Gilded Wings (7 page)

My amulet became so hot, it burned my chest.

As I turned around, I was met with a Darkling standing at the door. Its long stringy hair hung in front of its blackened eyes. It snarled and snapped at me, crouching down like it was about to strike. I noticed it didn’t have any weapon in its hand, but its sharpened fingernails looked just as dangerous. Besides that, the Darkling were super-fast and strong.

“Kade. They’re in the room.” I said, cautiously.

I could hear him struggling with all of the Darkling still trying to get in through the window. As I readied myself to fight the one crouched in front of me, four more appeared behind it, in the doorway.

It was at this very moment I wished I had slipped into my super suit.

I felt my heart beat quicken, and held the dagger tightly in my grasp, knowing it was the only form of protection I had.

“Kade?” I knew I couldn’t fight all five of them.

“Emma. You’re going to need to fight,” he spoke loudly, thrusting his dagger into the neck of a Darkling snapping at his arm. “Don’t you dare let them take you.”

The Darkling who was crouched, bared its rotted teeth. Their odor violated my nostrils, making me want to gag. Swallowing hard I whispered quietly to my dagger. “I need your help. Now more than ever.”

I felt the dagger warm and then it started to glow.

The Darkling pounced at me, and I swung. The dagger pierced its neck, slicing through it easily. Black tar-like blood spewed everywhere, and gushed from the open wound in its neck.

The Darkling dropped and grabbed its injury, its eyes wide with shock. I felt the dagger trying to raise my arm, and as I lifted it above my head it swiftly thrust my hand downward, plunging the blade into the Darkling’s left eye.

It let out a horrendous, hair-raising scream. I closed my eyes and held tight to the dagger, yanking it out from the socket. Its eyes turned white, and it fell backward, limp.

One down, four to go.

The black blood on the blade of my dagger started to drip off, like rain on a newly polished car, leaving it spotless and ready for its next victim. I stood there in awe, and then noticed the Darklings’ eyes narrowing on my magical dagger. They growled and glanced at each other, deciding on their next move. Only one let out a horrifying growl and charged forward. I dodged it, stepping to the side, while pushing my dagger into the side of its head. As I pulled it free, the next Darkling pounced forward, not giving me time to prepare for my follow up move. It slammed into me, its arms wrapped around my legs, thrusting me back toward the window.

I couldn’t breathe and struggled to kick myself free from its grasp, but it held on tight, slowly crawling to my chest. Straddling me, its face hovered over mine. This stench made me wince. Lunging forward, it moved to bite my shoulder, but Kade pulled it off me by its hair. When I was safe, he threw the Darkling against the wall. It turned and glared at him, but in a second, Kade severed his head. He caught the head before it hit the ground, then turned and flung it, like a bowling ball, at a Darkling entering through the window. The force knocked it backward, dropping it down to the ground below.

“Thank you,” I panted.

“Anytime,” he answered. He then turned and sliced off the hand of another Darkling trying to enter. I heard its scream as it fell.

The fourth Darkling in the room paused and took a few steps backward. I sprung up and moved to the side of Kade as it charged forward. It dove at me, and I jumped out of the way and landed on a pile of pillows. The Darkling just missed me, and crashed through the wall and into the next room, leaving a huge hole. The last Darkling standing pounced on top of me, pinning me down. I struggled to free myself, but he was too strong. I raised the dagger and stabbed its thigh, it’s scream pierced my ears, making them ache. The black evil eyes locked onto mine were filled with rage and hate. It raised its fist in the air. I closed my eyes and shielded my face from the oncoming blow. But it never came.

I opened my eyes, and Dominic was standing behind the Darkling with his arm in his hand. He glanced down me and winked. “Looks like you need some help,” he said.

“Always right on time,” I exhaled, smiling.

He picked the Darkling up and flung it across the room. It crashed into Courtney’s dresser, breaking it in half. In a flash he was after it, jumping on its chest and pushing his blade into its heart. It went limp.

Malachi ran in next and came over to me, offering me his hand. He pulled me up to my feet. “You alright?” he asked.

“Yes. There’s a live one in that room,” I said pointing to the hole.

Without saying another word he rushed through the hole. Immediately following were sounds of banging, crashing, and screams from the Darkling.

Kade was still fighting the endless Darkling parade attempting to climb through the window, but he managed to hold them back.

Outside in the sky, I witnessed Samuel battling with another Fallen. He must not have released the barrier, because they weren’t coming any closer than about one hundred yards.

“Emma,” Kade called. “Put on your suit.”

He was right. I needed the extra protection. Just as I turned to run, a Darkling flew at me from the doorway. I screamed and Malachi came charging out from the hole, tackling him. The two of them were hurled across the room and tumbled into Courtney’s closet.

I heard more fighting going on outside Courtney’s room, and in the distance, the shouts of Thomas and Alex’s voices. Then, Alaine’s frantic voice yelled Courtney’s name. Her cries became desperate and sent a shiver up my spine.

