Page 119 of Angel Lost

My head swims, my stomach heaving. I roll over, falling off the lounger. I hear shouting in the background. Loud. Angry. I push myself to my knees, hands clapped over my ears, breathing ragged.

The infinity pool swims into view. Above, the sky twinkles, winking down at me.

It was a vision.

I retch. Holy Hecate, a vision.

I’m not safe. Lorelei isn’t safe. It hits me like a punch to the stomach. I lean back, resting against the cool marble wall. The shouting continues, and a draft of blessedly cool air reaches me. Seconds later, my allegiance piles into the main observatory.

I shrink away from them.

“Betrayers,” I hiss. “Liars.”

Farrell shines a light in my eyes, and I scrunch them shut. My head pounds. Slim, cool fingers wrap around my hand and the scent of strawberries tickles my nostrils. Lorelei. She pries the precious tincture bottle out of my hand and slips it into her pocket. She slides an arm under my shoulders and helps me up. My legs wobble. Farrell steps to my other side and I flinch.

“I…uh…I’m still very sore from the fight at the rip.” I force the lie out.

His mouth turns down, and he rubs the back of his neck. “About that, Zephyr—”

I wave my hand. I don’t want to hear it. I did, before the vision. I wanted his apology then. I wanted him to try to make it right. But now? Not now. Now, I know. I can’t care about him anymore. About any of them. Except Lorelei.

By the time we reach Farrell and Kai’s dorm, my brain fog has lifted. I leave my arm slung over Lorelei’s shoulders, enjoying her closeness, reveling in being the only one touching her.

They regale me with the most recent drama. There’s always drama. The difference now is I really don’t care.

“Wait,” I say, my voice stronger than I expected. “You have the vegetable—” I gesture at the Maverik boy and Kai flinches. “—you got him out. So how can you possibly believe they don’t know it was you and Lorelei?”

Kai scowls. “I have fae magic, angel. It works against cameras.”

My wings prickle uncomfortably under my skin. Like they remember he helped cut them off. Except that’s in the future. I shake my head, clearing my thoughts. “That’s dark magic,” I snap. “You shouldn’t be involving Lorelei in that.”

Chano rounds on me, his big, fat, stupid finger in my face. “It got him in there and found us Lottie, so shut up,idiota.”

I stand, peering out Farrell’s window. The window I never reached in my vision. Lies, intimidation, and bullying, and dark magic from Kai. Loreleiis not safe. Not safe at all. I tune back in to their arguing. All of them ganging up against Lori, trying to make her stay back. I bristle, suspicious. They want me to go, but her to stay. Is this where they set me up as the bad guy?

“If Lorelei wants to go, she goes,” I say, turning to them. “We just need a good plan.”

Lorelei’s shoulders relax. In two strides she’s at my side, arm around me, head on my shoulder. “Thanks, Z.”

I plant a kiss on her hair. In another life, maybe she and I…If only these violent assholes weren’t here, coloring her view of the world, of me.

Chapter Forty-three: Lorelei

“In and out,” Farrell says, taking control. “We get in and out quickly, quietly. I want no evidence Lorelei was ever there.”

Kai coughs, raising one eyebrow.

“Okay, no evidence any of us were ever there. The only evidence will be the missing prisoners. We’ll take three of my officers from the rebellion. Proven fighters.”

Chano pulls out his phone, firing off a message. “Two of mine. Raff and Alairik will sort the tech. I’ve never met a surveillance system they couldn’t hack. They’ll loop the hour before our visit over the top of our visit, confuse anyone looking at the feeds.”

Farrell nods. “I want one of your tech nerds in Davina’s office near the portal and one with the team going in.”

Chano grunts in agreement. “We’ve got Zephyr for his visions. He can see if the alarm’s been raised before it happens.”

Zephyr’s arm around me tenses.

“Zephyr—” I study him. “—if you’re too tired, if you’re not able after the fight, it’s okay.”

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