by Sandra Love
Chapter Seventeen
Dean
I was holding onto Cameron so he didn’t do anything stupid, but I knew how he felt. I wanted to help my baby girl too. After we watched Cordelia leave through the window, I went invisible and reappeared behind Amelia. She tried to put up her force field, but she was too late. I grabbed her by her neck and I wanted to snap it like I just did with Kale. But I needed her to know the hatred I felt within me.
Arabella walked toward the front of the library holding up her hands. She knew I was upset and angry. “Dean darling, please don’t.”
I squeezed Amelia’s neck tighter. “Tell me why I shouldn’t kill her right now.”
“Because, Dean, you know the prophet states that Cordelia needs to kill her. Plus, she needs to remain alive to help turn her daughter back to normal.”
“Kill me, Dean, because there is no way I will change our daughter back. Not for another thirteen years.”
Kaleigh and Gabe walked toward the front as she spoke up. “Dean, Gabe and I have an idea,” Kaleigh told me. “Why not lock her away in the dungeon below my parents’ house? Have Arabella cast a spell to enchant it so no evil can be released or enter?”
That was a good idea, but I never wanted to kill someone more than I did Amelia. I looked into Arabella’s eyes and saw that she didn’t want me to kill yet another person. No matter what my personal feelings, I couldn’t do that to the love of my life.
“Fine! We will do that, but I command that none of you leave this country. Do I make myself clear? We will all stay at Kaleigh and Cameron’s parents’ house and come up with a new plan to save my daughter. Now, the rest of you go and clean up this mess that was created downstairs. Bury our dead and burn all of Amelia’s beings. Also, I want all those creatures that were created to be gone. Kill them all. Arabella and I will be up in white city. Amelia here, will tell me where The Old Ones are—I have somethings to talk to them about.”
They all nodded and didn’t say a word. “Arabella, bind her and put this bitch to sleep. I will carry you both back to the White City.”
I watched as Arabella bound Amelia, and then she said a chant and Amelia went limp in my arms. I raised my hand and blast the side of the building out. I grabbed Arabella and Amelia, and my white wings came to life so we could take off into the night sky. Arabella grabbed hold of me and was holding onto me really tight as if she were afraid I would drop her. I would never let anything happen to her or my son. I looked off into the distance and I could see that the fallen city was still engulfed in flames. As I flew over, I could hear the screams and the cries of the fallen angels. I really wanted to go down there and rescue them all, but I needed to get this witch locked up. I finally saw the light as we approached The White City. As we flew over, I looked down and I could see the same destruction as The Fallen City. More flames and bodies laid along the streets. My heart couldn’t take anymore.
We finally arrived to Luke and Luna’s home and I flew down and retracted my wings, walking in the door. I missed this beautiful house and I knew where they kept the dungeons. I walked through the kitchen to the door that was off the side beside the stove. I saw that it had a lock on it so I raised my hand and Arabella backed up behind me as I blasted the door right off the hinges.
We walked down the steps, into the basement. It smelled like mold and mildew. The temperature was really cold, but I didn’t care. This woman had hurt my daughter; she didn’t deserve to be warm and comfortable. I saw rats running around and water was dripping from the walls. Good, I thought menacingly, she’d have someone to keep her company. Poor rats.
I saw the cell at the end, so I walked over to it and opened the steel door and threw her in. She bounced off the wall and woke up. Before she could teleport, Arabella was there saying a spell that I couldn’t understand.
“You won’t get away with this, ever!” Amelia screamed. “My creatures will kill the rest of them and you will be left with no one.”
I walked up to the cell and grabbed her neck through the bars. “You listen here, you psychotic bitch—you have ruined everything you have ever touched. Once I get my daughter back, I hope she does what the prophet says and kills you without blinking her eyes. You are dead inside, and you are heartless and a coward. I don’t know how I could have ever loved someone as ruthless, and ugly, as you.”
I started to squeeze harder until Arabella grabbed my arm. I dropped Amelia and she gasped for air. “You did this to me, Dean.”
