Page 50 of Fated Angel
The floor disappears from beneath her feet and she has to bite her lip to stop herself from crying out. Thankfully, the drop is short. Unfortunately, it’s straight onto another set of stairs. Gabby tumbles down in an undignified tangle of limbs and wings, springing to her feet the moment she stops.
And faces the tip of a sword.
“Gabby?” gasps a familiar voice.
The sword drops with a clang and a second later, Kalisha wraps her in a tight embrace.
“Thank goodness,” Maya cries, joining the hug.
Gabby squeezes her two friends, and then pulls back. “Are you okay?”
They turn to indicate the handful of pale faces behind them. “Scared, but fine.”
Gabby scans them, recognizing students from the academy. Some from her lectures, some from the dorms, some from the hallways. When she first arrived, when she first learned who and what she truly is, many of them looked at her with unease. Some may even have been impacted by her blackouts as her angel took control.
But now, they’re looking at her with hope.
As if she’s a savior.
It’s not a role she would’ve chosen. Nor is it one she thinks she’s ready for.
But one fate has decided she needs to accept.
“This way.” Gabby steps to the side to reveal the staircase she just tumbled down. “It’s a secret passage that the cult members don’t know about.”
One she didn’t know about until a few minutes ago.
Kalisha nods, her face settling into determined lines that somehow manage to mute the silver glitter on her lashes. “We need to move. Now.”
Gabby steps further to the side, indicating for the others to enter. “Hurry. Just keep going up.”
Kalisha goes first as Maya ensures everyone follows. The sound of soft, rapid footsteps fills the stairwell as she tucks behind the last person, glancing over her shoulder at Gabby.
Her friend’s eyes are large in her pale face. Gabby smiles at her. “I’m right here.”
Maya swallows, nods, and darts after the others. Gabby’s right behind her, senses on high alert. Maya’s look conveyed what Gabby already knows.
Staying here is dangerous.
Escaping is fraught with risk.
Gabby’s palms warm as she keeps her magic alive and ready. If anyone finds them in this secret passage, they won’t be around long enough to do anything about it.
Everyone remains silent as they ascend, their breathing steadily filling the narrow stairwell. They pass the first floor, then the second. Then the third. With each level, Gabby’s tension rises.
The academy beyond the wall is silent.
That’s more terrifying than the sounds of battle.
“Can you smell that?” Maya whispers as they pass the fourth floor. They’re almost at the attic.
Gabby draws in a deep breath, sucking it in sharply as she registers what Maya has. “Smoke.” The scent is faint but undeniable.
“How could they…” Maya chokes.
Mercy Academy, with its years of history, its gorgeous architecture, the magic steeped in its very walls, is on fire.
“Hurry,” Gabby whispers to the others as they reach the attic. “Through to the far end and then up the stairs of the cupola.”