The Angel Trials- The Complete Series

by Michelle Madow

  “It will,” he said. “And Princess Ana was in the Vale for much longer than that. Which means—”

  “I must have been working with someone,” I cut him off, the pieces quickly coming together in my mind. “And that person was able to get me fresh royal vampire blood to drink each day.”

  11

  Raven

  “Bingo.” The corner of Thomas’s lip curved up into a small smile. “For a human, you’re much quicker to catch onto all of this than I anticipated.”

  “Apparently I’ve been through all of this before.” I leaned back into the sofa and sighed, purposefully ignoring his jab at my being a human.

  “You have,” he said. “But I can’t imagine which vampire royal would do this, or what their motives would be. It makes no sense.”

  “Do you have more videos from my time in the Vale?” I asked. “Maybe we’ll get answers there.”

  “I do,” he said. “As you saw, this winter Prince Jacen had vampire princesses from the different kingdoms come to the Vale in a competition for his hand in marriage. Queen Laila decided it would be fun to broadcast the competition throughout the Vale—like a reality show. I have footage from all the broadcasts.”

  “How?” I asked. “I mean, you said it was only broadcasted to the Vale. So how do you have it here, in Chicago?”

  His eyes gleamed with mischief. “I have my ways,” he answered, clearly not wanting to give any more information than that. “Anyway, Princess Ana made it to the final two in the competition, so she was in it until the end. I have enough footage of her to keep you entertained until the effects of my blood wear off.”

  “You mean I almost married the prince of the Vale?” I frowned, unable to imagine myself with anyone other than Noah. Despite how attractive Prince Jacen looked in the footage I saw of him, the knowledge that I might have been intimate with him and then had those memories wiped made me feel dirty, like there were bugs crawling all over my skin.

  I rubbed my hands over my arms, but it didn’t help me feel better.

  “Yes.” Thomas nodded and rubbed his chin. “I’m not sure what would have happened if Jacen had chosen you. I can only suspect that the vampire royal you were working with had a mission they wanted you to complete in the Vale. The only way to figure out what that mission was is to find out which royal you were working for.”

  “You’ll help me do that?” I asked.

  “No.” He chuckled and sat back, like I was a pet that had amused him. “It wouldn’t benefit me to potentially make an enemy of another royal vampire by sticking my nose in his or her business. This is something you’ll have to figure out on your own.”

  I nodded, my mind already wandering to the many other problems this new revelation could have for me. “Sage, Noah, and I are heading to Avalon,” I said slowly, dread creeping into my stomach. “Prince Jacen is there. When he sees me, he’ll recognize me. Not as me, but as Princess Ana.”

  “He will,” Thomas said. “As will everyone else in the Vale, which is where you need to go to get vetted and transported to Avalon.”

  “I’ll need to disguise myself.” I sat forward, the perfect idea popping into my mind—thanks to everything Sage and Noah had taught me during our drives. “I can take transformation potion before getting to the Vale. Then, once I’m in Avalon, I can reveal myself to Prince Jacen and tell him the truth about everything. I bet he’ll want to figure out who was behind this just as badly as I do.”

  “I’d say so,” Thomas said. “It’s not a bad plan, little human. Good job.”

  I huffed—I hated when supernaturals called me “human” instead of referring to me by my actual name.

  I would have said something to put him in his place if a more important realization hadn’t come to me at the same time.

  “I’m confused about something,” I said instead.

  “Given everything you’ve been through, I’m sure you’re confused about many things,” he said.

  I glared at him, annoyed that he kept talking down to me. Being human didn’t make me less than him or any other supernatural, and I wasn’t going to let it slide again. “Given what I’ve been through, I think I’m handling everything pretty well,” I said, throwing his words right back in his face. “I’ve done a lot despite having no supernatural abilities. Including slaying a demon with a weapon that nearly killed me, in case you’ve already forgotten about that.”

  He said nothing, which I figured was as much of an agreement as I was going to get from him. I also figured it meant I could continue with my question.

  “Prince Jacen was holding a competition to choose a vampire princess from another kingdom to marry,” I said, returning to where we’d left off. “I came in second place—which means he chose one of the other princesses. But Noah and Sage told me that Jacen’s in a relationship with the Earth Angel in charge of Avalon. Annika.”

  “That’s all true,” Thomas confirmed.

  “So what happened to the vampire princess he chose as his bride?”

  “Princess Karina,” he said, as if I should recognize the name. I didn’t. “She fled from the palace after Annika killed Queen Laila. But I’m sure Noah can tell you far more about her than I can.”

  “Why?” My stomach swirled. From the dark tone in Thomas’s voice, I didn’t have a good feeling about where he was going with this.

  “Because Noah used to go by another name—the First Prophet of the Vale.” From the way Thomas smirked, I had a feeling he’d been waiting to tell me this since getting me into this room. “He lived in the Vale and worked with a powerful witch to lead the wolves there to war against the vampires. When Karina fled the palace, she ran straight into Noah’s arms—and she stood by him until the witch cast the spell that opened the Hell Gate and released the demons upon the Earth.”

  12

  Raven

  “You’re lying,” I said. “Noah hates demons. There’s no way he would do that.”