“You deserved it. Now, tell me where The Old Ones are.”
She laughed. “Like I would tell you.”
I raised my hand and shocked her with a low blast, just enough to hurt her and not kill her. She screamed so loud, begging me to stop. “Please stop. I will tell you. They are hiding out underground, below The White City.”
“Arabella, go upstairs and stay there. I don’t want you or our baby in danger of this bitch. Wait for the others to return and heal them. Make sure no one leaves here once they get back.” I gave her a kiss and I walked out of the dungeon and out the back door. I opened my wings and headed to where the underground started on the outskirts of the city. I flew so fast, not knowing what I would do to those traitors. They were supposed to be fair, but they had decided to work with the one person that had destroyed our sacred city. Once I got to the opening, I blasted my way through. Once I could see the tunnels, I heard the screams. I retracted my wings and walked down the tunnels, following the screams. It, too, smelled like mold and mildew. Halfway through the tunnels, I saw a sword hanging on the wall. I grabbed it and continued walking. I finally caught up to them. There stood my worst enemy, Abem.
“Dean, please don’t stoop to Amelia’s level.”
“You worked alongside her, Abem. You knew her plan to kill my daughter.”
“You lied to us, Dean. You knew she was alive.”
“And you knew about the damn prophet. I didn’t want my daughter to be an experiment to dark magic.”
Abem started to walk toward me. As he was about to blast me with lightning, I went invisible and reappeared beside him and cut off his head. The other six Old Ones ran at me, and my wings sprung to life. I leaped in the air and came down and sliced each one of them. Blood spilled out all over the stone floor. I fell to my knees and as I did the sword fell from my hands. I was covered in blood. Suddenly, I felt the sharp pain in my shoulders and along my back. It felt like I was being stabbed, and that my wings were being ripped from my body. But I know that wasn’t the case. I had just murdered all The Old Ones in cold blood. My vision started to blur, when something caught my eye. My wings were no longer white. They had turned red, like the color of blood.
“What have I done?”
Chapter Eighteen
Cameron
It felt like my heart was just ripped in half and then half went out the window with Cordelia. I couldn’t breathe. I just stood there as Dean took Arabella and Amelia with him. He left us with ridiculous rules. How could I just sit back and live my life like none of this ever happened? This was all too much. I have to go downstairs and fight more, burn creatures and bury my friends and family. How could I do this when I felt numb and dead inside? I looked around and saw Gabe and Kaleigh in the corner talking to one another. I looked over at Bridget and she was balled up on the ground shaking. That poor girl had been through so much. I didn’t think she could take anymore. I needed to find a way to get her out of here and into safety. We’d all been through so much, and it wasn’t over. I wasn’t sure it would ever be over. I felt like my world was crashing down around me and it wouldn’t stop until I was buried in the rubble.
I started to walk to the front when someone came around the corner. I was about to blast when I saw white wings. The angel came around the corner and I gasped. She was beautiful. She was my age, maybe a little older. She had long brown hair with piercing blue eyes. She was covered in blood, and she had gashes and scrapes all over her. She was bleeding from the neck, and her clothes were ripped from
her body.
“Hi, I’m Jewel. I am not here to harm you. I’m just was looking for a hiding spot from those vampires—they bite hard.”
I took her by the hand and walked her toward Kaleigh and the rest. I found a chair and told her to sit. We all just stood there staring at her. She looked away and retracted her wings.
Kaleigh kneeled in front of her and took her hand, and Jewel began to cry. “It’s a blood bath out there. I just watched my husband die right in front of me by one of those winged creatures. They just bit down on his back and ripped his wings out. The blood his blood was everywhere. His last words to me were to run and hide, so here I am.”
Kaleigh wiped her tears away from her face. “We will get you to safety, away from here. Bridget, please come here.” She got up and walked to Kaleigh. “I need you to snap out of it. You need to take Jewel and yourself and fly straight to my parents’ house. Stay there with Arabella. And remember to not leave Ithaca.”
“Okay, I can do that,” she agreed with a determination I hadn’t seen in her since meeting her in that cell.
