The acrid smell of stale gunpowder swirls through his nasal cavities. And once they reach the door, he sees the dead bodies piled inside.
Killian was here already.
As they enter the royal halls, they step into stagnant pools of blood, over ruined shelves and marbled statues. Paper documents are scattered in up the staircase. Despite the gore and carnage, the place seems nearly empty.
“Where the fuck is the military?” Lucas wonders.
Before Vash can respond, they are met with gunfire from a few lone guards. It only takes a few bullets to end them, and the bodies supply them with enough ammo to last a week.
Finding a pulse wave grenade, Vash tosses it back to Lucas before another wave of guards open fire on the crowd of crazed alphas.
“Heads up,” Vash calls out, rolling across the floor.
Lucas finds a broken pillar and hides. He pulls the pin from the grenade and lobs it up the staircase. “Son of a bitch,” he mutters.
The entire floor reverberates and explodes, sending broken pieces of cement and marble everywhere.
“Holy shit,” Lucas mutters.
Vash lifts his head, shaking out the dust from his locks of his hair. “Will you be careful?”
Lucas grins, coolly biting against the metal toothpick. The ex-convicts roar with victory, pushing forward with more artillery support. Lucas was never a real leader, but he feels like he won something.
“Feels good, right?” he asks Vash.
Vash chuckles. “Only if we find Rae.”
Deep down, they both know that an army is lurking, and he has a feeling Severin has a few more tricks up his sleeve.
The fire in the east tower burns on. “I can’t make sense of this, Vash. I really can’t. Looks like the building is empty. Fucking tanks should have been on us by now,” Lucas says.
“Just don’t be surprised when the ambush drops on our head,” Vash says.
Lucas sighs, taking hold of Vash’s shoulder. He gazes into his pack-brother’s eyes, feeling a deep and burning sensation within his chest. “Look, Vash, I want to tell you something,” he says.
“Don’t get all mushy with me. I get it,” he says.
“It’s just that, we’ve been through a lot, and—”
Vash pulls away, groaning. “I said, cut it out.”
“I love you, man,” Lucas says, grinning. “I love you so fucking much.”
“Yeah, well...” Vash’s voice trails away. “Yeah, I guess that I love you, too. Why the hell not, right?”
Lucas chuckles. “Damn right, you do, bitch.”
Standing, Vash shrugs his shoulder away, marching forward. Even if he won’t admit it, Lucas knows the truth. The three of them are pack-brothers for life.
It doesn’t matter that they aren’t from the same blood. They are from the same spirit.
The crowd of convicts follow them up the set of stairs, pillaging every room in sight. Others go in a separate direction, raiding the next tower.
“We need to find Killian before these guys tear the place apart,” Lucas says. “We still don’t know where the nursery is, and I want to make sure our children are safe.”
“Keep looking,” he says. “We’ll find it.”
If there is one thing Vash has learned, it’s that nothing is impossible.
Howling, Killian tilts his head back in excruciating pain. “God, dammit. Can’t you speed this up?”
Ruby swivels the needle, threading through his thick, opened flesh. The wound is deeper than he first thought, but he has been through worse. He’ll survive.
“We’re almost finished, but you’re acting like a real baby,” she says. “Just keep breathing. It’s almost over.”
“This ain’t my first rodeo,” he says. “I’ll be fine once it’s over. Just hurry up.”
Killian lets out an exhausted laugh and tries not to watch her too closely. As she finishes dressing the wound, the conversation takes a different tone.
“So,” she says, “you want to talk about what happened?”
Killian drops his smile. “Don’t you mean what you’ve done?”
She nods. “Yeah…”
“Spare it. I don’t need to hear your excuses. Every time I think about what happened to my children, I want to vomit. You tortured our woman, the only woman I’ve ever loved,” he says. “And that can’t be forgiven.”
Ruby stiffens. “You don’t think I’ve been through Hell? I’ve spent my entire life fighting only to be discarded and told I wasn’t good enough.”
Killian tries not to get too angry. “You’ve spent your life as a soldier, so I’ll give you some respect. But you’re going to live with your sins whether you like it or not.”
“You’re no saint,” she says, digging the needle in deeper. “You took my sister. She did not come to you on her own accord,” she says.
“We integrated her, gave her a place to nest before the birthing process. We promised to keep her out of harm’s way. It’s in our nature to take. It’s different,” he says.
Finishing up the stitch, Ruby wipes away the last bit of blood and hands him a fresh shirt from the linen closet. The ravaging sounds of beasts outside the towers echos loudly through the window.
She swallows, appearing fearful. “Maybe so, but everything has changed now. Maybe you can’t forgive me, but there’s more to the story than you know.”
Killian sits up and tries to relax, despite the gut-wrenching pain. “Such as?”
“You were the one who shut down the power grid, right? That was some good thinking on your part. Now, our military won’t be able to piece together what has happened, but it doesn’t mean Severin didn’t account for what might happen next,” she says.
Killian stays silent, pondering what that could mean.
“I’m asking you to trust me on this, Killian. After this is over, you won’t ever see me again. I’ll be gone,” she says. “You can lead the world further into oblivion. Power isn’t worth the pain it brings.”
