Fractured Angel (The Fall Book 2)

by J. J. Dean

  Looking around quickly, I flinch when the scratching and chaos outside reaches my eardrums, the telltale signs that I don't have much time to find my girl and Devon and bolt from here. I search the direction Ash and I went looking for answers, finding it as empty as before. Switching directions, I head the way Devon and Luna went, hoping my luck wins out and I find them in the security office. Luck is never on my side when I really need it to be.

  Finding the room empty, I start to panic, having no idea where the hell they could be. I run back through the corridors, my head whipping around in jerky movements as I look for the two. It's then I spot an escalator with a sign above it pointing towards a lounge and stores.

  I take the steps two at a time, rushing up the moving machine quickly, and restart my search, practically wrecking the place when I don't find them anywhere. Where the hell has Devon hidden her?

  I kick a table out of my way in frustration, my hands finding my hair and fisting it tightly. I hear a faint crash, and my panic grows tenfold, worry for Luna and my brother doubling in size. It wasn't possible for me to barricade the entire building, nor was it a possibility for me to block every window in this place when there are so fucking many of them.

  Frantically looking around, I spot a door on the far end of the lounge with an exit sign above it. The door sits slightly ajar, a flickering light slithering its way out of the crack. Taking a shot in the dark, I run toward it, sliding along the smooth floor and crashing into the wall when I get close enough. I swing the door open, finding a set of stairs and a small piece of cloth on the floor that had been keeping the door open.

  Jogging up the stairs, I reach another door, only for it to open at the rooftop of the airport. In a whisper, I yell, "Devon? Where the fuck are you?"

  I crouch low, scouring the rooftop for the missing angels. When I turn left, I see a flash of silver hidden in a metal container. The sound of screeching and growling is louder up here, but I practically crawl towards the container and find a dazed Luna sitting inside, her eyes as bright as a beacon in the night. A sigh of relief leaves the depths of my lungs, and I pull her out of the container.

  With Luna in my arms, I scan my surroundings, finding Devon near the edge peeking over to see the nightmare down below. I hurry towards him, dropping Luna in my lap, and whisper, "We need to go. It's going to get worse. Pretty sure they've broken through the windows."

  He turns his head and looks at me briefly, a flicker of pity flashing in his eyes before it's gone in a heartbeat. I don't like that look, but we don't have time to be snappy over stupid shit right now.

  "What?" I ask.

  His jaw clenches and his eyes begin to glow a deep emerald color that's several shades darker than his real eye color. "I have a way to get us out of here, but you're not going to like it."

  I make a gesture, raising my eyebrows. He stares at me for a moment before large white wings spring from his back and split his shirt in half. Under the little light up here, I can see they're tinted with streaks of emerald, and a pang of envy rushes through me.

  It disappears when the dickhead says, "I'm going to have to fly us out of here."

  Chapter 28

  Noah

  I've been searching for half an hour since separating from the others, and I haven't found a single animal out here. Brutus has been close to my side, whining every now and then, but he hasn’t budged from my leg, brushing up against my side as we walk. It's strange. I know the UK isn't exactly brimming with wildlife, but surely there should be an owl or two sitting in the trees above, or a rat scurrying through the foliage. Yet there's nothing.

  When Luna was talking to Devon, I thought it best to confide in Eli and Asher. I wasn't sure if they were already aware or had guessed, but I told them about my second ability since they were already fully aware of my power to create things. I have the power of Animancy, which allows me to influence and control animals, speaking to them on a level no other being can speak to any kind of animal. It doesn't matter how large or small; I'm able to communicate and manipulate them.

  Eli and Asher thought it might come in handy, giving me the job of checking the wildlife around the airport to see if there might be any clues to Ms. Frenchie's whereabouts hidden in the minds of small critters. It was a unanimous vote for Brutus to come with me since we’ve been on the plane for hours, and he likely needed to stretch his legs. Half an hour later finds me wandering through the trees looking for animals that simply aren't here, which is highly unusual.

