Page 40 of Even Angels fall
“Add locks on the outside of Angélique’s room,” I say without giving him any explanation and hang up.
He knows not to question me when my voice is so full of anger.
Now what? Do I keep her there for a longer time?
Time stretches differently when you’re in an uncomfortable position, and it must be more than uncomfortable for her.
I mean, she’ll just have to shift to be healed instead of healing on the spot like me, but the time she’ll spend hanging on the cross definitely doesn’t seem like a walk in the park.
And yet, I can’t control my feet when they bring me back to the inside of the church.
I’m nowhere near the cross when I hear panting and a wild heartbeat.
I run.
But I wasn’t prepared for what greets me.
Angélique is down from the cross, one hand wrapping something around her hand, as if it will do anything for the state it’s in.
There’s blood everywhere, and while some of it might be mine after her little stunt, there is so much that isn’t.
It isn’t right.
She shouldn’t be losing so much blood.
It should have stopped by now.
But I can see with my own eyes the fabric she rolled around her hand is becoming more and more drenched with her blood.
What is wrong with her healing?
She hasn’t noticed me yet. The sound of her labored breath is deafening in the quiet of the cathedral, and it’s all I can hear now.
That and the low curses she can’t seem to stop muttering between big gulps of air.
Something isn’t right.
When she realizes that the fabric she used to wrap her hand isn’t enough, she looks around, and that’s when she turns her back to me.
My blood freezes.
My eyes spark with fire.
And my dragon roars in outrage.
I thought it was in my head, but from the way Angélique whips her head in my direction, the roar was out loud.
I expect fear in her eyes at me being back, but the only thing I see is resignation. I see someone giving up.
Then I see the calculation. Does she think she can run away? That she can outrun me?
That’s not important. She won’t have time to run.
“Who did this to you?” I growl.
I still see red, my control hanging on by a thread.
She raises her chin to look down her nose at me.
