Page 65 of Dark Wings

“Ariella!” Levi called after me.

“There’s nowhere to run, traitor!” the angel shouted. “We’ll find you and—” He groaned as Levi landed a hit on him.

I didn’t stop to look; I didn’t want to be a witness to this anymore.

Before I left the room, a hand closed around my arm and pulled me back. “Ariella, you have to understand?—”

I faced him. “There’s nothing to understand. You’re a demon. This is what you do. But …” I sucked in a sharp breath. I didn’t want to be a part of this, I couldn’t. “Let me go.”

“You shouldn’t be out there by yourself.” He sounded mad and that didn’t help his cause. “It’s dangerous.”

I jerked my arm free. “What do you care? Are you afraid of getting hurt if I do?”

“Sweetheart—”

I screamed. “Let me go!” I pulled on my arm again, and this time I got free. “And don’t come after me!”

20

Desperation clawed inside my chest as I ran out of the building into a deserted parking lot and cloudy skies. I inhaled deeply, trying to cleanse my mind. I wanted to forget it, pretend I had never seen it.

If I still had my magic, I would have fought Levi, immobilized him, and freed the angel. But as it was, I wasn’t strong enough to fight, and if I tried to free the angel with brute force, Levi would overpower me.

I did what any coward would do. I walked away.

The building, clearly now an abandoned plant, was lonely on a rural road in the middle of nowhere. I pulled up my phone and checked the map app—we were around Lost Hills, California

Following the road, a couple of miles down, there was a small town.

I glanced at the car in the parking lot. Apparently, while I was out, Levi hadn’t just captured an angel. He had gone back to the diner and retrieved the car with our stuff.

I could take the car and go to the small town … and do what?

I didn’t know.

All I knew was that being near Levi was giving me whiplash. One second, he was sweet and charming, and I could almost see the goodness in him. The next, he was a demon.

It was confusing and scary.

I could go, but what good would that do? Because of the damn bond, I would make Levi suffer and he would have to follow me.

Unless I broke the bond.

I still didn’t have my wings and my revenge, but I knew the collector’s name, I knew where he lived. I could get there by myself.

How would I get my wings back? I had no idea, but I was certain I could figure something out.

I unlocked my phone and called Hazel.

She answered in two rings. “Ariella, holy shit, finally! I was so worried.”

I frowned. We had lots of friends in common, but Hazel barely knew me. Why did she care?

“I’m okay,” I said, my voice tight. “I’m guessing you saw the reward.”

“Unless a coven or a pack is hiding from the world, the entire supernatural society saw it.” She sighed. “Your friends are losing their minds trying to find you. I confess I almost gave them your number, but I thought you wouldn’t want me to.”

“You did well. I don’t want to talk to them. Thank you.”