  Deciding I'm not going to find anything out here, more so since it's dark enough that I can barely see my own feet in front of me, I turn back and begin walking the way I came, expertly navigating the greenery that's shrouded the right side of the airport with the dog hot on my heels.

  Just as I make my way to the treeline, there's a rustling noise. Turning my head to the left, I see nothing, finding the same when I look right. I keep still, listening to my surroundings, only to hear the rustling louder than before and somewhat faster.

  I make to move closer to the treeline, hiding in the shadows but close enough to see the airport from where I stand. Before I can take more than three steps, the massive dog decides now is the time to turn and bolt away from me, away from the airport.

  “Brutus?!” I whisper yell, watching the large dog bound away so fast he’s nothing but a blur in the darkness. Of course, I would lose the dog again. Luna will no doubt kill me this time.

  Deciding I’ll look for him later, I turn to face the airport once more. The moment my eyes adjust to the lights coming from the building, I find the source of the strange noise I’d heard before. It's the sound of a small army of Hellspawn running towards the airport, their shoes scuffing the concrete and grass as they go. What is happening right now?

  I creep closer, sticking to the shadows but allowing myself a closer look at the horde that now tightly surrounds the building the others are now trapped in. I look for any signs of openings, a way to sneak into the airport undetected, and find none, the horde of monsters blocking every escape route. They shouldn't be that organized. At least, they haven't been when they've attacked us before. These all look as if they're waiting for a signal before charging.

  Keeping to the trees, I try to think of a way to get to the others. It's a little difficult when the one power that could be helpful is no use since there aren't any animals around. It's then that I realize it's because of the Hellspawn that every animal that should be around has fled. My other ability isn't of much use either since I can only recreate things I've previously seen.

  As I stand here feeling the most helpless and useless I've felt since coming to Earth, the whole horde begins to move. It's slow at first, like a crowd of zombies sniffing out the first scent of human flesh. It takes some time for them all to start moving, but when they do, their movements grow wild and uncontrolled, many climbing over others to get to what they're chasing.

  Deciding it's better to get closer and find a way in the building rather than stand here like an idiot, I’m making a move toward the building when a figure forms out of the darkness. Without a weapon and effectively powerless, I back away slowly, hoping I can keep hidden enough until I can run through the woods, lose whoever's creeping in the shadows, and return to Luna.

  A heaving sigh escapes me when Asher's form fades from the darkness, shadows dancing around him before retracting entirely. I don't move immediately, the relief weighing me to the spot I've found myself stuck in.

  "Noah?" Asher whispers, searching through the trees, keeping quiet as he looks.

  I step out from the trees and whisper, "Over here."

  His head darts towards me, his face forming into one of visible relief. He strides towards me on surprisingly light feet and breathes, "Thank fuck. I wasn't prepared to admit that you could be dead."

  "Thanks. I think?" I reply, not really sure how to take that but deciding to be grateful since it seems he was concerned enough to worry about my life status.

  "Look, we nee
d to get back to the airport. Eli is fighting off those ugly bastards, but Devon and Luna are still hiding in the building. We've got to get them out," Asher tells me quietly, watching the fight break out near the entrance to the building.

  A large split tears the earth apart, shaking the ground with its force. Fire is being thrown around, incinerating every monster that gets close enough while the gaping hole in the ground swallows a great deal of the Hellspawn.

  "That would be my brother," Asher comments, sounding both proud and worried as the shaking subsides and we steady our footing.

  "How long will that last?" I question, watching as flames scorch a handful of Hellspawn as more fall into another angel-made split in the ground.

  Asher looks around and curses under his breath. "Not long if that's anything to go by."

  He points in the direction he's staring at, and I turn my head, feeling sick when I see another wave of monsters barreling towards the airport without finesse or control.

  "Alright, we need to figure out how we're going to get in there without getting killed. Then we need to work out how we're getting back the fuck out of there," Asher tells me, determination morphing his features. It's a dangerous look, especially when it feels as though he's ready and willing to run through the Hellspawn to get to the building.