I grasped my dagger and ran for the doorway, yelling and thrusting it at an oncoming Darkling. He dodged my attempt and grabbed my legs. I hit the ground hard, and the dagger was jolted from my grasp, flying under Courtney’s bed. I wrestled with the Darkling who quickly overpowered me, and began slamming his fists into my chest.

Freaking bitch!

It landed a direct hit to my bruised ribs. Agonizing pain gripped my chest. I couldn’t breathe, and was forced to take short gasps for air. I wanted to call for help, but I couldn’t get the breath necessary to push any words out.

Malachi came charging back out from the closet and dove for the Darkling, tackling him off me. They both crashed and tumbled back through the hole in the other room.

Thomas and Alexander finally entered, and assisted Kade at the window.

“We’ve got this man,” Thomas said.

I couldn’t move. Pain. Sharp, excruciating pain radiated in my chest. It was nearly unbearable. It felt like my ribs were broken, but I wasn’t sure. I was surprised I still had any ribs left at all, they’d been broken so many times.

Kade was suddenly over me, scooping me up into his arms. He took off running, out of the room, toward the end of the hall. He stopped abruptly and kicked open the last door on the left, then carried me into the bathroom, carefully laying me on the floor before locking the door behind us.

He then went to the sink cabinet, and yanked it away from the wall. Right behind it was a small latched door. He unlatched it and pushed it open, then picked me up and carried me in, setting me back down. He then pulled the sink back into place, and closed the trap door, locking it from the inside. We were draped in pitch-black.

I could hear him feeling around the walls. “Where the hell is it?” he muttered, under his breath. “There it is.” A flashlight clicked on and we had light.

WE WERE IN A PASSAGEWAY in between the walls. It was tall and wide enough for any full sized person to stand and walk comfortably. I could hear banging and muffled growls and screams, but they seemed so far away.

“Don’t worry. We’re safe here. These walls are reinforced with steel,” he assured me.

I couldn’t answer him, and knew I had a look of fear and pain in my eyes. I could barely breathe, and was still trying to breathe without pain.

“Where are you hurt?” he asked.

I pointed to my chest, and he carefully lifted my sweatshirt. When he reached my ribcage, his eyes pressed closed.

“Dammit. Did they break your ribs again?”

I shook my head, not completely sure.

“Let me get you to the safe room.” He picked me up again and carried me down through a small maze of openings. He ended at the front of a large metal door. He set me down, and as soon as he did, I collapsed forward.

“Emma,” he gasped, catching me before I hit the ground. Gently setting me down, he then opened the door, and clicked on a light. Picking me up, he carried me over to one of the two beds, and carefully laid me down.

“I thought I’d be bringing you down here after dinner, but I guess now is better than ever,” he said with a sad grin.

He headed over to a wall and opened up a cabinet. “I left my vial in my room, but I think Alaine keeps some here, he said lifting a few bottles and reading their contents. “Here we go,” he said happily, unscrewing the top of a clear bottle. He made his way over to me and carefully lifted my head, then placed the vial to my lips. I took a sip, and instantly, started to feel tingly. The tingles continued down to my ribs, soon making them numb.

“Thank you,” I said through my deep breaths.

“I’m glad it helps. I can’t bear to see you in pain.”

I smiled at him. “And what about you?”

“I’m fine.” He smiled.

“I noticed you locked the bathroom door from the inside. What if the others try and get in?”

“There is more than one entrance to this place. It’s like a maze to throw off the Darkling, in case they get in. I guess Alaine has a thing with secret mazes.”

I grinned. He shifted, and I noticed blood dripping down his arm. As I followed the trail of crimson, I noticed a rip in his shirt, and a gash about three inches long on his bicep which continued across to his chest. It looked deep, and I could see his flesh.

“You’re hurt,” I said tugging at his arm. “Let me see that.”

“No, it’s fine. Just a scratch.”

“A scratch? That is not a scratch,” I said, pulling him closer. I sat up and took in a deep breath. My ribs felt much better, so I stood up from the bed. “Sit,” I instructed.

He narrowed his eyes and plopped down on the bed in front of me. “It’s nothing, really. I was just scraped by some damn shards of glass when I pushed a Darkling out the window.” He tried to make light of it.

I leaned over for a closer look and swallowed as I saw the depth of the wound. “It’s pretty bad and needs to be taken care of immediately,” I sighed. I took the vial from his hand. “I’ll need you to take your shirt off.” He glanced at me with a crooked grin, so I held up the vial and smiled. “So I can apply the medicine.”

“Sure,” he exhaled, pulling his shirt over his head. My eyes wandered to his chest and continued down to his perfect abs, lingering there a little too long. “Ahem.” He cleared his throat, making me blush.

I lifted his muscular arm with my hand, and slowly poured the liquid magic over the wound. I watched in awe as the tissue began to mend right before my eyes, but it was so deep it would still need a bandage, or possibly stitches. I then moved to his chest, which wasn’t nearly as bad. “You’ll have to lean back a bit.”

