Page 8 of Wicked Angel
I let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, well, I’m not exactly holding my breath.”
Levi reached out, brushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “You’re doing better than you think, sweetheart. Don’t let this place get in your head.”
I turned my face away. “It’s hard not to think about everything I’m missing, Levi. My family… I used to think that I’d always be able to protect them, but look at me now. They’re stuck in Elysium, thinking I’m a murderer, and I can’t even tell them the truth.”
Levi leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Ezekiel seems to have a crush on Adriel. I’m sure he’ll keep her safe.”
“We grew up in this quiet little neighborhood outside the capital. Ezekiel is a year older than Adriel, and when they were kids, he used to tease her endlessly. Drove her crazy. But after a while, I realized it was just that … a crush. He never acted on it, though. Never asked her out. And then I left, and I don’t know what happened between them. I don’t even know if they…”
My voice trailed off, and I swallowed hard. The thought of everything I’d missed, all the time that had slipped through my fingers, twisted something deep inside me.
“Perhaps it’s more than a crush now.”
I knew he was trying to lighten the mood, so I decided to join him. “Well, he better be good for her, or I’ll kick his ass.”
Levi showed me his trademark half-smile. “I’ll help you.”
I smiled back at him.
It was almost unbelievable that this higher demon, this evil creature, was my mate and seemed to care about me and everything that concerned me. It was touching in a way that made me breathless.
After dinner, we cleared away the empty cartons, and Levi turned to me with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “So… how about we share a bed tonight?”
I rolled my eyes, but a small smile tugged at my lips. “Nice try. But given how my magic reacted the last time you got too close, I’m thinking that’s a terrible idea.”
“Worth a shot,” he said, but there was a teasing edge in his voice. He pushed one of the chaise lounges closer to mine, until they were separated only by the circle’s line. “How about this, then? Close enough?”
I nodded, settling onto my own makeshift bed. Levi stretched out on his, and he reached out a hand, letting it slip through the edge of the containment circle. I hesitated, then reached out to take it, our fingers intertwining. His hand was warm, steady, a lifeline in the darkness.
And for a little while, I let myself hold on to that warmth, even as the shadows of uncertainty loomed over us.
5
The next morningdawned gray and overcast. I barely slept, my mind spinning with too many what-ifs and unanswered questions. Levi had woken up early, slipping out to scout around the perimeter, though I knew it was more to give me space than out of necessity. I appreciated it. The warehouse had become a pressure cooker of worry and frustration, and we all needed the occasional breather.
But that breather didn’t last long. As the sun tried to pierce through the thick cloud cover, the air in the warehouse shimmered, and a portal opened near the edge of the witch circle.
Keeran strode through, his expression as stern as ever, but it was the figure that followed him that caught my attention.
Almae, her long braid grayer than I had seen before, moved with a grace that spoke of years spent wielding magic far beyond what most witches could dream of. At first glance, you would think she was just a nice old lady, but underneath her kindness was knowledge and power. She glanced around the warehouse, taking in the circle that kept me confined, the makeshift furniture, the faded scorch marks on the walls.
Her lips curved into a faint, knowing smile.
“Well, it’s certainly no five start hotel,” she said, her tone dry. “But it’s functional.”
“Glad it meets your standards,” I replied, trying for humor but it didn’t feel right. “Why are you here, Almae? I thought you were at the DuMoir Castle.”
“I was. But there wasn’t much I could do while in lockdown, so I requested to be excused. They didn’t want to break the lockdown for me, but it worked out well as Zadkiel used the same opportunity to join them.”
“Thea cast a mean shield around the castle,” Keeran said. “It was hard for us to break through it with her consent. I have to guess they are safe from Sarki in there.”
The sound of footsteps echoed through the warehouse and Levi reappeared from his office. He quickly approached us. “I heard there were sightings of Sarki around the castle.”
Almae nodded, her expression grim. “In a nearby town. She took the heart of a human. Drake sent vampires and witches after her, but she’s slippery.”
A chill crept up my spine. Memories of our encounter with Sarki in the underworld surfaced, unbidden—the way she’d toyed with us, the darkness in her eyes as she cast her curse on Drake’s daughter before slipping away.
The knowledge that we had set her loose gnawed at me, a reminder of how easily things could spiral out of control.