Bridget took Jewel by the hand and walked toward the whole in the wall. She opened her wings, which were beautiful and pure, and grabbed hold of Jewel and flew out of sight. Right now, I wished that were me flying away from here. Instead, I walked over and looked out the hole in the wall. I hoped Cordelia was safe out there in the real world. I just knew she was lost and confused. I wished I was there to wrap my arms around her in comfort.
“Cam, don’t do this to yourself. Please. We will find her, but right now we need to get downstairs and finish this battle. We need to do this for Lerza, Daniel, and Anna. They gave up their lives to save us. Cordelia won’t do anything stupid; her heart is made of gold.”
“I know, Kaleigh.”
I turned away and started for the door. Once out in the hallway, one of the creatures jumped right on top of me. I struggled to get away from him, but he had a death grip on my shoulders. I pulled my knee up and kicked him in the groin and he hollered in pain. I saw Gabe walk out of the library and grab the creature by his neck. I got up and grabbed a sharp stone from the ground. I jammed it in his eye and pulled down. Blood squirted from his wound. I took the stone out and stabbed him in his heart. He screamed out in more pain and then I heard Gabe snapping his neck. He went limp and fell to the ground.
“Damn, those things are strong.” I stood up and looked down. I was covered in warm sticky blood.
“Cam, are you alright?”
“Yes. Just wish they would stop attacking me.”
I started to walk back down the corridors. I looked back to see that Gabe and Kaleigh were right behind me. Once again, we walked over the dead bodies. The smell was getting worse the longer the bodies were rotting on the ground. Once we got to the stairs, I looked down and blood was everywhere. In the corner, I saw about fifty or more of the white creatures. Then I saw True walking toward them with her teeth bared. I opened my wings and I flew down and knocked her over. I grabbed her by her arms, but dropped her when one of the creatures came from behind and knocked me across the head. I grabbed my head as I started to see double. True ran out of the castle. She would have to wait, because I needed to murder the freaking creature that attacked me. I started to run toward it, ducking as daggers and knives flew past me, left and right. I made it to the creature and he took a swing for me. I ducked and grabbed a dagger off the ground, jabbing it right into his groin. Blood sprayed on me again and he yelled out in pain. I blasted him with the highest volt of lightning. But I didn’t stop there. There were about ten running this way and I blasted them as well. I looked up and saw Kaleigh and Gabe blasting and dodging werewolves. I retracted my wings, picked up a couple more daggers, and ran up the steps. As I got to the fifth step, a vampire appeared in front of me and I stabbed it in the heart without hesitation. I knew it wouldn’t work because it wasn’t wood, but I did see a lantern that was lit above me. I jumped and grabbed it as the vampire was removing the dagger from its chest. I slammed the lantern above its head and he caught fire. I backed up and kicked him off the side rail. He fell to the ground, screaming and crying out. I saw a fallen angel, whom I believed to be Bryce, take a wooded handle of something and stab him in the heart. Blood sprayed from his body and he went limp. I started back up the steps, as one of the wolves was running toward Kaleigh. I sent a bolt and it sent the wolf flying into the air and through a wall.
Then the ground started to shake and the stone walls started to crack. I looked over the side to the first floor and saw her; the High Priestess of Ithaca. She sent up a force field to divide good and evil. She was beautiful with long white hair and a white robe. She raised her hand and said a chant and all the evil creatures fell limp to the ground.
“White creatures and the fallen, take these creatures and put them in the cells below ground. Then I want you all to return to The White City and take cover. There are other evils out there. I just want the rest of you to be safe.” With that, she walked out of the castle. She was always a weird one, but I was glad for her help.
We all went downstairs and helped with the creatures. Once we got them all locked up, they started to wake from the spell. We all ran out of the castle. All I wanted to do was get rest and find Cordelia, but I knew I couldn’t ignore the High Priestess.
“Kaleigh, are you ready to go home?”
She walked over to me and started to cry. “I am so sorry about Cordelia. We will get her back.”
I nodded and then addressed the man I had started to consider a brother. “Gabe, get her back to my parents’ and make sure she gets some rest.”
