Silence fell heavy around us. All but the sound of trickling water filled the air, and my eyes were drawn back down to the main foyer. A small fountain stood in the middle of it, and I nearly jumped back from it. It looked exactly like the one at Evermore Academy but on a much smaller scale. Three perfect tiers, with lightly flowing water, gave the foyer a warm opulent feel.
Mika pointed over his shoulder to the fountain. “If any of you break that and I have to hear about it one more time, I’ll stuff one of you and turn you into his own personal fountain just so I don’t have to listen to it again. You feel me?”
I took a few steps away from it and followed him down a long hallway. Everything here was so still, so silent, like a church, but worse because I knew there were actual angels here. Mika stopped in the middle of the long hallway and placed both his hands on the handles of the double doors.
He glanced over his shoulder at me. “You sure you’re ready for this, kid?”
“We don’t have another choice.” Everyone stiffened behind me, and even Astrid sucked in a deep breath and held it.
“Okay.” He yanked open the double doors and threw them to the sides.
Mika sauntered into the room. I took a step to follow him – and almost collided with Matteaus, who stood inches in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest. I froze. He walked around Matteaus and marched up two small steps separating the rows of stadium seating. He dropped into a big chair between two other angels. One with silver hair and a small gecko looking lizard on his shoulder. And the other had to have been the most good-looking dude in the world.
In front of them, all the way at the far end, a delicate looking female angel sat surrounded by swords. They leaned against her big leather chair and were piled all around her feet. She held one and ran a stone over it, sharping the edges. All the while never taking her eyes off of us. Small sparks hopped off the blade with each of her passing strokes.
“What makes you think you can just show up here.” Matteaus’ harsh words drew my attention. Tiny electrical sparks danced over his big black wings and on the tips of his hair.
“I…um.” My heart leapt in my chest. Maybe this is a bad idea.
Aidenuli who sat in the front row closest to us chuckled under his breath. He sat with his forearms resting on his knees. Strands of his long hair fell over his face hiding the deep scar over his eyebrow. He shook his head and smirked.
Seven pairs of eyes swung toward us, and it was the first time I came face to face with all of the Fallen. Wait, wasn’t there supposed to be eight? I counted again… seven. Seven pairs of big black wings filling the room. I froze for a moment taking in all the weapons. Sure, I’d seen them from afar, but this—we were in close quarters. The room looked like an in-home movie theatre with oversized chairs all facing one direction. At the very back sat a hulking angel, focused on a wall of screens, each showing a different location around the world. I saw Evermore, Warwick, smoking volcanos, lush thick jungles, and snow-covered mountains.
Matteaus’ wings pulsed. His sapphire eyes blazed, and his brows furrowed. “What. Are. You. Doing. Here?”
I glanced around at my group. All of them were just as speechless as I was. I cleared my throat and gave a half bow to the Fallen. Should I bow? I wanted to greet them all by name, but in truth, I only knew Matteaus, Mika, Taliam, and Aidenuli on sight.
“Logan has been taken, and we think it was demons.”
Silence…
“He’s gone.” I tried again.
Nothing…
Matteaus took a step toward me. His sapphire eyes blazed with flames. “Are you saying I didn’t do my job?”
Sweat beaded on the back of my neck and rolled down. My stomach rolled. “No.”
“Did you come here to scold us?” His entire body hummed with power and I wanted nothing more than to back away. This was one hundred percent a mistake.
“I…”
He waved his hand and a gust of wind knocked us all forward into the room. I felt the others cram in behind me. The door snapped shut with a loud slam trapping us in.
“We shouldn’t have come here without permission.”
“Keep talking.” He growled.
“I wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t think you were our only hope.” I wanted to plead with him, but I also knew that wouldn’t work. Matteaus respected strength, and that was what I would show him.
He snapped his fingers. “Speak…quickly.”
I cleared the nerves from my throat. “We have no idea what took Logan, but our best guess is a demon.”
Matteaus turned toward the back of the room. “Drew.”