“The symbols of the past must be eradicated, but you’re right. It is not my job to lead the future world. After this one ends, we’ll disappear.”
“We should go. They’ll be coming for us soon,” she replies.
Killian swivels out of the hospital bed, groaning. He’s thankful for her help, but it doesn’t mean he trusts her.
“You first,” he says. “I’m following your lead, Prime Minster.”
She pauses near the doorway, lips twitching with disgust. “Do me a favor. Never call me that again,” she says.
Chapter Sixteen
Back at the Cathedral, Noah rolls the carpet until a wooden floorboard underneath is clearly visible. Dropping the rug, he wipes his hands clean and kneels, pointing at a small locket that holds wood shut.
He unlocks it.
“You’ve seen the tunnels Severin built to connect the cities. Virgil knew them by heart. He taught us the way to where we need to go,” he says.
“Why?” she asks.
“For the sake of the planet,” he answers. “It has been ages since the first fall. You lived through the second. People may tell you there’s no such thing as a utopia, but it has been right in front of our eyes the whole time, waiting to be found.”
The clone kneels beside the entrance. “I still don’t understand. Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” he says.
Rae glances down at the dark shafts below. Rae wants nothing more than to stay above ground, but people are counting on her. She can’t give up now.
“Take me where I need to go,” she says.
Noah first lowers into the shafts, followed by the clone and Rae. When they hit the ground, they follow a trail of lit candles toward an unknown destination.
“I see it in your eyes,” Noah says. “You’re worried, but you don’t need to be. We’re almost there.”
They head further into the cavernous depths, circling around a platform until they reach the massive structure Severin first drowned her in
side.
She walks around it, finding a secondary path that leads into another room. Inside this one is a large rocket painted red and black.
“This thing,” she pants. “What does it do?”
Noah and the clone share a glance. “It is the strongest bomb known to alpha-kind. This is Severin’s great work.”
She shuts her eyes. “Then, I must destroy it,” she says.
“No,” Noah says, taking her hand. “That is not what Virgil instructed.”
Defiant, Rae forces her arm away from him. “Virgil, be damned. I’m forging my own path,” she says.
She hasn’t been this nervous since she gave birth to her three children, but this choice feels right. Without allowing them to stop her, she finds a ladder on the side and starts to climb.
“Please,” Noah begs. “We will all die.”
She doesn’t listen. Making her way near the top, she glances down and feels the weight of gravity hit her. “Come on, Rae,” she groans. “You can do this.”
But as she reaches to pull herself onto the final ledge, she makes the mistake of looking down. Her heel slips, and she nearly falls.
Luckily, she keeps her grip tight.
Heart racing, she keeps her eyes focused on the small platform above her. She will not surrender anymore. She will continue on for the good of the world.
So be it.
Adrenaline courses through her system unchecked. With every step she takes, she feels her courage strengthen. With the last of her energy, she takes the final step.
She pulls herself up, standing safely on the platform. But what she finds is not what she expected.
“My God...”
Losing balance, she falls backward, falling down into the far-reaching abyss.
Chapter Seventeen
Killian takes another glance through the palace window, growling with anger. Clutching his side in pain, he stumbles through the gold doorway to the nursery.
Inside, he eyes the bird-patterned wallpaper. He places his hands over one of the wings and sighs.
“So many memories,” he says. “Torn away from us.”
Then, glancing down at the three small beds, his lips quiver with the utmost sadness. The beds are empty.
He takes the pillow into his hands, pressing the soft cotton against his nose. “Where are they?” he asks.
He turns around to find Ruby holding a pistol. Slowly backing away, he hits the corner of the room. “Ruby what are you doing?”
A single tear runs down her cheek as she points the pistol at his heart, finger visibly trembling against the trigger. “I’m sorry, Killian,” she says. “I never meant for all of this to happen. It’s like a nightmare, a nightmare I can’t escape from.”
“You’re more selfish than I thought,” he mutters.
“I can’t do this,” she says. “I can’t be good like her. I don’t know how.”
“It doesn’t have to be like this. You can undo this mess. Severin is gone. You are free. You can start a life somewhere.”
The barrel of the gun threateningly shifts up toward his head for a better shot. Still, she seems uncertain. “We all know the dead outlive the living,” she says.
“You’re not making any sense,” he says. “Just put down the gun.”
“There’s still so much you have yet to learn,” she says. “So much we cannot untie. Everything is in place. No one can stop it.”
Killian swallows. “Severin has more in store, doesn’t he?” he asks.
“He had been waiting for his son for quite some time,” she says.
Taking a small step forward, Killian makes sure she doesn’t react too impetuously. “I’m not your enemy anymore. We can fix this. We can turn things around. If what you are saying is true, Rae will know what to do.”
“Of course she will,” she says. “She will have to die. That was always the plan.”
Killian repeats those last words. “The plan.”
“A bomb,” she says. “She’s the only one who can activate it.”
Killian is close to her now. So close he can reach out and touch her.
Without a second to lose, he rushes Ruby, wrestling the gun from her hand. She fires, and Killian can’t even register whether he’s hit or not.
