I sighed in relief, realizing it was just as Nightmare stated.
"She's just exhausted and needs rest," Azriel declared.
I mentally nodded, checking to see Mako was already fast asleep. I laid down and wrapped my arms around her, letting her head rest on my chest.
I heard quiet little tapping sounds, then I saw Nighty jump onto the bed. "Mew." She walked onto the blanket and came over to sit on my chest. Her tails lit up to a light gold and she brushed her head against Mako's cheek.
Mako sighed, stirring slightly but then settled, remaining asleep. I did notice a pickup in energy levels and smiled at Nighty who sat down, her tails no longer moving.
"Thank you, Nightmare," I whispered, lifting my hand and petting her gently on the head.
"Mew,” she replied. Her tails curled around her body as she nestled herself on my chest next to Mako's neck.
I smiled before looking up at the ceiling, my eyes growing heavy.
May the gods give me the strength to mend the broken aspects of my family and bring peace between us with time and patience.
In stars we trust.
~AZRIEL~
"Azriel."
I wanted to ignore Kane's call, my attention focused on the battle going on below, but I didn't want to deal with him getting upset with me. Angels were just a pain in the ass when they were angry and something told me Kane would be just as much of a nuisance as Ezriel used to be when he got upset.
"What?" I asked, my eyes still on Hope who was dodging attacks from all directions.
"Your gift," Kane reminded.
I rolled my eyes, taking a deep breath. He really thinks I give a flying fuck about everyone being uncomfortable.
Daniel sighed in my mind. "You know you swear when you're super mad. Anyways, I don't mind that you're making Father and that vile woman uncomfortable, but have a little mercy on the guys."
I grumbled under my breath and pulled my gift back. I could hear the guys sigh in relief, but I didn't care. My love was down there fighting for her life in this stupid competition that already looked to be unfair.
"Thank you," Kane expressed.
I grumbled 'whatever,' under my breath. My eyes continued to trail Hope's every move as I stood in the protective tower, watching the entire match.
It wasn't long before Midnight took over, taking down one shifter after another. I knew Midnight would win this with ease and was about to relax when Cecelia's voice boomed through the fighting arena.
“STOP!”
My mouth hung open and multiple gasps rang out behind me before the others crowded around me. Kane cursed, turning to look at Father.
"She's a fucking ARCH! I thought we couldn't use our gifts!" he snarled.
A high pitch giggle caught my attention and our group all turned to the short woman standing next to Father who looked completely confused by what had occurred.
"Oh. You didn't read the fine print on the agreement. This cycle is a little different. Gifts are allowed. You guys signed it." She shrugged her shoulders.
Arthur and Catherine both rose to their feet, looking furious.
"Cassandra. My first in command went through that document several times," Arthur declared.
I knew Matthew wouldn't slip up like that. He never made mistakes. Cassandra crossed her arms and turned to the King and Queen.
"Well, I forgot to sign one of the pages and asked one of the secretaries to add it in," she announced.
Father growled, "You ASKED or you commanded, Cassandra?" He narrowed his eyes at her. She looked afraid for a moment, but then scrunched her face in anger.
"I asked and he did it with no questions asked. Simple as that. It's too late now and you should be focusing on the battle," she declared, turning her attention back to the clear glass.
This bitch. I was ready to snap when a loud breaking sound rang out through the arena. All of us turned to see Midnight struggling to get up before she was frozen to place yet again; this time black threads were wrapped around her wrists, ankles, and neck.
"This is cheating! Mako and her spirits don't know they can use their gift!" Stryker shouted.
I glanced over to my fellow knights; all of their spirits took over and they glared at Cassandra with angry expressions.
"Well, too bad. Stopping the competition because your sweet Princess can't handle herself is breaking the rules," she said proudly.
"Guys!" Kane shouted for our attention and we returned to gasp yet again at the sight below.
The remaining royals that were still conscious walked toward Cecelia, moving as if they had no control over themselves. I could feel the thick magic usage through the glass and my body was trembling with rage.
"This is madness!" Daniel snarled and I agreed with him. This wasn't why we were given our gift from the Starlight gods.
The royals circled Midnight and Cecelia. Cecelia crossed her arms, looking as if she was considering what to do. Kane moved to the speaker controls, immediately turning the microphone on in our area and turning up the volume of the miniature speakers set up throughout the arena.
Cecelia's happy voice came through the speakers crystal clear. “Hmm. What to do? To kill you…nah, that would be boring. OH! I know. Why don’t you watch them kill one another? That’s what happens at the facility right? I’d love to see this trigger side of yours. That’s what was in your file? Right?”
"WHAT!" all of us exclaimed, completely stunned as to how Cecelia got Mako's file.
Midnight looked just as shocked, which only seemed to satisfy Cecelia as she laughed.
“Oops. Did I reveal my little dirty work? You see, I let one of the medical staff help me get a glimpse of your file to see what I was up against. You know, background checks and all. That’s why this scenario fits perfectly! Now you can watch these pathetic royals kill each other and you can add it to your list of sins,” she cheered, clapping her hands.