The angel, Drew, swiveled around in his chair to face the rest of us. I’d never seen him up close before, and being this close to him was unnerving. His eyes weren’t just blue, they were bright as the sky and had clouds moving through them. A long scar ran down one of his cheeks, and hints of a tattoo peeked up from the collar of his shirt. With one hand, he squeezed a bright yellow stress ball, and the muscles in his arm bulged, nearly ripping his black T-shirt. He ran the other hand over his silvery hair.
“Yeah?”
“You see any demon activity lately?” Matteaus put his hands on his hips and rocked on his heels.
Drew shook his head. “Nope, nothing.”
“Then what the hell took Logan?” The words tumbled from my mouth before I could take them back. Matteaus arched his eyebrows, and the muscle in his jaw ticked. Oh, shit, my bad. I sucked in a deep breath and blew it back out, choosing my words wisely. “My apologies. Something took one of the heirs, and I’m worried.”
“Better.”
Still, he said nothing more than that. The others just stared at us. Astrid shuffled from one foot to the other.
“We need your help to get him back.”
“Can’t.”
“Why not?” She spoke softly in a calm respectful tone I didn’t have in me.
Matteaus crossed his arms over his chest. “You know why.”
Ophelia scoffed, “That’s bullshit.”
The room broke out into deep chuckles, and the lone female angel rose to her feet. Leather straps wrapped around her bare torso, and only an armored breast plate covered her chest. Low-slung leather pants hung off her hips. Pin-straight midnight hair hung in a long braid down to her hips. “I like her.”
“And I have a girl crush on you. So we’re even.” Ophelia moved to stand beside Zinnia.
Again that round of chuckles filled the room, and my patience grew thin. “Matteaus, please.”
Matteaus pointed toward three large screens I hadn’t noticed earlier. They were on the wall directly next to us. He looked back to Drew. “Roll footage.”
The three screens blared to life, and it was as if I was back there once more. The chaos of the moment, the hell Astrid and Penny unleashed.
Aidenuli leaned on his leg and chuckled, “Nice move, Penny.”
Her cheeks heated, and she glanced up at him. “Thanks.”
Then, there he was—that demon-like thing with the horns jutting back from his head, his pale gray skin and burning red eyes. Long strands of hair twisted in among his many horns. The screen froze and zoomed in on him, enlarging his face for all to see. Black lines forked out over his skin almost like he had scales. He was tall and strong, with a thin frame laden with muscles and pointed ears. A detail I hadn’t caught from the one glimpse I got of him.
Quiet fell over the room, and Matteaus turned back to the female Fallen. “Kadienne, thoughts?”
They turned toward each other and spoke in a language I didn’t recognize. It drenched the room in power but felt like sharp nails running over my skin. It was both beautiful and deadly. I wanted to throw up my hands and cover my ears. The others all shifted uncomfortably around me.
All but Zinnia. Her power lit up like a reactor. Silver streamed over her hair and around her body. She didn’t move to use it, but she began to light up, and the Fallen turned back toward her. She held up her
hand and smiled. “I’m good. Got it under control.”
In the back, Drew hit a couple buttons, and panels around the top of the room flipped open. Red scanning lasers danced over all of us. He nodded at something on his screens. “Power surge. Nice.”
Matteaus turned back toward us. “Where you’re trying to go, this could be a one-way trip. As in, none of the Fallen can help you.”
I went deadly still. Was he saying what I thought he was saying? “Are you telling me to let him die?”
Matteaus shook his head and sighed. “I’m telling you to weigh all your options and think about this. Not that I don’t understand you want to save your friend. I’d go to Hell and back for one of my crew. But you need to weigh your options. You may not come back… ever.”
Chapter 7
Astrid
The room quaked around us, and Beckett practically vibrated with power. A single crack ran up the side of the wall, yet none of the Fallen flinched. They didn’t even look mildly alarmed.
Beckett’s hands curled into fists at his sides, and that muscle in his jaw ticked. “We are going after him. Are you going to—”
Whatever he was going to say next wouldn’t help us. I could feel his temper rolling around inside of him. I didn’t even move my hand. I just let a small, nearly invisible puff of power waft toward him, pinching the back of his arm as if I’d reached out and done it with my own fingers.