He slapped my shoulder. “You got it.”
His wings spread across his back, then picked up Kaleigh and they flew into the night air. I walked around the castle and sat on the nearby cliff, looking below at the ocean. The waves crashed along the rocks.
“Cordelia,” I whispered into the dark, hoping my angel would hear me, “please don’t do anything stupid. Hold onto our love.”
I got up, knowing it was time to bury the dead and burn the evil beings. I walked into the castle and my heart broke, as I saw the dead white creatures everywhere. Some were so young. I decided that burying them all would take forever, so I knew what I had to do. I walked around the castle, looking for matches and kerosene. I finally found some in the pantry in the kitchen. I started to pour the kerosene all over. I soaked up all the dead bodies, and as I got to the front of the castle, I lit a match and I threw it. I turned to walk away, not looking back.
Chapter Nineteen
Kaleigh
When Gabe and I got to my parents’ house, I just shut down. Being here was bringing back so many memories from when my parents were alive. I missed them so much and I wished they were here to hold me. I walked around the huge, white living room. My mother loved the color white. She said it was the purest color. I walked to the big glass window and looked out. The sky and ocean was so blue, it looked like they were one. I could see waves off in the distance. It was breathtaking, but I missed The White City.
Still, I remembered the days when my family would stay outside all day. We would have picnics and play all types of games, such as volleyball and soccer. I did miss those moments as a family. Mom and I would be sitting in the sun while Cam played and Dad took pictures. Then we’d switch, and Mom and I would play something while Dad and Cam sat down and sipped lemonade.
I turned to see Gabe was just staring at me. He walked over to me and wrapped me in his arms, which made me cry harder.
“Why, Gabe? Why does this have to happen to us? I really can’t take anymore.”
He kissed the top of my head. “It’s going to be okay; we will get through all of this.”
I looked up to him and pressed my lips to his, and he ran his hands up and down my back. I pulled back and looked at him and laughed.
“Do you even have any clothes?”
He looked at me, confused. “Why do you ask?”
“Because we bot
h need to shower and get cleaned up.”
Then something came to my mind and I started to panic. “Gabe my backpack with the dream catcher—I left it somewhere.”
He kissed my nose. “We will find it, but it the meantime I am going to fly home and shower. Please, you do the same.”
I gave him a hug in departure, but I didn’t want him to leave me. “Please hurry back.”
He nodded and smiled. He started to walk away, but then turned back. “Kay, are you upset that you couldn’t kill Kale yourself and get your revenge?”
I thought about that for a moment, but a moment was all it took for me to know the answer. I walked over to him and sealed my lips to his. After a long kiss, I pulled back slightly and spoke against his lips. “No, because I didn’t need to kill him to get my revnege. When Kale hurt me, I never thought my heart could be whole again or that I could love again. But meeting you changed all of that. I love you, Gabe.”
He smiled and pressed his lips against mine again. “I love you, too, Kaleigh. Because of that, I will gladly be your revenge.”
I chuckled and kissed him again before he flew off.
I walked upstairs and then remembered I didn’t have any clothes here. After Cam and I got our things, we never returned. I hoped my mother’s clothes were still here. I walked to my parents’ bedroom and opened the doors. Their room looked untouched. The big bed was still in the center of the room. The white walls were dingy from age, as were the white dresses. I walked to the closet and opened the doors, happy to see their clothes still hanging there. As I inhaled the scent of my parents, mixed with the scent of moth balls, I walked to my mother’s clothes and pulled down a beautiful pink sundress.
I went into the bathroom that was across the hall from their bedroom. I started the water and got undressed. My body was aching so much from lack of sleep and all the fighting. I stepped into the shower and it felt marvelous as the warm water hit my skin. I got my hair wet and reached for the shampoo that was there. It was a cherry scent; my mother’s favorite. I washed my hair and body, then I slid down to let the water rain on me. I started to cry, again. I hated myself for it, because I knew I needed to be stronger for everyone here. I didn’t want anyone to see me weak like that.