We watched in horror as the royals began fighting one another. From punches to slashes, magic usage, and even their gifts, they came at each other. Blood began to pool on the floor and screams and cries of anguish carried into the sky.
"FATHER! Stop the match! This is senseless murder!" Kane shouted.
"Stopping the match due to anticipated death is against the rules," Cassandra said.
Kane looked like he was about to kill her this very instant.
Father and Arthur exchanged glances. Catherine was staring daggers at Cassandra, her eyes flickering back and forth. We all shivered at the glimpse of power that leaked off Catherine, even Arthur and Father looked surprised.
Catherine walked up to Cassandra and we all tensed up as her eyes went completely gold, her spirit taking over.
"Cassandra. I will state this now. If my child dies, which you should pray to the Starlight gods does not happen, I will personally chain you to a wall and torture you until Deathpre himself has to come down here and claim your soul."
We all gawked at her, even Father and Arthur looked stunned at Catherine’s words. She didn't wait for a reply, leaving a trembling Cassandra as she turned and walked back to stand at her husband's side, returning her attention to the battlefield.
I sensed the sudden shift of magic, Hope's aura immediately grasping my attention. My head whipped back to the battlefield to see Hope had taken over.
“ENOUGH!” she commanded and power surged through the single word. Everyone froze and we held our breaths as we saw how close many of the royals were to killing one another. Some had swords just inches from their necks while others were seconds away from being hit by magic that would kill them instantly.
Cecelia looked shocked and confused as she glanced around.
“What? What did you do?!” she demanded.
Hope was silent as she began to fight the strings that held her.
I bit my lip seeing the red liquid that began to drip on the strings that cut her flesh and I had to control my breathing as my gift pulsed through me, begging to be given the privilege to w
reak havoc on the person who dared make our lover bleed.
Hope summoned her wings, slicing the strings that held her. She flicked her wrists and more blood dripped to the floor. Kane put his hand on my shoulder and I bet that was only to stop me from breaking the glass and going in there myself.
“Why don’t you use those pathetic eyes of yours and pay attention?” Hope announced. It was the first time I heard her voice sound so emotionless.
Cecelia looked around, just like everyone else who was confused by Hope's words. Everyone except for me. I could see exactly what she had done and a part of me sighed in relief at how smart Hope was.
Hope grinned in satisfaction as she flexed her wrist, droplets of blood fell onto the hidden string, turning it to red. Seconds passed and string after string began to reveal itself.
Multiple gasps were heard behind us and it seemed only us angel shifters could see the plot Hope had been coming up with as the web of strings were revealed.
Cecelia looked shocked as Hope began to walk toward her. Cecelia looked like she was about to run toward Hope, but then Hope spoke.
“Freeze,” she commanded; her cold tone caused a shiver to run through me. Hope was in a zone that we angel shifters tried to avoid at all cost.
We were so careful to avoid it, we didn't even have a term for it. All we knew was that if an angel shifter lost any remaining compassion in their voice, it meant suffering and agony was about to be bestowed on their target and death would surely be their reward.
Cecelia struggled to move against Hope's gift, but I knew she wouldn't be able to fight it off. Cecelia gritted her teeth and hissed.
“You fucking cunt!”
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never break me,” Hope sang. Her usually chirpy high pitch voice that sounded perfect to my ears was now an eerie tune that left me worried about my love.
Hope giggled, facing Cecelia with a wide cynical smile. She leaned in to whisper into Cecelia's ear and thankfully the microphones were able to pick up her words.
“You want to know what they do at the facility? You think the facility is just a bloodbath?” she hummed before she pulled back and laughed.
"Your child has gone insane!" Cassandra declared.
Kane laughed. "My sister is definitely NOT insane. You out of all people should know NEVER to push an angel shifter over the edge, but behold. Your useless cheating excuse of a daughter just did that and now she has to pay the price," he declared, a wicked smile on his lips as he stared at Cassandra who was trembling with rage.
We turned our attention back to the battlefield where Hope glared at Cecelia. “You can’t even imagine what it feels like to fight for survival. Or beg for death to take you away!” Hope screamed and I could hear the agony in her words.
Only a few times did Hope talk about the past, especially after Mako's dormant status. She and the rest of her fellow spirits hated the torment Mako went through, and watching the pain and the mental effects the torture had on her.
It was just another reminder how grateful all of us should have been that Mako turned out to be the happy, loving individual she was. She still had her ups and downs, but for someone who experienced so much in her sixteen cycles of being trapped at the facility, she turned out to be a selfless, kind individual.
“Why don’t I give you a small taste?” Hope announced, snapping her fingers. The remaining royals were lifted into the air and moved into the safe zone of the arena, immediately disqualifying them.
"Send the medical teams down there at once!" Arthur declared into a communicator on his wrist. Medical staff could be seen rushing out to aid the injured and beep after beep rang through the fighting ground indicating each royal’s disqualification, until only two names remained on the oversized board.
“Let’s begin,” Hope announced with a fake smile. With a swift movement, her foot smashed into Cecelia's face, sending her flying across the arena and crashing into a large tree.
We all gawked at Hope, who slowly took in the dust and falling leaves that fell where Cecelia crashed. When you saw Mako's 5'3” frame, you wouldn't expect her to do such damage. Even if Hope was in her shifter form, adding her height and additional strength, it still was shocking to watch.
