Page 27 of Under His Wings

As the power settled under my skin, a constant fiery presence not letting up, I was dimly aware Leonius tried to turn the crowd against Zachariel, but everyone here knew touching someone collared without their master’s permission was a crime.

The owners of the club, an angel and a demon, descended upon Leonius like the wrath of God. There was a lot of chaos, but I found peace in the eye of the storm, in my angel’s arms, and I dared to believe everything was going to be fine. I closed my eyes, lost in the current of pain.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in a room alone with Zach, my head lying in his lap. Oh, I had to have checked out a little.

“Are you alright? I didn’t hurt you, did I?” the angel asked with clear worry.

We both knew he caused me pain, but I understood what this question was really about.

“You came for me,” I said, turning on his lap so that I could stare up at him.

“Of course, I did. Do you think I wouldn’t, when my power in you screamed someone had touched you?”

“You... you put a tracker on me,” I laughed. “Did you know it would work like that?”

“I may have had some idea,” Zach admitted sheepishly. “Well, I was hoping it would work like this. But it’s good I did track you, isn’t it? What did you get yourself into, Hellion?”

I stiffened, reminded of the fucked up situation I was in.

“That demon, Leonius, you didn’t let him go, right? He can’t speak to anyone; he will tell them...” I sat up, panicked.

“He is being kept by the owners in another room. They won’t let him go until this matter is settled, and I asked them to prioritize your wellbeing and to give us a while before the confrontation. Is that demon blackmailing you? Is that why you knelt for him?”

“I did it to protect... you,” I said heavily, knowing I had to lay all the cards on the table now.

“Me?” the angel blinked at me. “Oh, precious, I’m sorry if investigating my circumstances brought you to harm. If I knew, I would just let the matter lie. You... I want you safe and content and at my side more than I want to know my past.”

I blinked away the tears gathering at the corners of my eyes and shook my head.

“It’s not your fault. You have nothing to be sorry about. And I return the sentiment. That’s why I can’t just leave this alone. I want you to be happy, to be yourself, to not have an unknown factor hanging over your head like a sword. Zachariel... I learned about your past. I was going to tell you, but I needed to do some damage control first. I should have told you, but I feared the knowledge would put you at risk. And if others knew... Leonius, the demon, demanded I spend a night as his slave for his silence.”

“He didn’t...” Zachariel’s words stuck in his throat but his eyes scanned my body wildly as if searching for a wound.

“You appeared just in the nick of time. My knight in shining, white armor. The things he said, what he had planned to do... I’m glad you came for me. But as shitty a time as I had, I’m afraid it’s you who will have a no good, very bad, terrible day now. Your past... it’s hard stuff. It will change everything.”

“I still want to know. Tell me, please.”

I reached for his still visible wings and touched the spot I noticed when preening his feathers.

“You pulled those feathers out because they grew black.” Zachariel flinched but didn’t protest the statement. “They appeared because, while your Ascendence designated you as an angel and you got your white wings, you started falling when you realized an angel and a demon had toyed with your human life, even making a bet between themselves.”

“I... fell?” Zach asked numbly.

“You started to – a few feathers burned, and that they grew back black is the proof. But the angel intervened, and somehow, by using his power to erase your memory, he stopped the process of you falling.”

“An angel did this to me.”

“And a demon watched and laughed.”

“I want my memories back,” Zachariel said, his voice wretched.

“Even if you fall completely once you have them back? I... I want you to be true to yourself, but this, falling... It was the worst experience of my life. Imagine not only the pain – you know I can take that – but the grace being sucked out of you... It leaves you empty. Cold. As if you will never be warm and happy again.”

Zach was silent for a moment.

“...but you will be at my side through all of it?”

“Yes.”