eyes immediately land on Elodi’s bloodied body, lying lifelessly in the dewy grass. Her blue eyes are dull and hooded. Lewis extends a hand out to find a pulse but shakes his head at everyone. “She’s gone.”

Kora’s throat tightens, seeing the gaping wound in Elodi’s side and essence eating away at her torn flesh.

“Elodi!” Ada rushes forward, falling to her knees to hold her friend in her arms. Blood stains her clothing, but she doesn’t care. She pulls her friend into her chest, crying softly as everyone watches in silence.

Looking up, Kora notices Daisy holding her arm, a long scrap running from her shoulder to her forearm. Rushing over to her, Kora inspects the wound as Daisy sheds silent tears. “We need to get you to the infirmary.”

“Onto it.” Clarence agrees, holding her against himself. He scoops Daisy up with ease into his arms, her wound cradled in his chest.

“I’ll meet you there,” Kora tells her brother.

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