Hope slowly made her way toward the place Cecelia landed, humming softly while her glowing strings danced around her.
“Fucking cunt, I’m not afraid of you! This is nothing!” Cecelia screamed as she got up and tried to attack Hope.
"What a foolish move," Daniel commented.
I mentally nodded. Hope had let go of her hold on purpose yet Cecelia fell for it.
“STAY STILL!” Cecelia commanded.
“Nullify,” Hope whispered, stepping to the side to dodge the incoming punch. Cecelia cursed, trying again and again, but Hope dodged every attack effortlessly as if she was dancing a ballet rather than fighting a death battle.
“You think you’re winning because you’re exhausting my gift? Hah. Fight me then! You’re the one who boasted about how cowardly I am! Why don’t you stop run—” Cecelia began, but was cut short when Hope punched her in the gut and began to beat the living shit out of her until her hands were stained with blood.
Hope didn't stop until the health meter on the board showed red. Cecelia could barely stand up, struggling as she spat out the pool of blood in her mouth. Cecelia laughed. “That’s all you got, you fucking cunt?” she coughed out.
Hope frowned, looking disappointed. “Just give up. This is your final warning,” she declared, before turning her gaze our way. Her eyes made contact with each of the others until they landed on mine.
Through her neutral expression, I could still see her fear. The fear that I would judge her for what she was about to do. I didn't want her thinking I was against this. I'd support her no matter what. She could be the villain in the story and I'd stand by her side as her right-hand man. I'd never leave her.
I gave her a nod of encouragement and from the way her eyes lit up, I knew she understood.
“Give up? Hah! Show me your so-called facility ways. In fact, I won’t stop until my father himself tells you to!” Cecelia declared. We all turned to Father who looked unamused by her words.
"What a foolish child," Arthur announced, shaking his head.
"That's what confidence looks like!" Cassandra declared looking proud even though I could sense the fear of her without even needing a gift like Ryder and Stryker’s to do so.
I quickly glanced at Stryker and he met my eyes. He looked like he was struggling with the amount of anger and emotion in the room, but he was keeping it together rather nicely. I closed my eyes, sending a wave of healing magic his way, but cloaked it so no one noticed the action.
His eyes widened in confusion, but then his tense shoulders relaxed and he sighed quietly. He gave me a small nod and I returned the gesture with one of my own, before turning back at the fight.
Kane left his parents’ side and came over to me.
I side glanced to see him mouth something at Hope and it seemed to give her enough confidence to continue with whatever plans she had.
Hope dodged yet another blow, catching Cecelia's hand in her fist. A devilish grin formed on her lips and I could see the fear in Cecelia's eyes.
“Let’s begin,” Hope declared.
Fifteen minutes went by and it was enough for me to understand a fragment of what facility shifters had to endure. Hope had explained to me one of the torture techniques was to beat down a shifter to the verge of death before healing them back. They would do it over and over again, beating the shifter down only to heal them to perfect health. They would do it until the healer was too weak to continue or the shifter became unresponsive to the beatings. If the healer ran out of magic during the near-death stage, the shifter was left to die unless they were one of Blair's favorites.
I could see Hope's exhaustion and I knew she wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer. I was already surprised she'd lasted this long with
all the energy she'd exerted during the fight.
"She's going to kill my daughter! Eric, do something!" Cassandra shouted.
Father was silent, looking bored out of his mind.
"Would you look at that? Now someone should interfere when your daughter is on the verge of death, but you were singing a different tune twenty minutes ago," Stryker declared.
"Agreed. What were her exact words again?" Ryuu questioned.
"Ah, Stopping the match due to predicted death is against the rules," EliaseAnne hummed in a sweet tone to imitate Cassandra, while still in Elias' body.
"I'm surprised Hope hasn't just killed her off already," Hinotori muttered, looking agitated. He was the least patient when he was pissed off and the way his arms were crossed and he was tapping his foot was clear indicators.
I looked at Hope who raised her hand up, ready to snap her fingers once again. Father stood up, turning to walk out the door. Cassandra followed and the guys and Mako’s parents were not too far behind. Kane gave me a nod and followed his parents out the door and down the stairs. I returned my gaze to Hope, meeting her eyes.
She bit her lip, fear flickering through her uneasy expression. I gave her a small smile, needing her to understand that I loved her. I mouthed those three words, and her face blossomed into a smile and tears pooled in her eyes. Her form was slowly fading back to Mako's and I knew it would be the last I'd see of Hope until we got some alone time.
Whenever that was, I'd hold her tightly and let her know that I still and would always love her. Her eyes slowly closed and I decided to retreat as well. She was safe and I knew Mako and the rest of her spirits would be too.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure they're okay," Daniel reassured me.
Okay. Protect the Princess.
I let the darkness take over and I prayed this was the end of Cecelia and that vile woman who showed nothing but hate and greed.
Please, let this be over.
~DANIEL~
“Why haven’t you said anything? It’s about time!” Cassandra roared through tears.
DANIEL (The Starlight Gods Series Book 6) Page 19