  “Why would I lie about this?” He gave me an innocent look that I was positive meant he was enjoying this.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “But I know Noah. He wants to get to Avalon more than anything, so he can join the Earth Angel’s army and defeat the demons for good.”

  “Are you sure that’s why he’s going to Avalon?” he asked.

  “Why else would he be going to Avalon?” I clenched my fists, getting angry now. Thomas was talking about Noah like he knew him. But he didn’t. I was the one who’d been traveling with Noah for over a week. It didn’t sound like much, but during that time, we’d barely been apart. Noah was honorable and good. Despite how frustrating he could be, he’d proven that his heart was in the right place on multiple occasions.

  But he was also secretive. He never talked about his past, and whenever I asked him about it, he clammed up.

  He was hiding something from me. I couldn’t deny it.

  But surely it couldn’t be something as awful as what Thomas had claimed?

  “He could be going so he can take Avalon down from the inside,” Thomas casually threw the idea out there, like he wasn’t also saying that he thought Noah was a terrible person. “The Earth Angel’s army is the best chance we have at defeating the demons. Take down her army, and once the demons strike, they’ll be unstoppable.”

  “Noah wouldn’t do that,” I insisted. “Destroying the demons is everything to him. And even if you were right—which you aren’t—one man couldn’t take down the Earth Angel’s entire army from the inside. It would be a suicide mission.”

  “You’d be surprised by what one man can do when he has enough drive to succeed,” Thomas said knowingly. “And from what I’ve heard about the First Prophet, he’s quite skilled at influencing those around him. Look at him now—he has you and Sage believing his every word. If he were human, I’d think his ability of influence was a gift from the gods. But as a born shifter, it’s simply a honed skill. An impressive skill, but only a skill.”

  “You’re lying,” I said again. />
  Unfortunately, the more Thomas told me, the more I wondered what exactly Noah had been keeping from me. It had to do with where he was from. I knew that much.

  But it couldn’t be what Thomas had said—about Noah helping a witch open the Hell Gate. That was too awful to think about.

  “You don’t believe that as strongly as before,” he observed.

  I narrowed my eyes at him, annoyed at him for reading me so well. “If what you’re saying is true—which I don’t think it is—then it doesn’t make any sense,” I said, trying to work through this logically. “The demons want to kill all supernaturals—including shifters.”

  “They do,” he confirmed.

  “So why would Noah release the demons from Hell when they want to kill his entire species?”

  “I don’t know.” Thomas glanced at his watch. “But I requested this private audience with you because I thought you were Princess Ana. Since your memory has been wiped, there’s nothing more I can learn from you now. So it’s time I leave for my date with Sage. We’ll be gone for long enough for you to confront the First Prophet yourself.”

  “Seriously?” I asked. “You think Noah is this evil First Prophet who released the demons from Hell and is going to Avalon to destroy the Earth Angel’s army from the inside, and you’re just… letting us hang out in your penthouse?”

  “Yep,” he said.

  “Well, you must not think he’s that dangerous if you’re leaving him alone here,” I challenged.

  “The Bettencourt is more secure than a prison.” He stood up and adjusted a button on his suit jacket. “No one’s getting out of here unless I let them out.”

  “So you’re trapping us here.” I stood up as well, not wanting to let him tower over me. He was tall, so he still towered over me, but not as much as he would have if I’d remained sitting.

  “That’s one way of looking at it,” he said.

  “There’s another way?” I didn’t bother keeping the sarcasm from my tone.

  “There’s always more than one way of looking at things,” he said. “In this case, it’s that I’m keeping you here for your own protection.”

  “That’s a load of crap and you know it.” I scoffed. “If we can’t leave without your permission, then we’re prisoners here, plain and simple.”

  He watched me for a few seconds, neither of us saying a word. I pressed my lips together, determined not to stand down.

  “I like you, Raven,” he finally said. “I didn’t think I would, but you’re fiery. You say what’s on your mind. It’s refreshing.”

  I hadn’t been expecting that, and the sudden turn of the conversation left me speechless.

  “On that note, I’m off on my date with Sage,” he said. “Enjoy your time with your boyfriend while we’re gone. I’ll send him in. You clearly have a lot to discuss.”

  The door opened without Thomas having to touch it, and he zipped out of the room before I could say another word.

  I stared at the open doorway, nervous to see Noah. Up until now, I’d never doubted that he was the good guy. A hero.

  But after what Thomas had said, I had an awful feeling that whatever Noah was hiding from me was worse than I’d imagined.

  And that maybe the line between good and evil wasn’t as clear as it had originally appeared.

  13

  Thomas

  The information I’d gotten from Raven was fascinating, to say the least. It made me wonder—had a vampire royal been working with the Earth Angel to assassinate Laila, the previous queen of the Vale? The timing of Princess Ana infiltrating the palace and Laila’s assassination couldn’t have been a coincidence.

  With some digging, I could likely get to the bottom of which royal vampire was behind this. Then I could use what I knew to my advantage.

  For now, I’d keep the information where it was safest—to myself.

