Page 38 of Living Legend

“That’s not the point! We both know you’re going to carry the normal one and I’ll be stuck withher, so I’ll just say it now: this is bullshit.” He shoved past me to the bathroom.

“So does that mean you’ll do it?” I winced, even though I knew he was nowhere near me.

“Of course, I’m going to do it. I’m obligated to see how this shit plays out. Now, though, I have to go train some little shits in the woods.” He shut the bathroom door, leaving me relieved. This conversation went much better than I’d imagined.

“You’re a dick, you know that?” he yelled from behind the door. “Nick the Dick.”

I chuckled, my laughter only lasting so long until I closed his door behind me, alone in the hallway, left to my own mind. I’d said my mother would have to take a back seat to the issue at hand, but that wasn’t exactly the truth. I wouldn’t let it cloud my judgement or deter me from my goal, but that didn’t mean that it would completely fade from my thoughts. I could solve one mystery, while deep diving into another. I could multitask.

I had to.

Chapter Seven

DANI

It didn’t surprise me that the plan had been fruitful. A place like Heaven’s Gate can’t be all lush lawns and clear blue skies all the time. The outside had a posh exterior, but I had an inkling the inside had a dimmer disposition. I watched from the window as angels frolicked in the grass, how their wings were almost one with the wind, like it was always meant to be that way. It almost made me smile to think there was a place to be truly happy, to want for nothing, but then my smile faltered. I thought about what Natalia had said about angels destroying Oculus for the sole purpose of proving a point: that they could do as they pleased.

Ask any angel and I’m sure the answer would be a resounding“we did it for the good of everyone.” Angels were all about justification for their actions, even when no one else agreed with the logic. I understood the idea, except where I came from, no one cared or questioned you about what you’d done. Lilith had left me with a small shred of humanity, but I never understood why. Was it to make me feel empathy for my terrorized victims, so I could hurt with them as some type of fucked up torture? Elise could feel sad or anxious or ruthless, but it wasn’t the same. She felt them as an instinct, while I felt them deeper in my soul.

I’d felt a small twist in my heart when Natalia told us of her mother and their reasoning for glamour their land. Natalia had pieces to the story that Nicholas didn’t, but it still felt incomplete.

Our plan had been successful, but none of us were all too eager to head back to Oculus. On the outside, I was calm and collected, but inside, I was bouncing around in my skin. They had woken us early in the morning, and Elise grumbled past all of us into the thick trees of the woods while Reese followed her, trying to keep up with her quick pace. Nick stayed next to me and whispered in a low voice so only I would hear. “Thanks for the suggestion. It actually paid off.”

I side-smiled and waved him off. I didn’t need a thanks. I wanted this little adventure of ours to end soon. I didn’t want to go back to Purgatory because it felt right, or because it was a home Iwantedto go back to. I wanted to go back simply because at this very moment, Lilith was probably trying to find any and every way to drag me back. tearing everyone and everything apart along with her, like the fucking tornado she was.

We passed a line of large trees shaped to a point when the angels stopped, taking one solid look around before giving each other a solid nod.

“Okay, this should be a good spot,” Nicholas announced, cracking his neck before pushing his wings out from his back, rattling the sword he strapped to his shoulder. I’d almost forgotten how large they were, how white they were. I looked around as his wings propelled a shadow around us, making it look as if he had swallowed the sunlight.

“I almost didn’t think you were serious,” I laughed, completely baffled at the plan he’d told me a few hours ago. Elise and I had just stood there while he ranted about some messenger disappearing and going to Oculus. What made our ears perk up was his way of getting there.

He tucked his wings inward, letting the light back in. “It’s the only way, unlessyouwant to ask Jonah for a portal key?”

I pulled my eyebrows together and shook my head. “I’ll pass, thanks.” I walked the few feet it took to get to him, the leaves cracking under my boots. His expression remained the same when I stood only inches in front of him. “Besides, I can’t pass on such an intimate bonding moment.” I let my hand slide from his wrist to his bicep, squeezing a bit to feel the hard muscle underneath.

The only sentries I’d ever interacted with were silent, stoic. These angels weren’t like that at all. Reese was an easy read, all talk and quick at the whip when needed. As much as he’d hate it, he was turning out to be one of my favorite people.

Nicholas was a harder read. His eyes were soft, as if he could listen to your problems all day. Being this close to him, feeling his muscles and listening to how steady and calculated his breathing had become, I knew he was the kind to push it all down, exude pure confidence on the outside. He wasn’t the obvious flirt, but I could flirt enough for the both of us. He didn’t react to my forwardness at our training session, so I took that as a good sign. His sex appeal went up dramatically when I watched his abilities with a sword.

Nicholas looked down at my hand and let his hazelnut eyes peer into mine. He stepped back a bit, letting my hand fall, rolling his eyes. I let a smile creep across my face, confirming my initial assumption. He didn’t mind my flirting.

Noted.

“Nick, can we fucking go?” Reese whined, looking up at the sky. The wood on his bow seemed to glisten on his back. “I really want to get this—” he motioned between him and Elise, “over with.”

Elise kicked him in the shin and Reese bent down, holding his leg, letting out a few choice words under his breath. “Yeah, let's see if your flying skills are better than your sword skills, Blondie.”

“Knock it off, you two. Oculus isn’tthatfar, but if you keep going like this, it will take us hours to get there.” Nicholas gave them a knowing look and stretched out his arms in front of him. I grabbed a hold of his left arm and swung my legs up so that he held me bridal style. He cradled me, adjusting so my placement was more comfortable for him.

“You drop me, and I will fucking cut your dick off, got it?” Elise threatened, hopping up into his arms. She gave him a subtle slap to the cheek before settling back.

Reese released his wings from his back and hovered above the ground. “If I drop you, you’ll die, so that sounds great to me.” He shot into the sky and quickly vanished out of sight.

I felt Nicholas rise from the ground, his wings flapping softly, gaining momentum with every inch we rose from the ground. He bounded upwards, the wind hitting my face in a slap. I saw trees go by, their leaves blurry messes of green and reddish brown. I looked down, the ground becoming smaller every time I blinked. I almost felt tears at my eyes from the speed we were moving. At times, I felt like I would fall from his grasp, but Nicholas held his grip on me effortlessly. We started to slow, but I realized it was because he was turning.

Nicholas flapped his wings, each beat more powerful than the last. I could see Reese and Elise ahead of us, having slowed their pace a bit. I let my free hand glide across the clouds near us, like silk on my fingertips. I caught a glimpse of Nicholas’ face; he looked so serene up here, as if he could do this all day. The wind was less harsh up here, so I could get a better look at his face, at all those features that made him one of the most pleasant sights I had ever seen.

He had a perfectly sculpted face that I almost wanted to chisel away to find some type of flaw, knowing I would never find one. Even the scar below his eye wasn’t a flaw in my eyes. It only made me want to reach my hand out and touch it. His hair was short and tousled, as if he just woke up . It was thick and dark, the kind that made you want to pull on it. I wondered if he liked that, having his hair pulled. I didn’t know much about angels and how they liked to fuck, but I always assumed it was different, depending on the angel and how sheltered their upbringing was. I had only known him for a few days, but I had a feeling the determined look he had during our training was the same energy he brought to bed. I bit my lip at the thought.

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