“Easy there, mate.” Grayson muttered under his breath.
Maze slid in closer behind us he shifted from one foot to the other. His cards flew from his pocket and he caught them. The sound of shuffling filled the air and he muttered to himself so low I couldn’t hear it. Nervous waves ran off of him.
We need to get our shit together.
Beckett sucked in a breath and cleared his throat, finding his composure. “I would be grateful for your guidance. Please. That’s why we risked trespassing on your property.”
Matteaus chuckled then mumbled something in that beautiful painful language while hiking a thumb in Beckett’s direction. The others answered in the same language, and this time I had to cover one of my ears. I couldn’t pretend like my ears could handle it.
Cross groaned, “You know that hurts, right?”
Ophelia rubbed at her temples. “Yeah, like getting stuck with a hot poker.”
Matteaus ignored them. He turned back to Beckett and was about to open his mouth when Aidenuli interrupted him. “Boundaries, boss.”
Matteaus’ mouth snapped shut and he growled, “Always with the restrictions.”
Beckett took an unconscious step toward him, and I pulled him back next to me. He gave me a single nod of thanks. This wasn’t like dealing with the adults in Warwick. Hell, we were on equal footing, if not more so, because we ruled. But these were the Fallen, and as such, we had to watch our asses all the time. Respect was demanded in this situation. And standing here, with all of them and their massive wings and angelic power, it was necessary.
“Please—” Beckett never asked for things, he just simply made them happen. He spread his hands in front of him. “We have no idea where to start with this. Even a clue as to what that thing was would help us figure it out.”
“The world is not what you think it is.” He sighed.
So cryptic. “I don’t follow.”
“The only way to understand what happen to your friend is to understand the world.” He shrugged. “Hard lesson.”
Beckett nodded at him. “Please, teach us. For Logan.”
Matteaus walked over to Taliam and grabbed the bottle of water he held. “You mind?”
“I guess not.” He shrugged and leaned back in his seat then ran his hands through his silvery hair. He ran his finger over the lizard sitting on his shoulder and seemed to whisper in it’s ear. The lizard spun in a small circle then settled there like a dog curling up to sleep.
Matteaus put the bottle on the table at the side of the room. “Say this is the earth.”
He waved his hand over it, and the air shimmered with a light glittering glow around the bottle. He took three large steps back, then he held his hand out to the side. A flaming bullet appeared in his hand. He hauled back his arm and shot it right at the bottle. The flame ricocheted off the bottle, and Aidenuli stretched out his hand, catching it before it hit my torso.
“Thanks.” For not letting me die.
He chuckled and dropped the bullet on the ground. Matteaus turned back toward us. “That’s the wall around the earth, protecting it from all sorts of nasties. Now, let’s step outside…”
I didn’t know why, but suddenly my stomach sank, and I really didn’t want to go outside. But where Matteaus led, the rest would follow. He marched past us and out the hall doors. We all froze, not knowing if we should step in front of the other Fallen or bring up the rear. I glanced toward Aidenuli.
He arched his eyebrow and pointed toward the door. “Follow.”
It was like a fire was lit under my ass; I did a little hop then power walked my way behind Matteaus. Zinnia seemed comfortable with him, walking side by side down the wide hall. Tucker too looked completely at ease. Yet I found him completely intimidating. This one Fallen Angel ruled all of Evermore and the rest of the Fallen. The world rested on his shoulders, yet he was taking the time to help us.
When we reached the end of the hallway, it opened up to a chef’s kitchen, with three out of the four walls made completely out of glass. Matteaus pushed a button, and the glass walls all rolled to the side, letting in the cool fall air. He pointed out toward the backyard, if it could be called a yard. Green grass extended out over the grounds in all directions, giving us an unobscured view of the gray clouds rolling in over the fall sky. If I was one of the Fallen, I’d want to have this open view, to see only freedom for those who could fly. Off to one side was a large in-ground pool that looked more like a pond. It went from shallow to deep and was made of all-natural stones to blend in with the landscape.