  I passed Noah on my way out of the media room. “You’re free to go to your girlfriend now,” I told him. “She’s going to have lots of questions.”

  Noah nodded and made his way to the room where Raven was waiting.

  I couldn’t wait to see how that discussion would play out. Like everywhere else in the Bettencourt, each room in my penthouse was outfitted with microscopic cameras. I wouldn’t be able to watch Noah and Raven’s conversation live—I had more important matters to attend to—but I planned on watching the recording later.

  For now, I entered my bedroom. When the door shut behind me, I reached for my cell phone to call Flint.

  Sage’s brother knew that Sage, Noah, and Raven were going to be arriving at the Bettencourt. How he knew was another question—one I didn’t know the answer to—but he knew. And he’d insisted—no, begged—that once they arrived, I did whatever it took to get Sage back to the Montgomery compound in LA. He’d given me this whole story about how Sage had been brainwashed by the First Prophet into following him on his mission to kill demons, and that if she didn’t get back to LA soon, she’d be left out of an important alliance that Flint was making to ensure the safety of the Montgomery pack.

  It sounded compelling, especially because I’d do anything to ensure Sage’s safety. I’d bring her back to LA myself in a heartbeat if I thought Flint was telling the truth.

  There were a bunch of clues that made me suspect he was lying. But mainly, I knew Sage. She wasn’t the type to be brainwashed, even by the First Prophet. She was traveling with him for a reason.

  I was taking her on our date tonight so I could discover exactly what that reason was.

  But first, I needed to talk to her brother.

  I waited as the call went through. Every room in my penthouse was equipped with the best sound blocking technology on the market. Some that wasn’t even on the market yet. No one would be able to hear what I was saying in here—not even a supernatural.

  Flint picked up on the third ring.

  “You have my sister?” he asked.

  “I do,” I confirmed. “She came straight to my doorstep, just like you told me.”

  “Of course she did,” Flint said. “My source wouldn’t lie.”

  “What source is that?” I asked casually. Truth be told, I was dying to know what sort of intel Flint had at his disposal. But I knew better than to act like I cared too much, which was why I kept it casual.

  “That’s for me to know,” Flint said. “And for you to maybe find out if you get Sage back to LA safely.”

  It was a good thing this wasn’t a video call, because I needed to roll my eyes after hearing how childish Flint sounded.

  “She only just arrived,” I said calmly. “I’m working on it.”

  “What’s there to work on?” He sounded just as erratic as he had the last time we talked. “Can’t you just drug her, stick her on that plane of yours, and have her here in a few hours?”

  I frowned at the notion of drugging Sage and sending her anywhere against her will.

  The fact that Flint wanted me to do that to her made me question again what he was truly up to.

  “Be patient,” I said. “You told me you had a week until you needed her back. If you want her to come to you willingly—which you should, since Sage can hold one hell of a grudge—you’ll let me do this my way.”

  “Once Sage is back, she won’t care how she got here—she’ll just be grateful she’s safe.” Flint growled. “You better stick to your promise to get her home. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

  “Are you threatening me?” The question was rhetorical—he obviously was. And I had no intention of letting him think I was going to let that fly.

  “If you don’t bring Sage to me within a week, I’ll be forced to go through with this alliance without her, due to a blood oath I made,” he said. “If that happens, Sage won’t be safe and the demons will come for her sooner rather than later.”

  “You’re not making sense, Flint.” If I was a less patient man, I might have lost my temper on him by now. “What do the demons want with Sage?”

&
nbsp; “Once I’ve made this alliance, the demons will hear of it,” he said darkly. “They’ll go after any member of the Montgomery pack who remains unprotected. If Sage isn’t protected, she’ll be first on their hit list since she’s so close to me.”

  “Sage is protected,” I said, since I’d do anything to keep her safe—even if that meant giving up everything I’d built here in Chicago and going with her to the Haven. “Or do you doubt me that much?”

  “If I doubted you, I wouldn’t have come to you,” he said. “Speaking of, how’s it going with the First Prophet and his pet human? I assume they’re already taken care of?”

  “I’m in the process of it as we speak,” I said.

  “How is that not done already?” Flint growled again. “The First Prophet is dangerous. He should have been killed immediately.”

  “You must not know me if you think I’d kill anyone before squeezing all the information out of them that I can.” I chuckled. “They’ll be handled soon. No need to worry about that.”

  “Don’t take too long,” he said. “And don’t underestimate them. The longer they’re there, the more chances they’ll have to escape.”

  “The only person who decides who comes and goes from here is me,” I said. “They sealed their fates the moment they walked through my doors.”

  “True, true,” Flint agreed. “Kill them at your convenience. But bring Sage to me before the week is up. If you don’t you’ll regret it.”

  He hung up, and I stared at my phone in shock.

  I was doing Flint a favor by getting Sage back home. Who did he think he was by hanging up on me?

  My initial urge was to call him back, tell him just that, and call off our agreement.

  But I took a deep breath, centering myself. Giving into emotional urges might feel good in the moment, but I didn’t get to where I was today by acting on impulses. I had to stay in control. Sage’s involvement in this stirred up emotions I wasn’t used to feeling, but control would allow me to play the long game and come out on top.