Page 70 of Wings of Torment
The question tilts my entire world on its axis. My strong Guild intern house leader always seems so unbreakable. Seeing him like this, vulnerable and in pain, makes me want to fix everything that’s wrong with the world, if only to bring him peace.
I approach him slowly, unsure if it’s the right move, but knowing I need to ease some of his pain.
“Zeke,” I whisper, pulling him into a hug. “I’m here. Whatever you’re fighting, I’m right here beside you.”
He takes in a shaky breath but doesn’t say a word, just lets me hold him and sooth away as much of the panic as possible. Finally, he wraps his arms around me and hugs back. We stay like that for a while, not bothering to care that we’re in the open and could be spotted by anyone.
“This is where my mom died,” he admits. The words carve into my heart, slashing it open until I feel his pain as my own.
The monotone, lifeless lilt to his voice cuts me deeper as he continues, “Demons took her and held her captive in this very house before they killed her. To this day, Dad and I don’t understand what it is they wanted from her as a hostage. We only wish we could have given it to them and saved her life.”
“I’m so fucking sorry, Zeke.” My words feel insignificant against the gravity of his loss.
“Shit. I’m an idiot. I thought I could handle coming here, but clearly I’m just a weak-ass little bitch who can’t handle their feelings. What the hell was I thinking?”
He turns away from me, fists clenched at his sides, but I don’t let him suffer alone.
“Hey,” I say, wrapping my arms around him from behind. “Suppressing your feelings doesn’t make you strong. The fact that you’re still standing here, still considering walking into that house in search of answers, shows me you’re one of the strongest angels I know, because I don’t think I could do it.” It’s on the tip of my tongue to suggest that he stay out here and keep watch for anyone approaching, but I know better. He’d refuse.
His chest moves as he breathes in deeply, holding it for a second before letting it go along with some of the tension in his shoulders.
“You can do this,” I promise him. “And if we come across something that’s too much for you, just say the word. We’ll get through this together.”
“Together,” he repeats, covering my hands with his.
He takes one more deep breath before he turns and pulls me into him to place a kiss on my hair. “Thank you.”
“Always.”
Raphael and Theo say nothing as we head back toward them, and when Zeke apologizes to Theo, he shakes his head in response. “There’s nothing to apologize for, man. We’ve got your back.”
An odd sense of comradeship settles over the four of us. We might be about to enter some random discarded house where our enemies could ambush us at any moment, but none of that can penetrate this feeling of rightness. We’re finally all getting along, and holy hell, does it feel good.
With a spring in my step, I walk toward the front door of the old house, fully intending to just waltz right in. Alright, so maybe I’m riding the high of my newfound family and stuck in a world where clouds are made of marshmallows and houses are just chocolate-covered wafers, but who cares? Demons can’t attack me there.
Instead, the door is locked, and as much as I want to just break it down, Raphael stops me. “It’s not exactly subtle if we tear the door off its hinges, sunshine,” he says with a laugh.
“Good point.”
I expect Zeke to come to the rescue with some fancy-ass tool from the Guild, but it’s Theo who steps past me and crouches down in front of the lock. Zeke watches on in disbelief, but shines the light from his slate toward him, anyway. In seconds, he’s turning the knob and opening the door like what he did isn’t the coolest fucking thing.
“You’ve got to teach me that,” I whisper, my body all tingly from watching this hunky, nerdy angel of mine.
“You know, if you weren’t a Pure, I’d ask you to intern for the Guild,” Zeke adds with a wry smile on his lips. “Well, as long as you fight as good as you pick locks, but at least that can be trained.”
Theo throws Zeke a cocky grin. “Trust me. I’d give you a run for your money, intern.”
As I watch the exchange, I want to squeal with excitement. But shit. Aren’t we supposed to be quiet? Dammit. And we’re out here yacking like a gaggle of old ladies.
We head inside slowly, with Zeke taking the lead, followed by Raphael, then me, and Theo taking up the rear. Inside, it’s dark without the light of the moon, so we all take out our slates and turn on the flashlights to illuminate the space.
I suck in a breath as the full extent of the room is revealed to us. Near the door is a dark mark branded into the wood, so worn that I can’t tell what it used to be. The rest of the house is just as dirty, but I bet it was beautiful once. Homey. Now it’s covered in dust and grime, with garbage thrown across the floor. A shell of what it once must have been. The walls are bare, except for sad discolorations that speak of a family long since removed. I wonder who used to live here. Are they still alive somewhere? Do they ever think of this place?
We search the entire house, going from room to room, opening cabinets and drawers, hoping we’ll stumble acrossanythingthat could help us, but it’s empty. The only thing we know now is that whoever’s been staying here loves Cheetos. I’ve walked by at least five empty snack bags.
At the last room, the one I assume was once an office, Zeke stays in the hall, looking in at the far wall with such pain in his eyes. I can’t imagine what he’s feeling right now, being in this place that holds such haunting memories. As much as I want to ask him why this room is so familiar, I don’t. I only go to him and push some of my strength and support toward him through our bond. I feel Raphael and Theo doing the same, and can’t help the little tug on my heart at the gesture.
“They can handle this room,” I tell him and tug on his hand. “We need to figure out what to do next.”
