29
Vampires? Angels? All I know is they’re both bastards.
And I hunt bastards.
The problem is: I’m both vampire and angel.
So, what does that make me?
Monster? Princess?
When the violet fractured — jagged edges of a mirror reflecting my own dazed face back in an endless tunnel — I collapsed onto the cave floor. And into a crushing dark.
I shivered. My breath puffed in painful frozen wheezes. My knees bruised on the icy rock. A dank foulness caught at the back of my throat; I gagged.
I staggered up, feeling along the cavern’s wall.
Hell, I thought it was vampires who didn’t like the light?
Rebel had hated…
Rebel…
Weak violet pulsed from someone huddled in the corner.
If it was Rebel, then he hadn’t Fallen. His wings were restored again.
I grinned, shuffling towards the light, but yelped when my foot hit something hard. I groped around testing the rock.
Bars speared from floor to ceiling.
Rebel’s cell: a birdcage prison.
I dropped to my knees next to Rebel. He looked small. Toy-like. Broken.
I paled, and unsure what to do, gripped the cold bars.
Rebel didn’t even look at me. He was bent over, his hands clutching his head as he whimpered, ‘Bad angels are punished. Bad angels are punished. Bad angels…’
He was naked.
His punk clothes had been stripped away. Even his collar had been taken, and I flinched at that, remembering his distress when I’d touched it.
My sister’s necklace in the pouch around his neck — my gift to him — stood out stark.
And Rebel’s wings…
Yeah, they were violet. But his broken, bent left wing had been bound down with stiff leather straps against his back.
…The gits strapped it down…You do that? It’s the worst pain an angel can endure…
I’d have fought battles right then to see Rebel’s wings outstretched and whole.
For his freedom to fly.
Yet Rebel had betrayed me for his family.
I shouldn’t care. Vengeful joy should’ve been spiralling through me to see the bloke who’d played me, kneeling back in his cell.
Then why was it despair howling through me instead?
The pretty boy fell into your lap for a reason. And you chose to bind him to you by blood.
So, what? Next step wedding dress shopping?
You shouldn’t be alone, girl, not in Angel World.
Some of these angelic assholes can worm into your mind like Drake. If they find me? We both die.
But I am alone.
Are you listening? The punk bitch needs an ass whipping for what he did. But his daddy died today. And he’s the only one, despite everything, that you can trust now.
I thought I was home.
Who said anything about home being safe?
I hesitated, before reaching my hand through the bars to stroke Rebel’s soft hair.
‘Bad angels are punished. Bad angels are punished…’ Rebel hunched over.
I tilted his chin, trying to focus his gaze on me. His face was scored with scarlet slashes, where his dad had struck him.
‘Bad angels are punished. Bad…’ He faltered, like he was only just noticing me. Then he flushed with bright shame. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t protect you.’
I couldn’t stop the tears slipping down my cheeks.
His head tilted as he watched the tears, before raising his trembling hand to touch them.
I knocked him away harder than I’d intended; he cried out, his wrist hitting the rock bar.
I scrubbed my eyes harshly with the back of my sleeve. ‘We’re not ganked, which means I’m waiting on your best apology with begging. If not, you’re number one on my List of Asses to Kick.’
I wished I hadn’t made the weak joke, the moment Rebel uncurled with agonising difficulty and pulled himself onto his knees.
Crimson gashes bloodied his chest and a band of bruises swelled over broken ribs. ‘I’m kneeling, Feathers, and if it’s begging you want: please forgive me. I’m not good. I never was. And I never fibbed about that but I tried, for you. To pretend I could be a Custodian…and give you the choices I never had. Even if you don’t understand yet. But I don’t expect you to forgive me.’ Rebel’s hands clenched into fists, and I remembered the way they’d pounded into his brother’s face when Wings had refused to forgive…what? What terrible sin had Rebel been trying to make up for by sacrificing me? He hung his head. ‘I don’t deserve it.’
‘And what do you deserve?’
‘This,’ Rebel whispered. It was so haunted, I shook. ‘Alone. In the black. Never escaping…’
His breath came in short panicked gasps.
I thumped back on my heels. ‘Harem boy doesn’t plan to leave me…?’
The shadows…cold…clawed at me.
Rebel’s laugh was short and bitter. ‘Away with you, you’re the guest of honour, not an Addict. You’ll be showered in light, not shut in the dark.’
The thought of Rebel here in the silent black shanked me.
‘But we’ll both be alone.’ I slipped Jade’s iPod out of my pocket. My last connection to my sister if she’d died…
Rebel and I had been connected in her search. It bound us as much as the blood. The hunt for all the missing kids of Hackney.
I gripped Rebel’s hand, slipping him Jade’s iPod. ‘Your punk arse needs educating. Something more modern than the Buzzcocks.’
