Page 125 of Angel Lost

“Revela te ipsum,” she chants. “Revela!”

Kai’s tattooed illusions vanish.

Davina’s eyes light up with fury as her gaze lands on Kai. “You,” she spits. “I should have known you would corrupt them all.”

With a thunderous crack, magnificent wings rip from her back and she grows several feet in stature. I squint against the dazzling light emanating from her and spot the tiny flick of her finger nearly too late. A sheet of lightning fires straight for Kai.

I throw my magic into a shield, reinforcing Kai’s own, bracing for impact. He leaps sideways seconds before the bolt hits. It tears through my shield, ripping it apart like paper. I barely delay her magic. Mine is like a child’s toy in comparison. Kai yelps, rolling on the ground, dousing the flames that lick up his arm. I jump in front of him as the others move to surround us.

“You nearly killed him,” Reye gasps. “Stop.”

Dean Davina spares her daughter an exasperated look. “He was going to kill me, you said it yourself. He’s always been a psycho.”

“But he’s your son,” Reye says, her voice plaintive.

The dean snorts. “He’s my stepson, Regina. Grow up. He’s nothing more than an experiment. Him and his vegetable brother. But…do not tell your father I said that.” She shrugs Reye off. “Get behind me. If you’re harmed, the king will never forgive me.”

The dean lets out an ear-piercing wolf whistle at a frequency I swear must transcend the dimensions. I hear awhoop-whoopnoise in the distance. Whatisthat?

“Move,” croaks Kai from the ground. “She’s summoned her angels.”

Shit. Wings. I can hear wings. Lots and lots of beating wings.

Farrell yanks Kai up, and we bolt. Nyx bounces around on the rebel’s back as we run. The angels descend from all directions, and we scatter. A bolt of light screams past my ear and I throw myself sideways, heart pounding. Kai pulls me up and onward. The others, where are they?

We charge between the buildings, heading for the dorms. The pale, elegant building rears up next to the edge of the lake, and I shoulder Kai toward it. My feet hit the bottom step when the doors open. I stagger to a halt. Robed students exit, two by two, moving unnaturally, robotically. Shit.

I step back, tripping over Kai, who groans. We have to move fast as the students start to run awkwardly toward us, but I risk a glance at him. He’s pale. Fuck. Really pale, a sheen of sweat across his brow. The arm the dean hit with fire hangs limp at his side and he’s stooped over, protecting that side of his body.

I turn, dragging him in the only direction left: toward the lake, along the waterfront. The students follow, their feet drumming on the white sand behind us, picking up pace, gaining. I don’t dare to look back.

We scramble over logs and rocks, around an outcrop, slipping on the lakeweed. Ahead, the cliff rises, steep, rocky. Unscalable for Kai with only one arm.

“Into the air, Kai. Fly!”

He squeezes my hand. “Lorelei, fae can’t fly until they ascend.”

What? Why am I always the last to learn the really important stuff…

I cast around. Water, cliff, students. Water. Cliff. Students. I rock on the spot, unable to decide.

“Get out, Lorelei. What are you waiting for?”

I round on him. “Are you truly insane? I’m not leaving you.”

With a grunt, I grab him under the arms, and using my forward momentum I launch us both into the air. My wings flap slowly, his added weight dragging us down.

One flap, two. I’m gaining height. The students rush us. I flap harder, faster. Our feet trail their heads, and a hand reaches up to grab my ankle. I kick myself loose and flap for the sky. It’s working. It’s fucking working.

I heave us higher and higher, Kai now a dead weight in my arms. His head lolls.

“Fine time for a nap,” I grumble, aiming us low over the trees, keeping as much out of sight of the buildings as I can manage.

In the background, the slowwhoop-whoopof wings starts up again, and my gut clenches.

There. I spot the others huddling on the ground, fighting off the angels. I tuck my wings and point us head down, aiming straight for them.

I need help. I can’t fight and fly. I need…An angel swoops directly into my line of flight, and I pull up hard. I’m panting, the effort of keeping us both airborne starting to tell. Slowly I bank, pulling us around, another angel behind us now. And another. I flap slowly out over the lake. Surrounded. Surrounded and over water.Great work, Lorelei.Groaning, I heave us up higher and higher, but the angels follow, slowly closing in, their circle tightening.

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