Page 84 of Dark Wings

“Oh no.” Lacey grabbed my shoulders and pulled me back. I fell over her on the floor.

The light died out and the room went eerily quiet.

Levi was kneeling on the floor, his human hands fallen at his sides, and his chin on his chest. For a moment, I panicked he had died.

“Levi?” Lacey asked. She crawled to the side of the circle, which didn’t seem broken, even though I had crossed over. “Oh, shit, Levi!”

He inhaled deeply, lifting his head, his eyes wide. “I’m fine. I’m fine.” He coughed and rubbed his chest again.

I frowned. “Isn’t it gone?”

He stared into my eyes, as if looking for the line that connected him to me. “It is,” he said. “I can’t feel you anymore.”

I let out a long, relieved sigh.

“Then why are you rubbing your chest?” Lacey asked.

“Because this ritual fucking hurt.” He pushed to his feet and glared at me from above. “Are you done here?”

Ouch. I stood, trying to hold on to my dignity. “I am.” I turned to Lacey. “Thank you … for everything.”

“Wait,” Lacey said. She broke the circle so Levi was free and turned to me. She picked up my hand and deposited three golden coins on them. “If you ever need anything, call me.”

I closed my hand around them and nodded to satisfy her. I intended to lose those coins as soon as I left. I didn’t want anything to do with Levi and his family ever again.

I grabbed my bag from the corner, hiked it up my shoulder, and walked out the door. I was proud of myself for not looking back once, even though I wanted to. I stopped at the end of the driveway, glanced right, then left. It was past midnight and the street was deserted.

What was I supposed to do now? Where should I go? How was I going to get my magic back? I was tired, hungry, and lonely.

Once more, I was all alone.

Right now, all I needed was to find a bed. After a good rest and some breakfast, I could worry about all of that.

My wings sprang to life behind me. I almost winced at seeing them black—it would take me some time to get used to it. Regardless, they were beautiful, they were mine, and I had them back.

With a big flap, I took to the night sky.

25

A Few Minutes Later

Ylena

I landed on the front steps of the mansion and folded my white wings behind my back. The two Seraphim who had insisted on accompanying me landed two steps behind me, their Celestial Swords out.

But all that greeted us were the bodies of three demons lined up beside the steps and their blood spread around the front yard.

Splendid.

I walked into the mansion and Rhodes stepped into the foyer. “Ylena, you’re here.”

I glanced around. More demon bodies were lined up in the dining room to my right, there was blood, turned furniture, and broken decorations everywhere.

“What happened?”

Rhodes lowered his head. Technically, we both were archangels, two of the oldest in Elysium, but he knew I could obliterate him with a snap of my fingers.

“Ariella and Leviathan killed Molraz and fled,” he told me.