His look, as the iPod rested on his open palm, was one of shock, awe… and love.
I shook my head, my cheeks hot.
The wallad must be playing me again.
I reached to snatch back the iPod, but Rebel clutched it to his bare chest with quivering hands, like it was his salvation. Then he bottom shuffled to the corner of the cell and hid the iPod in the shadows.
I licked my dry lips, forcing myself to smile.
He relaxed, cautiously crawling back to the bars.
Frankincense burst in a rich woody cloud. Violet light flared through the cavern with the beating of wings.
I surged up, backing against the dripping wall and resting my hand on Star’s hilt.
The purple glow lit up Rebel’s petrified face, before he scrambled as far back in the cell as possible. He clutched the pouch at his neck, rocking and muttering to himself.
‘Be still and silent, Addict,’ Drake’s voice was predator sharp and harder than even the time he’d played with our minds in Hackney Cemetery, when I’d chained Rebel up for him like a Christmas gift. ‘Good. Now, come here.’
When Drake crouched beside the bars, his creamy back curved in unmarred beauty: no welts. Except, when he tipped his head forward to hold his arm through the bars to Rebel, his golden curls tumbled forward, revealing bruised bites down his neck.
Kinky bastard angels.
When Drake clicked his fingers, Rebel shuffled towards him, avoiding his gaze.
‘Genie boy,’ I booted at Drake, ‘you didn’t drag me to my new home, just to watch you break one of your toys.’
Drake’s glare was cold. ‘Zachriel isn’t a toy. He’s my prize.’
‘Psycho definitions are a bitch. Whoever it is who rubs your lamp? Take me to them.’
Drake smudged the sooty kohl underneath Rebel’s eyes, before mock tenderly wiping the blood from his injured cheek. ‘It’s time for a reminder of who owns you, son of the Fallen.’ His fingers circled lower, down Rebel’s throat. ‘You left me here. Alone. To suffer.’
Rebel raised his gaze then. ‘And you murdered…’
Drake froze. ‘It was an honourable battle. And I was following orders. Your father was once a great man, before he Fell. But don’t you see, Addict, Supreme Commander Flynn died because of you.’ Drakes fingers swept lightly over the base of Rebel’s neck as he whispered, ‘Tell me you had a reason? Explain now, so I can save you.’
When Rebel caressed Drake’s wrist, Drake gasped.
Then Rebel raised his shaky middle finger.
‘Wallad,’ I muttered.
Drake hissed, pressing into the base of Rebel’s neck. Yet the moment Drake touched Rebel, a howling fury surged up inside me.
I launched myself at Drake, catching him around his slight waist and hurling him against the cavern wall.
Drake let out a startled oomph. Yet he didn’t struggle, as I pinned him with my arm across his neck to the rock.
I brought my elbow back and ground it into his Adam’s apple. Drake retched. ‘You’re mine. My toy.’
The words weren’t my own. I fought against them. But here in Angel World, my angelic power whispered louder, flickering across my skin. It snaked in brutal rapture at the fear in Drake’s gaze and the tremble running through him.
I slammed him against the wall again. ‘Where’s my sister?’
‘Dead.’ Yet the waver in Drake’s voice and the pearl tremble of tears matting the corner of his eyelashes, told me he was lying.
I backhanded him across the cheek, smashing his head — bang — against the wall.
I didn’t miss his darted glance over my shoulder at Rebel.
‘Try again, bro.’
He spat blood on the floor. ‘It was never my intention to kill her.’
I raised my fist.
The beat — beat — beat of my heart entwined with Drake’s own panicked breaths.
Drake glanced down, his eyelashes curved pale on his cheek, like Rebel’s always had, resigned to my…
Abuse.
I lowered my fist, falling over my own feet onto my arse, as I stumbled away from him.
Why was Drake letting me treat him like this? And why did I crave to? If he only hurt lesser angels, what did that make me?
Drake watched me guardedly; I breathed hard, pushing down the snaking rapture. When he held out his hand to help me up, I stared at it. His knuckles were still tacky with blood, where I’d crushed them.
The pull of Drake’s smile was softly dangerous. ‘This is the deepest level of Angel World, for only the worst sinner. You need never come here again.’ When he helped me up, I flinched, as his hand tightened over mine, but then his thumb only traced tingling circles over the back of my hand. I quivered. ‘I understand your fear. Why would you trust us? After the deceit of the Addict—’
‘No, please, Commander Drake…’ Rebel dragged himself onto his knees, clinging to the bars. He shot anxious glances between us, like we were two boxers sparring. ‘Belt me, burn me, use me…’ His cheeks flushed; he bit his trembling lip. ‘I’ll be good, but please don’t tell her.’
