Page 15 of Touched By Darkness

His lips spread into a cruel smile. “We have a deal.”

“What do I need to do?”

* * *

Freya is asleep on her front amongst a sea of pillows, her blonde hair moving off her lips with every soft exhale. She looks so innocent in her sleep, the way I imagine I looked when I first snuck out of Eden. No wonder Daemon, Alaric, and Ronan couldn’t pass up the opportunity to corrupt me. In a land of evil, innocence is catnip to a blackened heart.

Because I can’t help myself, I reach out and gently brush the strands of hair from her cheek. I’ll miss her when I’m gone. She’ll be my anchor when the darkness takes hold and sinks its talons into me.

“I love you,” I whisper as she stirs. “And I’m sorry.”

Leaning down, I place a soft kiss on her forehead, then straighten back up and walk out before I can change my mind. Or worse yet, take her with me.

The morning sun warms my bare shoulders as I set off down the path that leads to the gate. I try not to think about what I’m about to do and the sacrifices I’ll have to make. After today, I’ll never be allowed back inside the gates, and I’ll never again feel the sun on my face. I’ll belong to the night.

I drink up the sight of the colorful flowers, the bees that fly from petal to petal, and the green leaves that rustle in the morning breeze. These are all things I’ll never witness again.

I even stop to eat a berry, and its sweet yet tart flavor explodes in my mouth.

“You sure took your time,” Oliver says when I join him at the gates.

His bright blue eyes sparkle in the sunrise, and his lips spread in a smirk as I slow to a halt and tuck my hair behind my ear. “I had to say goodbye to Freya.”

Oliver looks surprised. “You told her you’re leaving?”

My head shakes. “She was asleep. Besides, if I told her, she would try to stop me.”

Reaching for my hand, Oliver pulls me closer. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

“I’m not sure of anything, but I know I need to do this. I can’t stay. Not now. My wings are turning black and I’m growing sensitive to the light. I even seduced you.”

I’ll always regret dragging Oliver down with me.

He cups my cheek and offers me a soft smile. “I’m not upset about it. You shouldn’t be, either.”

I peer up at him while he turns his head to study the gates, the white roses that spread like vines over the shimmery, gold surface, and the thorns, which I have pricked myself on before. “How do we get them to open?”

Before I can second-guess myself, I tighten my grip on the handle behind me. “You’re not coming with me, Oliver.”

He looks back at me, and his eyes widen when I drive the blade into his chest. It sinks deep, and blood pours from the wound in a steady stream as I pull it back out, then stab him again and again and again. I don’t stop wreaking destruction on his light until it flickers out completely. I keep driving the blade through flesh and muscle, every inch of me drenched with coppery blood. I don’t stop to let myself see the sorrow in his blue eyes. But I know it will forever haunt me, like the whisper of Amenadiel’s voice in my head.

“What do I need to do?”

He digs his fingers into the back of my neck, then leans down and breathes me in. His lips drag over my throat until I feel the whisper of his breath in my ear. “Kill the boy.”

I rear back, or I try to, but his grip prevents me. This can’t be real. Why would he ask me to kill another angel… in Eden? That’s the ultimate sin.

The unforgivable sin.

Swallowing thickly, I try to breathe through my growing panic. “Why are you doing this? There must be some other way.”

“Is there? How do you think Lucifer got banished? How do you thinkanyof us got banished?”

A sob breaks free, and I push on his hard, unmoving chest. I can’t do this.

“Did you think sucking his dick would be your meal ticket out of Eden? Oh, Angel, wishful thinking on your part. Those are lies. Your own curiosity is what will ultimately be your destruction. You don’t swim uphill with the other fish; you stay and explore the sea. It’s what got you lost in the first place. And now you can never find your way back. If you want to reunite with Daemon and his friends, you’ll need to commit the ultimate sin. The one sin that will stay with you forever. You have to extinguish the light inside you.”

“I’m sorry, Oliver,” I breathe out when he slumps to the ground, his vacant eyes staring up at the darkening sky.

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