Page 22 of Wicked Angel
I rolled my eyes and shoved at his shoulder, but there was no real force behind it. “You know what I mean.”
He caught my hand, bringing it to his lips. “I do.” His expression softened, something serious flickering in his eyes. “How's the magic?”
I closed my eyes, focusing inward, searching for that familiar well of power. It responded instantly, a gentle pulse of energy that felt as natural as breathing. “Good. Calm. Like it’s been waiting for me to come back to it.”
“Good.” His thumb traced circles on the inside of my wrist, his touch sending shivers across my skin. “Now, can we go back to sleep?”
“No way,” I said, pushing myself up to sit against the headboard. “We’ve got work to do. Rhodes is still out there with the dagger, and we don't have a clue what he's planning.”
Levi groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Couldn't we at least have one day of peace before diving back into the apocalypse?”
I gave him a wry smile. “Since when did you become the optimist between us?”
“I’m not an optimist,” he grumbled, sitting up beside me. “I’m just tired of chasing shadows. We don't even know where to start.”
He was right, of course. We had the crystal from the dragon shifter—which I now needed to return before the blood oath started to take effect—and I had my magic back, but we were still no closer to finding Rhodes or figuring out his plan for Elysium.
“We start with what we know,” I said, reaching for my phone on the nightstand. “Let's call everyone, see if anyone’s heard anything.”
Over the next few hours, we cycled through calls to every contact we had. I spoke with Erin, Rey, Shane, Raika, Hazel, Almae, and even tried Drake’s private line, but the answer was always the same: nothing. Elysium had gone quiet. No angels spotted on Earth, no disturbances, no hints of what Rhodes might be planning next.
“It doesn’t make sense,” I said, tossing my phone onto the coffee table where Levi and I had set up a makeshift command center. “He has the dagger. Why isn’t he making a move?”
Levi leaned back on the couch, his expression thoughtful. “Maybe he already did, and we just don't know it yet.”
A chill crept up my spine at the thought. “What do you mean?”
“Think about it, sweetheart. If Rhodes wanted to use the dagger on Adona, he wouldn’t announce it to the whole realm. He’d do it quietly, take over with minimal resistance.”
“But Ezekiel would have told us if Adona was gone,” I argued. “He has eyes inside the castle.”
“Unless he doesn’t know either.” Levi stood and started pacing the length of the living room. “We’re missing something here.”
Frustration welled up inside me, and I could feel my magic responding, crackling beneath my skin like static electricity. I clenched my fists, trying to keep it in check, but it had been weeks since I’d used my powers freely, and the urge to release it was overwhelming.
Levi noticed, his gaze sharpening as he watched me. “Come on,” he said, grabbing his keys from the counter. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Where are we going?”
A smirk played at the corner of his mouth. “You need to blow off some steam, sweetheart. And I know just the place.”
Two minutes later, we were back at the warehouse, but this time, it wasn’t a prison. Levi had used his magic to erect shadowy dummies along the far wall.
“Really?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “This is your grand plan?”
“It’s been a while since you've used your magic,” he said, folding his arms across his chest. “Need to make sure you’re still in fighting shape.”
I rolled my shoulders, feeling the magic pulse beneath my skin, eager and ready. “I guess we’ll find out.”
Taking a deep breath, I centered myself, focusing on the first target. I called the magic, letting it well up from my core and flow down my arm. It came willingly, a rush of warm, golden energy that danced across my fingertips.
With a flick of my wrist, I sent a bolt of light hurtling toward the target. It struck true, right in the center of the dummy's chest, exploding in a shower of sparks. The impact knocked the target back against the wall, where it shuddered before righting itself.
A laugh bubbled up from my chest, pure exhilaration coursing through me. “It still works!”
“Did you think it wouldn’t?” Levi asked, his voice low and teasing.
I shrugged, already focusing on the next target. “After everything that’s happened, I wasn't sure.”