‘Pretending to care for you and whoring himself, I expect. My Zachriel is talented.’ Drake’s smile broke — just for a moment — and then it was back, more dangerous than before. ‘Lying, however, he excels over us all. What was his story? Guardian Angel? Escaping my evil clutches?’
‘What…? That’s not… I don’t…’ I pulled my hand away from Drake’s confusing caress, clutching Star’s hilt like a comfort blanket.
‘We all follow orders,’ Drake’s voice was cool, amused, and deadly. ‘As an Addict, Zachriel knew your world better than most. He didn’t escape: I allowed him out. His job was to watch over you and bring you back safely to Angel World. But the boy was too weak. You’re his addiction. He couldn’t give you up.’
I twisted away.
I wanted to hurl, weep, and gank Drake just so I wouldn’t have to hear his poison.
Rebel’s betrayal.
I’d been wrong: Drake could fight back. He shanked with words.
Rebel slapped his hands against the bars. ‘Sweet Jesus, woman, will you listen? I changed, and you saved me. When we—’
‘No more lies.’ Righteousness at Rebel’s betrayal, from the moment I’d met him, kindled spitting sparks across my skin. ‘Keep your bitch mouth shut.’
I’d trusted the wrong bastard bloke.
Yet Rebel had protected and trained me, had my back, and believed in me, until I’d burst into my new powers.
Had it all been a play because of orders or his addiction?
When I stalked to the cell, violet flames ghosting me, Rebel cowered like I was his executioner. But then he edged forwards. His face was turned up to mine, his gaze intent and searching. He licked his lips, with painful hope.
Today he’d lost his dad, chance of redemption, freedom…
And me.
I leant over Rebel. My sparking fingers stroked down his cheek, shocking him in bursts. He jumped but didn’t pull away. His eyes were large in the luminous light; his long neck was bare without the collar. But the pouch still hung there: my gift to the bloke who’d lied to me for weeks.
I reached through into the cell, wrenching Rebel’s head against the bars. I held him still by his hair.
Then I Judas kissed his forehead, as he’d kissed mine.
The angelic powers, freed and overwhelming, roared.
Flames seared Rebel’s skin. He didn’t flinch. Instead, he pressed closer into my cruel lips.
…hurt me, kiss me, burn me…
The inferno built, screaming for release. To burn Rebel, and the secrets and lies, to ash.
To purge the pain, weeping now down my face.
Slam.
The sugary copper scent blasted through me. But this time it tasted bitter because I knew it was nothing but a trap.
Yet it didn’t stop my craving for Rebel’s blood. Our bond. For him.
Hell, I was addicted too.
I battled the roar, dampening the flames to embers.
Shaking, I pulled back. Then I released Rebel’s hair, shoving him away.
He snatched the bars to stop himself tumbling. Blisters branded his forehead, but he peered out at me, with a tentative smile. ‘Princess…?’
‘You were right,’ I said, forcing myself not to choke on the quiet words. Rebel tilted his head. ‘You are bad.’
Rebel’s eyes widened, before he crumpled like I’d clouted him.
I clenched my jaw, before ripping the velvet pouch with my sister’s necklace inside — the only thing shielding Rebel from complete nakedness — from around his neck.
‘Please…it’s all I have…and your gift…’ Rebel scrabbled through the bars.
I stuffed the pouch into my jean’s pocket with shaky fingers. ‘You don’t deserve my gift.’
I turned to Drake, as Rebel curled back on his side, keening. I cringed, clenching my fists and refusing to watch Rebel’s expression as I walked away from him. If I had, I’d have forgiven his betrayal.
Despite everything, he was still fam. But he wasn’t the only one who needed saving.
‘I want to see my sister,’ I demanded.
When Drake smiled, just as he had before he’d shanked me over Rebel, I stiffened. Then he beckoned me to follow him through the narrow cavern. ‘Patience.’
I strode after him, as he marched faster along the freezing tunnel.
Through thin spears of rock, I glimpsed violet flashes.
More cells.
More prisoners like Rebel.
‘Where’s Jade?’
Drake bowed his head. ‘First, you must meet your mother.’
I stumbled, hanging onto the wall.
My mother…?
I was trapped in the treacherous Angel World, where J had warned I could trust no one but the one ally, who was now locked in a birdcage prison.
Yet now I was being taken to meet the woman who’d abandoned me to the humans at birth.
And it terrified me worse than any fight.
Why had my mum abandoned me? And why had Rebel and Ash worked so hard to protect me from her?
I pushed my sunglasses more firmly onto my nose.
If my angelic mum expected an angel for a daughter, she was in for a bitch of a surprise.
I was all monster.
After all, nobody’s perfect.
The End
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