“Yes. When the academy fell, I was in the greenhouse, and Vesnia was walking with Bryne. He fell off the island, and I caught Vesnia before she did, and then we ran to the gardens, where we got knocked out by falling debris,” Thallon explains, and I meet Vesnia’s eyes.
“Have you seen Bryne where you’ve been?” she desperately asks me. “In fact, where have you been?”
“I’ve seen no one, well, other than a headless ghost,” I reply, and she looks as confused as I feel. “But he couldn’t talk, obviously, so I’ve been alone. It’s so good to see you both and hear you talk…I might have been going a little crazy.”
“Why would they keep you alone only to let you see us now?” Thallon ponders. “Not that I’m complaining, but it doesn’t make sense.”
“The guard told me my trial is tomorrow and this is a kindness to me. They are going to kill me, I know it, and they are letting me say goodbye. It’s the only thing that makes sense,” I say in a panic, feeling fear crawling up my throat and threatening to choke me. Thallon tugs me into his arms, and I snuggle into his neck, trying to relax on his chest.
“That won’t happen,” he swears, but we both know he can’t promise me anything. We are in the city of the angels...and we are playing by their rules now.
Chapter 52
Vesnia stirs on the floor, mumbling something in her sleep before settling down as I rest my head on Thallon’s chest, listening to his heartbeat. Rather quickly after I was taken to the clearing, an alarm went off and we were made to go to our rooms, with the threat of death if we didn’t. Thallon quickly explained he and Vesnia share a room for safety, and the other vampires have done the same thing. Pairing up seemed the logical move. But Vesnia insisted we take the bed, while she took the makeshift bed, which was made on the floor when we came in. Other than having a bigger bathroom and more than one towel, the room is pretty much the same as I had. I’m so happy Thallon has protected Vesnia for me; I couldn’t stand if something happened to either of them. Knowing I might not have long left in my life, every second I get to spend with one of the men I love is something I will cherish.
“What do you think is going to happen tomorrow?” I whisper to Thallon, and he tightens his arms around me.
“I don’t know, and I hate that. I’ve always been powerless, and it has never once bothered me until right now. I should have chosen a side and become an angel,” he bitterly states, and I lift my head, watching him through the dim light shining in from outside. “I could save you if I was an angel right now.”
“But you never wanted the light or dark,” I remind him, cupping his cheek. “It’s okay to not choose. You don’t have to be something because the world tells you that you should be.”
“Maybe,” he softly replies, but I get the sense he doesn’t quite believe it. He reaches up and strokes his hand down my wing, and they flutter from the touch.
“You’re half-angel. Half of them, and they can’t kill you for being half-vampire when it wasn’t what you chose,” he suggests, but we both know it isn’t true.
“But I did choose Ren and to be his mate. I did choose the vampires, and the light above knows it,” I whisper back, bringing up another thought. Thallon, Henry, Ren and Myles...I can’t choose between them, but I have no idea how they each feel about this all. Like Thallon can read my thoughts, he tenderly presses his lips to my forehead. “I choose to be at your side, and I want you protected and loved. The others are good men, and I see how they look at you. I’m happy as long as you are, and you wouldn’t be with them if they weren’t good for you.”
“Is it selfish that the idea of you touching another woman makes me feel so angry and jealous?” I ask him, and he shrugs. “Yet I’m asking you to share me with other men.”
“Who cares but us? I just want you; you never have to worry about anyone else,” he softly tells me and kisses me gently before pulling away, both of us well aware we aren’t alone. I rest my head back down on his chest, and he rubs his thumb in circles on my hip as suddenly I hear a distant sound...that sounds like singing. It’s not a song, just a prayer of some kind, and it’s very melodic.
“They sing every night around now. The city of the angels always sings,” Thallon whispers to me. The song mixes in with the sounds of crying nearby, the wails of the vampires hurting my heart with how hopeless they sound. “Even when the vampires weep, Neamh sings of hope.”
I don’t have a response to him, and I know his words will forever haunt my soul.
Morning light flickers into the room as the sun rises, kissing our bodies as we lie on the bed. I sit up, leaning over Thallon as he sleeps peacefully.
“He hasn’t slept this well in a long time,” Vesnia whispers to me, and I turn to see her by the door. “He calls for you every night.”
“If they kill me, you will look after him, right?” I quietly ask, and she meets my eyes.
“They will not kill you, and if they do, this city will burn. We will never stop until we have revenge,” Vesnia says strongly. “The vampires will avenge you because you are Ren’s queen. I’ve spoken to so many of them, and they all feel the same way. They may not understand you, but in their eyes, you are on their side and not the angels’.”
A warning bell rings once just before at least four angels land outside our room. Thallon wakes up with a jolt and quickly wraps his arms around me.
“Make this easy, or they will be hurt. Come out, it is time,” a guard demands, and they make space for me to stand in the middle of them, but their hands rest on their swords. I lean up and kiss Thallon, pouring everything unsaid between us into the kiss, knowing he will understand.
“I love you,” I tell him, hoping how scared I am doesn’t sink into my words. This might possibly be the last time we see each other, and I don’t want for him to see me scared. Gods, give me the strength to be brave. He rests his forehead against mine and takes a deep breath.
“They will not kill you, and I love you too,” he whispers. “I will love you forever, Kaitlyn Lightson.”
Letting him go is harder than I ever thought possible, and it hurts in my chest when I step back and hold my head high as I walk over to the angels. They surround me as two hands grip my upper arms, and they fly us up out of the prisons and above the city. Holy angels…Neamh is beautiful. We are in a castle, a huge castle right in the centre, and the walls look like they are made of pearls, the bright white reflecting across the white buildings spread across the city. Angels and winged horses fly around the city made of pure white, everything from the trees to the pebbled streets and cottages on the outskirts of the city, before they hit the deep forests. White blossom blows around the city in the warm air, and it almost brings a tear to my eyes, taking in how beautiful it is. I notice the sun seems so close, so warm as it shines down on the city, and it doesn’t look like there is a single barrier around the city like there was on the academy. We land on a flat roof branded with five circles made of burn marks, and the angels shove me into one.
“Stand still and don’t move,” the guard next to me demands and lets me go before stepping back. I do as they ask, mainly because I don’t see a way out of this, and suddenly white light blasts around me, making a circle surrounding my feet. As quickly as it appears, it’s gone, and I’m no longer on the roof but in a room full of floating black seats that look like goddamn thrones. Sitting in them are angels who look like fossils. Quite literally. I gulp as I look at each of them and how they all look about the same age as Gabriel, with grey hair cut in the same way as each other, short and tidy, and they each have cloaks covering them. The cloaks are a dark green colour, with collars made of white wings with black tips fanning out from their necks, making their heads look like they are resting on crowns.