Page 2 of Fallen Demon

I pulled the bag, picked up the phone from the outer pocket, and glanced at the time. It was midmorning already!

I swung my legs to the side, determined to leave this bed, but groaned when my side pulled.

“It’ll hurt for a few more days, but I healed it. You’ll be fine.”

I snapped my had back. “Lacey.” She walked toward me, carrying a tray with food. “You’re okay.”

She nodded as she set the tray on the nightstand between our beds. “Abbie accessed my healing magic and did a great job.”

I remembered that, but I hadn’t seen her awake before I left. “I’m sorry about that. You went there for me and?—”

“Stop it,” she tried snapping at me, but it came out forced. She was too sweet for that. “I wanted to help you.” She leaned on her bed. “Though, I heard someone else wanted to help you while I was out and …” She swallowed hard. “Abbie told me you said my brother is gone. What do you mean?”

“By the light,” I murmured.

After taking a deep breath, I told her everything—how I left without saying goodbye, Abbie opening a portal for me to Boston, me calling Queen Thea at DuMoir Castle to see if the angel Zadkiel could train with me for a couple of days, going to a garage to borrow a car, being attacked by supernaturals who wanted the bounty on my head, being joined by my mentor, Archangel Ylena, who had fled from Elysium after Rhodes tried to sway her to his side—or so she wanted me to believe.

I continued, telling her about canceling my trip to DuMoir Castle, going to an inn with Ylena, training with her, Ylena talking about the Scarlet Hex Dagger … and me agreeing to go find it soon. Then Levi called me in the middle of the night, saying Maggie had had a vision and I was in danger. I opened up a portal to let him come to me, because he was freaking out, and that was when I learned Ylena was his mother and she was the one actually behind everything. She had ordered Rhodes and Molraz to kill us, but when I escaped, she lied and made it seem like I had lost it and killed them all myself. She had sent angels after me, and when they couldn’t find me, she put a bounty on my head.

And then she tried tricking me, pretending she was against Rhodes, so I would lower my guard and give her the damn dagger, because from what she told me, she needed the dagger to kill Adona and create a new Elysium.

But Levi saved me by sacrificing himself.

“When he asked for me to wish him to take her to the underworld, I didn’t think that was what he meant,” I said, my voice breaking.

Lacey walked up to me and embraced me. I stiffened for a brief moment, then I hugged her back. He was her brother; she should be mad at me.

“He knew what he was doing,” she whispered.

“I know, but it doesn’t make sense.”

She pulled back, a small smile in her lips. “Why not? Wouldn’t you die for someone you love?”

My eyes widened, my throat went dry. I shook my head once. “He doesn’t care for me. Everything we feel, it’s the bond. He did it because of the bond.”

“If you say so.” She retreated to her bed again.

I wouldn’t dwell on what she was implying. It was too much for my head and my heart right now.

“Did you know about his mother?” I couldn’t quiet grasp that information, to be honest.

“No, I had no idea.”

“My own mentor,” I whispered. The archangel I had looked up to, who I wanted to be like. It still felt surreal. Maybe it always would.

“I’m sorry.”

I frowned. “Why?”

“This can’t be easy for you, either.”

I nodded. That was true. I inhaled deeply. “It isn’t, but I won’t just sit back and wallow in pain. I have to do something about it.”

Under Lacey’s protests that I had to rest a little—if that was the case, then she had to rest too!—I picked up the food tray and marched to the library.

Abbie and Maggie were hunched over large leather books spread out on the long tables, while the younger siblings were upstairs, studying.

The sisters saw me coming, and Abbie frowned. “What do you think you’re doing?”

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