  Unwilling to risk him dying on a fool’s mission, I'm about to tell him to give me a minute to think of something when a loud crash breaks my thoughts, and I turn to see the front of the airport building crumble on itself, blocking the entrance from the Hellspawn and keeping them out.

  "That should give us some time to think of a way to get in and out without being slaughtered," I tell Asher, standing shoulder to shoulder with him as we watch the destruction, cement and metal piling on top of rubble with the force of the demolition. "Do we know where in the building Luna and Devon are?"

  Ash shakes his head and mutters, "No. We didn't have time to think that far ahead. Told Dev to run with Luna, and that was it."

  Confused, I give him a look and say, "You didn't ask Luna to run and Devon to stay and fight?"

  Realization crosses his face and he groans, looking at me with the worry I only heard flashing in his eyes. "Something happened to Luna when she and Devon were looking for the security room. She's not all that with it right now; her eyes are whacked out, and she can't even stand without toppling back over. Devon's had to carry her around with him."

  My heart practically stops in my chest, and the panic that rises in my body almost sends me sprawling to the ground. "You mean to tell me there is a small army of monsters breaking down the windows to get into a building in which the angel we're doing a terrible job at protecting is hiding. The very angel who is currently incapacitated and being carried around like dead weight by the only angel out of all of us who can make weaponry? While another angel just got himself stuck in the very same building that's surrounded? Did I miss anything?"

  Asher clears his throat, wincing when there's a loud crash and the telltale sign of glass smashing in the distance. "Nope. You got everything."

  How did this happen? Hellspawn arrived only half an hour after us. Lucifer must have been expecting us to arrive today which would mean he’s been keeping an eye on us and we’ve had no clue. I can feel my heart thundering in my chest, the panic and terror-filled worry for Luna clamping on my chest like an iron vise.

  "How are we going to get in there?" I ask, my mind reeling over Luna being in as much danger as she is and the heart clamping knowledge that she's defenseless and trapped.

  "I can get in easily. I'll use the shadows. No idea how you can get in there, though," Asher answers, sending me a worried look.

  Just as I open my mouth to think up a plan, Asher slaps a hand over my chest. On a groan, he tells me, "Doesn't look like we need a plan."

  I follow the direction he's pointing, my eyes scanning the darkened sky. I shake my head, not seeing what I'm supposed to be seeing. That is until I see the flash of white and a figure standing on the edge of the roof of the airport. There's another figure behind the first, a little darker but noticeable nonetheless. It takes me a minute, but I realize I'm looking at Devon standing, his wings spread wide, with Eli just behind him holding a motionless Luna in his arms.

  Suddenly, the urge to slap myself overcomes me. "I could have flown up there."

  "Yeah, I just got that," Asher pokes, rolling his eyes and then concentrating on the angel balancing precariously on the edge of the building. I can feel my cheeks grow warm, evidence of my embarrassment. I don't even understand how I accomplished forgetting the most integral part of my being. Who forgets they have wings? I'm grateful it's too dark to see my red cheeks.

  "How is he going to get them both down?" I question quietly, diverting us both from my stupidity and knowing the two will be too heavy to carry down alone. Asher doesn't hear me, so he doesn't reply, leaving my question lingering in the air.

  I watch and wait, wondering how Devon will pull off getting two wingless angels off the roof when there's a loud crash, a great deal of clattering, and the swarm of Hellspawn suddenly infiltrating the airport, clambering over one another to gain access to the building. Devon's time has just been cut short, and the worry I've been feeling turns into full-blown fear. My anxiety is through the proverbial roof, and I quickly grow restless, my nerves completely shot.

  There's another loud crash, and suddenly the horde finds themselves tumbling onto the roof. Instinct takes over, and I tear the shirt and tee over my head, throwing them to the ground. Driven by fear and worry, I bolt toward the airport, my wings bursting free from just beneath my shoulder blades. The weight is comforting, the feeling of my heavy weighted wings familiar.