They both hit the floor, and another shot rings out. This time, he can see that she missed. He takes the pistol, holding it against her skull.
“Stop,” he shouts.
“I had to do it,” she cries.
“Where the fuck are my children?” he screams, throat torn, tight, and dry. His chest pumps erratically, and all he wants to do is pull the fucking trigger.
“What’s the point? It’s too late. The bomb is set to go off. She’ll be there now,” she says.
“There has to be a way to switch it off,” he growls.
“There’s only one way,” she says. “But you won’t like where that leads.”
He feels insane. “You worthless bitch,” he grunts, arming the pistol. “I’ll see you in Hell.”
But just as he places his finger around the trigger, a familiar voice shouts, “Killian!”
Killian’s eyes light up. Beads of sweat fall down his forehead, rolling over his eyebrows.
He lowers the gun.
“Jesus. Killian? Is it really you?”
“Lucas,” he mutters, catching his breath. “Vash.”
Vash chuckles, running toward him. “Holy shit,” he cries.
Killian chuckled. “Ain’t nothing holy about it.”
Lucas bends, analyzing Ruby’s face. “For a second there, I thought you were Rae,” he says.
“She might make for a good trade down the line,” Vash adds.
Outside, the fire spreads. The building is on the verge of capsizing.
“We should hurry,” Lucas warns. “Where are the children.”
“I failed,” Killian admits. “I couldn’t find them.”
“Some might take those words as giving up,” Vash says. “Severin must have them.”
“No,” Killian says.
Vash takes a step forward. “What do you mean?”
“Killian,” Lucas whispers.
“I said what I said,” Killian says.
“Don’t tell me they’re gone,” Vash says.
Killian eases off of Ruby. “I killed him. My father,” he answers.
“I’m sorry, did I miss something?” Vash asks.
Killian turns violently. “Severin was my father.”
“Impossible,” Lucas mutters.
Killian lowers his eye at the ground. “Don’t tell me what is possible and what isn’t.”
For a few moments, there is silence. The alphas don’t know what to say.
“I killed my mother,” Vash says. “I watched Cassian die. Everyone I have ever known has died.”
“It doesn’t matter where you come from,” Lucas says. “We’re in this together, right?”
Killian regains his sense of calm. Lucas is right. Instead of fighting himself, he should be looking for Rae and his children. The journey isn’t over until it’s over.
“I’m sorry. It’s been difficult these last few days,” he says.
Vash pats his back. “These last few years,” he corrects him.
“Fucking Cassian,” Lucas says.
Killian chuckles. “Fucking Severin.”
Killian inhales the smoky air. “I think I know where we need to go, but you’re not going to like what I found out,” he says.
But before he can tell them about the bomb, he notices something different. “Wait,” he says. “Where is Ruby?”
Vash and Lucas turn about, running through to the next room. She is nowhere to be found.
“Fuck it,” Killian curses. “We won’t need her.”
She can have her wish. She can die.
The alphas share a glance. “It’s a little like old times,” Lucas says.
No hesitation on any of their parts.
“We’re Ouroboros,” Killian says. “The
only thing that can change that is death.”
Chapter Eighteen
A voice. Noah’s voice. “Rae, don’t move. I’m coming for you.”
Calming. Reassuring. Truthful.
A man who has it all figured out.
She doesn’t have much time. The bomb is going to explode. But every bone in her body aches. Every muscle feels torn.
Impossible to move. Must move…
When she opens her eyes, she remembers what happened. What she saw.
“Don’t move,” Noah repeats. “And whatever you do, do not look down.”
Of course, the first thing she does is look down, and her stomach shifts along with her vision. Thankfully, Noah is climbing to her safety.
“I told you not to look,” Noah groans.
One step up. Two. Three. There is no waiting. Time is running out.
Every person’s movement is judged by time, Rae thinks. That’s what makes life so special, and so fucking terrifying. She is starting to understand. Every action comes with a real set of consequences. Even when something appears good, it can lead to the destruction of the entire world.
One misstep is all it takes.
Virgil prepared for this with Noah. But did he account for every detail? Did he know this would happen?
Her body lays flat on the secondary platform. “Noah, please,” she begs. “Turn back. You don’t have time. None of us do.”
“Just hold on. I’m coming for you,” he says.
The clone waits for them, staring at the cold depths of water that rushes through a narrow passageway.
“Noah, why did you bring me here?” Rae asks.
“Keep still,” he calls out.
Rae attempts to move, but the pain is excruciating. “Noah, answer me. Why are we here?”
Noah stops climbing, glancing at her with worry. “We wanted you to see the complexity of the situation. It’s just that—”
Rae interrupts him. “You led me here for a reason, and it wasn’t so I could stop this bomb. You knew I’d climb to the top. You knew what was waiting for me up there. You took them,” she says. “You took my babies.”
The sharp cries of her children ring out from above. Rae forces herself out of her entanglement. It doesn’t matter how many broken bones make up her body. She feels every tormented cry from her children, and it gives her the strength she needs to continue.
Broken Angel: The Complete Collection: A Dark Omegaverse Romance Page 32
