Page 19 of Touched By Darkness

My breath catches in my throat, and my eyes fall shut when he cups my chin. The urge to drive my fist into his knowing smirk is almost too tempting to ignore. But I hold on to the last bit of patience I have.

“I always have a plan, Angel, and I’ll kill anyone that gets in my way. Now run along, little angel. Find your boyfriends. No need to worry yourself about the ins and outs of my hedonistic and destructive mind.”

“Stay away from my friends,”I bite out, “or I will make your life hell.”

“When I first spotted you, I thought you were weak—mediocre—but now I see why Daemon would shift Heaven and Earth to keep you. The fire in your eyes turns into a raging inferno every time I threaten your friends. You’re a storm, Angel. The most beautifully dangerous chaos to capture his heart.”

I snort, sliding past him. “I’ll keep my eyes on you. Mark my words. Don’t make me regret saving you.”

“You’ll be back here before you know it.” He sits back down on his couch and kicks his feet up on the coffee table, then winks. “Mark my words.”

* * *

I never thought I would be this nervous. But then again, I also didn’t think I would return with wings as black and mysterious as the night.

The other students don’t even notice me when I walk through the large doors. For the first time since my arrival, I blend in.

I feel invisible as I make my way down the crowded hallway in pursuit of the three boys who make my heart beat in a staccato rhythm. How do I even explain what has happened to me? And how do I stop them from going after Amenadiel?

Coming to a halt, the student behind me bumps into my back. I ignore his muttered grumbles as he sidesteps me. Thoughts swirl in my mind. It makes sense now why Amenadiel changed his tune. He wants Daemon to go after him. And he will. As soon as he sees me back here, he’ll go straight for his uncle. It doesn’t matter that I returned unharmed. Daemon won’t stop until Amenadiel is defeated, and that’s exactly what Amenadiel wants. He doesn’t need to lift a finger. I played right into his hands.

I’m torn from my thoughts at the sound of Dariana’s distinct laughter up ahead, like a mild summer breeze. My heart stops, then starts to gallop in my chest. Amenadiel told me she would be alive despite my dream, but the relief is still immediate.

She’s walking down the hallway with her friends, wearing a black dress with a tulle skirt. Her raven hair is tied up in a high ponytail that sways with her every delicate step. Dariana has a way about her, as if she’s floating on air.

I open my mouth to call her name, when she looks at me, and the world stops. Not because she’s sweeping me up in her arms while gushing over how happy she is to see me and how worried she’s been. That’s not what happens at all. Instead, her eyes sweep past me as if she never even noticed me.

As if I’m a wallflower.

My pulse rushes in my ears as she steps past with her friends, then turns the corner.

I stand frozen, an immovable fortress, while shoulders bump into me and grumbling students curse my existence. I don’t know when I finally move, but I eventually feel my back meet a set of lockers.

“What’s happening?” I whisper shakily, swallowing down the thick lump clogging my throat.

Did she not recognize me because of my new complexion, black hair, brown eyes, and raven feathers? I look different, sure, but I still look like myself.

I set off running, bumping shoulders and forcing myself through the thick crowd until I reach the bathroom up ahead. Pushing my shoulder against the door, I emerge into the empty room. It’s the same bathroom where Daemon, Alaric, and Ronan fingered me on one of the sinks. It still reeks of cheap citrus air freshener and a mixture of girls’ perfumes.

I walk up to the nearest sink, grip the sides, and stare unblinkingly at my reflection. It’s definitely me. I’m not that unrecognizable that you would simply walk past me. It’s more a case of,“Whoa, what happened to you?”

I lean closer.

My eyes look different, void of the sparkling light from before. Now there’s something else beneath the swirling darkness dancing in their depths. I can’t pinpoint it, but it stares back at me with nefarious intent. Even my lips spread in a slow smirk before I tear myself away and press a palm over my mouth.

I startle when the door opens and a group of girls enter. They don’t spare me a single glance, as if I’m not even here.

I always dreamed of blending in.

Of being one of them.

Now I don’t know how to feel.

I’m stuck in a nightmare far worse than what Amenadiel put me through.

Maybe it was a mistake? Maybe she was too distracted with her friends to notice me? But then…

Why did she look so happy?

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