Matteaus marched out past the pool, all the way into the middle of the field. This close to Thanksgiving, New Jersey air was downright chilly. I held out my hand and manifested a fur-lined leather coat. Golden magic puffed, and it rested in the crook of my arm. I peeled off my current jacket and shoved my arms into the warmer one.
Ophelia snapped her fingers. “Chuck that one this way.”
Without a word, I threw it over my shoulder, and she caught it. She pulled it on and folded the sleeves up to fit her arms. Our breath came in little puffs of air, drifting up from our large group. Matteaus held out his hand behind him, motioning for us to stop.
Maze continued shuffling his cards as he stepped up beside Beckett. “We’ve been gone a while.”
Too long to be away from Tilly.
Grayson moved next to Brax. “Oi, you alright?”
“Da.”
“Bit nervous myself.” Grayson shifted from one foot to the other. “Bloody bad timing this is.”
Tell me about it.
I could tell the rest of the group was just as nervous as I was. Nova’s purple sparks fell from her fingers. Tiny flames sparked in Tabi’s wild curls and red ribbons kept wrapping and unwrapping from Serrina’s wrist. Even Tuck had flames flickering down his arms all the way to his finger tips. The only one who looked completely at ease was Ashryn. She was so still even in the face of The Fallen. I wished I had her level of calm. They all spread out beside Becket, Zinnia, Tuck, and me. Matteaus kept walking for a few more strides, never looking back at us.
It was so cold that my fingers felt like little frozen sausages, but he wore nothing but a tank top, loose-fitting leather pants, and combat boots. He spread his wings out wide, showing how huge they really were. They were an oily black that looked shiny, even under the cloudy gray sky. He glanced over his shoulder. “Tristan, if you would.”
Tristan, an angel who tended to blend into the background of the others, stepped around the rest of us. He was tall and lean, with blond hair that fell into his eyes. He was differen
t than the others somehow. He smelled of the most delicious cookie. “Do you smell that?”
“It’s chocolate,” Zinnia sighed.
“No, it’s cookies,” I argued.
“No, it’s leather.” Ophelia leaned forward.
“Roses, he smells like roses.” Nova took a step toward him, almost hypnotized.
Beckett put his hand on my shoulder and pulled me back next to him. I hadn’t even realized I’d moved. He glared down at me. “What is wrong with you?”
“I don’t know.” It was like I had to be near him.
“Tristen, turn it off.” Matteaus chuckled.
“Apologies.” Just as fast as my desire to be near him started, it stopped. I glanced back at the others, and it was as if they too had come out of some kind of daze. The angel, Tristen, was so pale that the thick silver locket around his neck stood out like a dark mark on his skin. Half a broken heart hung from it and seemed to glow from within. He was compellingly beautiful in a way I couldn’t explain but also wanted.
He moved to Matteaus’ side and quickly opened his wings, showing off their deep black color. Each of them was tipped with the brightest blue I’d ever seen. He gave a single pump of his wings, never taking off, but a huge gust of wind blew out from him. The gray clouds rolled back from the field as if he took a leaf blower and sent them away. And wham, they were gone, leaving only blue skies as far as the eye could see.
He closed his wings and walked away rejoining the other Fallen who’d come outside with us and leaving Matteaus alone in the middle of the field once more. Electrical surges began to run over his wings. They sparked and snapped a whiteish blue until they were nearly covered with tiny bolts of lightning running over them. Power hung heavy in the air, and the hair on the back of my neck stood on edge. Matteaus raised his arms to the sky, and three bolts of lightning struck his hands, one after the other, reminding me of Thor. He clapped his hands together and shot that bolt out toward the sky. It glittered and sizzled like electrical magic. A loud sonic boom shook the world around us; even the trees swayed and rustled. The bolt seemed to strike a barrier, then it bounced back toward us. It soared through the air so fast my eyes could barely track it. I flinched to the side and tugged Beckett down with me. My power flared to life, and a puff of golden smoke covered the heirs and queens.
Wicked Curse (The Royals: Warlock Court Book 4) Page 5