  I fasten my pace, my legs carrying me while I flap my wings until I gain enough momentum to dart into the air. As fast as lightning, I dart towards the rooftop, circling quickly as I search for the three, spotting them on the furthest end to where the door to the roof is positioned.

  Devon and Eli look up, relief crossing both of their features. I circle closer and yell, "Eli! On my signal, throw Luna in the air. I'll catch her."

  He nods quickly, holding Luna in a way that will be easy to launch her in the air. A loud bang echoes in the silence of the night, and I don't have to look to see the Hellspawn have arrived.

  Swooping low, I shout, "NOW!", watching Eli bend his knees and throw Luna as high as he can.

  She goes soaring in the sky, her lifeless body floating for a brief moment before she begins her descent. I dart towards her, my wings doubling their efforts and gaining more speed with every swoop. Just in the nick of time, I catch her in my arms, vaguely hearing Devon snap at Eli, "Suck it the fuck up and jump, or I'm leaving you here to be mauled by monsters."

  I don't hear the rest of the conversation, jostling Luna in my arms until she's settled tightly against my chest as I fly back to where Asher is pacing through the shadows.

  Lowering myself to the ground, my wings disturb the dirt, causing Asher to cover his eyes. I land with ease, my feet touching the ground just as Luna stirs. Her eyes are still wide open, the silver glow pulsing almost to the same rhythm as her steady heartbeat.

  A moment later, Devon drops to the ground, a tumbling Eli rolling over the ground until he crashes into the front of Asher's legs. He groans, curling in on himself for a moment. "Never doing that again. Fucking hell."

  After a little more rolling around and groaning in pain, Devon snaps, "Get off the floor. We need to leave before we're found again. I, for one, don't want to go through all of that again, so let's get out of here."

  Luna stirs once more, but she doesn't snap out of the strange state she's in, remaining loose-limbed and lifeless in my arms. I tug her closer to my chest, too worried to let go of her right now.

  "Devon's right. We should go. I'm going to see if I can find at least one of our bags, and then we're going to find a different hotel to stay at. I don't trust the one Luna booked for us anymore. Not after all of that." Asher jerks
a thumb behind him before offering a hand to his brother and yanking on his arm until he's standing upright, a little worse for wear. The moment Eli is standing, Asher begins to fade into the shadows, muttering, "Give me five minutes, then we're ditching this place."

  Not a second later, he vanishes entirely, swallowed up by the darkness. The remaining four of us wait around, antsy and on edge. Eli begins to pace a circle around Devon and me, varying his gaze between looking in the direction of the shadows Asher vanished through and to the building overrun by monsters.

  "Got three bags. Lost the others. Let's bounce," Asher says from behind me. I flinch, my hold loosening on Luna before I tighten my hands on her. Eli and Devon twist around in shock, but I hear a visible sigh of relief from Eli. "Luna's is safe, and I managed to find Noah's and mine. We'll have to make do with that."

  Then we all nod, and Eli says, "Alright. Luna's cell was in her bag. I'll look for a new hotel, and we'll head there for the night so she can get over whatever is going on with her right now. As soon as she's awake, we'll move hotels again just in case."

  "Sounds good," I mutter, looking over Luna's blank face. Strands of her hair have fallen out of her braids, curled around her ears and neck. Other than that, she looks just the same as she did when we split up.

  "Got one. I'll lead the way. Let's move," Eli says, locking the cell and sliding it into his back pocket. He takes off through the trees, and we all amble after him, the other two sticking close to my side and back since I'm the one holding the most precious thing on Earth. At least, she is to us anyway.

  Chapter 29

  Luna

  The brightness in my vision finally begins to dim, the headache it's caused me for the last however long finally ebbing away. My body still feels heavy and uncooperative, but at least the feeling has come back. I can feel the soft blankets underneath my body, the large shirt I'm wearing, and the fluffy pillow beneath my head.