Page 64 of Wings of Torment
An idea crosses my mind, and I almost hold it in. The old Hayliel would have. She’d have smothered it and figured it out herself. Apparently, this new version of me has learned to trust. “Actually, there is something I could use some help with, if you’re game.”
“Anything,” Tabbris and Yofie say in unison, causing me to laugh.
“Both of my parents are Fallen, so they don’t really have access to any resources that could help them develop their powers. Over the break, I gave them a crash course in telepathy, but the results were pretty underwhelming. With everything going on lately, I just want them safe and protected, so if you have any tips or tricks that could help older, inexperienced angels develop their powers, I’d love to hear them.”
“That’s incredibly sweet of you,” Sidriel says, her eyes glassy with a sheen of tears.
Tabbris steps forward, pulling Yofie along too. “We can help. Twins run in our family, and there’s always one Pure and one Fallen. We have this notebook at home full of stuff that might help them. Give us some time to scan it and we’ll send it over to you, if that’s alright?”
“Oh, wow. That’s actually perfect. Thank you. I really appreciate it, and if there’s any way I can pay you back, just let me know.”
Gagiel looks off in the distance, a shudder rolling over him as he notices Cadriel near the arena. “Sorry to run off,” Gagiel adds. “We should get going to the cafeteria before it gets too crowded. Care to join us?”
“We’re actually heading to the beach, but another time for sure!”
“And remember,” Theo chimes in as Gagiel and his friends walk away. “If anyone gives you any trouble, call on us and we’ll be there.”
“You betcha! Bye!” And then they’re off and we’re back on our path to the beach.
My heart soars knowing that Gagiel’s friends have come back to school. I hate that they were raced out in the first place, but knowing they came back because my friends and I gave them some sort of reassurance or protection feels really fucking good.
Before we reach the sand, Theo stops me with a hand on my arm. “I’m glad your parents weren’t too upset about the whole wing thing.”
“Me too. They’ve always worried about me, and you know what? When I reassured them I’m fine, for what may be the first time ever, I might have actually believed it.”
He reaches up to cup my cheek, his warm hand soothing away the chill from the ocean breeze. “You’re perfect, firefly. We won’t ever let you forget it.”
There’s a beat of silence as we gaze into each other’s eyes. Waves crash against the shore, matching the frantic beat of my heart as I take in his hazel eyes and soft lips. The urge to kiss him is strong. He must feel it too, because in the next second his lips are on mine, coaxing them open. His soft tongue twirls against mine, causing little zings of pleasure to shoot straight to my core.
I groan, wanting more, and as he pulls me further against him, I’m left with only two thoughts.
I’ve kissed three guys in a matter of weeks. What kind of angel does that make me?
Fucking lucky, that’s what.
23
Aloud thud sounds from where Ezekiel sits in his chair beside mine, and I glance over to find him looking sheepishly back at me.Odd expression for him, but this whole fucking day has been odd.
“Sorry,” he says, fixing the bag of books he brought with him.
Did he just apologize? Alright, I must be in an alternate universe or something, because I don’t think I’ve ever heard the Fallen house leader apologize. It’s strange enough having him in my room, but now that he’s acting all civil, I don’t really know how to handle it.Oh, the things I’ll do for Hayliel.
“It’s fine,” I say, because what the fuck else is there?
“Here.” He hands me a book with colored tabs sticking out from within the pages. “My dad used to read these to me as a kid, so I thought it might be best if you looked instead of me. I marked a few lines I found interesting.”
I read the title,The Plight Against Demons, Volume 1. “This is what your father read to you?” I do my best to keep the judgment from my tone, but I must fail because Ezekiel’s spine straightens.
“After my mother died, yeah. When she was alive, things were a bit more hopeful.”
Shit. I’ve really gone and done it now. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“You wouldn’t have. I don’t exactly broadcast it. Anyway, I hope there’s something helpful in there we can use.”
“Me too.” We go back to our books, flipping through the pages in silence. I try really hard to focus on each word, each sentence, but things feelweird. Ezekiel almost seems chatty. I don’t think he’s ever dropped a personal fact like that before, especially not willingly, so what’s his angle here?
I consider the fact that maybe he’s justtrying. Putting in the effort with me as a gesture to Hayliel. The guy went to the Fallen district to help her out, for fuck’s sake. It really does seem like he’s pulling out all the stops.