He obliged, his eyes never leaving mine. I swallowed hard trying not to look directly at him. I knew if I did, at this close proximity, I’d be a goner. I focused on his chest, and poured the liquid over the cut. It wasn’t deep, so it instantly sealed. I gasped, instinctually grazing my fingers over the healed wound.

Kade took hold of my hand, and our eyes connected. That was it. My heart did a twist, and before I knew it, he let himself fall backward, bringing me on top of him. He locked his arms tightly around me, our bodies fit perfectly together, our faces inches apart.

We were alone, the two of us, secluded in a safe room, far from the others. The only sound in the room was that of our hard breathing. This was something real, something true, something the bond didn’t have any part in. I looked deep into his beautiful eyes, and saw something I’d never seen before.

Unconditional love.

A rush of sadness overwhelmed me as I thought of a life without him in it.

“Emma?” Kade whispered. My emotions took over, and tears instantly welled, burning my eyes and spilling out onto his cheek.

“I’m sorry,” I sobbed. I shook my head and rolled to my back, off to the side of him.

“What’s the matter?” His chest pressed up against my side, and his fingers gently brushed the dampened hair from my cheeks.

“Nothing,” I lied.

“You know you can tell me anything,” he said.

“No, I can’t. I wish I could, but… I can’t.” I wept openly, feeling horrible. My insides ached with not being able to tell him why I couldn’t speak.

“Why? I don’t understand.” His saddened eyes gazed longingly into mine, tearing my heart apart.

I turned away from him, but everything inside me wanted to turn toward him, feel his arms wrap around me, and tell me everything was going to be okay.

Instead I whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“Is it because you don’t want to be with me?” His voice sounded weak. “If it’s true just tell me now. I will promise to stay away.”

Hot tears streamed from my eyes as my heart was being pulverized over and over again. I knew this would happen if we were ever alone. It was too much to bear. This burden was wearing me down.

I turned to face him and placed my hand softly on his cheek. “Never. Wanting to be apart from you is the furthest thing from the truth. I
do
want to be with you. You have been there for me, guarding and protecting me when I didn’t even know your name. You held my hand when I needed you most, and even gave your life for me. It’s never been a matter of if I
want
to be with you. I do. But there are some major complications now, and I – I just can’t deal with it anymore. Please don’t make me talk about it,” I sobbed.

From the day he walked into my room at the hospital and our eyes connected, so did our hearts. Yes, the bond played a huge part of it, but even without the bond, it was still there and very strong between us.

“Hey, it’s alright,” he said sitting up, pulling me into his arms.

My head rested against his chest. This was exactly where I wanted to be, enveloped in his warmth and love. I pressed myself closer to him, breathing in his sweet scent.

“You don’t have to say anything, Emma. I just want you to know that I’ll be here for you. Always,” he reassured. “I know you’re scared. But I am too… of losing you. You don’t ever have to be afraid of giving your heart to me. I will make sure to fill it with love, at least for the rest of
my
life,” he said, then frowned. “But I am preparing my heart for the most reasonable choice because I know Ethon can protect you, and take care of you for the rest of
your
life.”

“You will always have a part of my heart,” I said, hugging him tight. Everything inside of me was warring, fighting hard not to say a word. I wanted to tell him the truth.

“And you have all of mine.” He kissed my forehead.

“Kade,” I sobbed.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered. “Everything’s going to be alright.” 

I hoped he was right. There was something about his eyes. They emitted so much love, sincerity, and tenderness. They spoke so loud, without him uttering a single word. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips against his.

I felt him smile against my lips, then he kissed me harder. His kiss was like a magic potion, making me dizzy, sending tingles to every part of my body. His fingers gently grazed the small of my back, making me quiver. I placed my hands on his back, and paused for a moment as I felt his scars.

“It’s okay,” he whispered.

I nodded, and pressed my lips back to his. He rolled over, pinning me under his weight. His hands steadied my head as he continued to deepen the kiss.

His knee pressed between mine, pushing my legs apart. Then, he settled his body on top of mine. It felt so right, like we were a perfect fit.

His fingers found their way under the hem of my shirt, tracing patterns along my sides. I felt a moan escape my lips, and Kade pulled back.

“What’s the matter?” I asked, wondering if I did something wrong.

“We can’t get too carried away. I made a vow to Samuel and Alaine,” he sighed.

“A vow? What vow?” I questioned.

“Not to defile you.”

“Did they force you take that vow?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Maybe. Still, it’s something I take seriously. But believe me, it’s taking everything within my power to stop.”

I sighed. “I know exactly what you mean.” We both looked longingly into each other’s eyes, then broke out into laughter.

“We’re a mess,” I said, hugging him again.

“A hot mess.” He chuckled. “How the hell did we end up here?”

“I don’t know,” I replied, shaking my head. “But I’m glad you’re here with me.”

He leaned forward and kissed me again. “I am too.”

“Do you think everyone’s alright?” I asked. “I can’t hear anything.”

“That’s because this room is completely secure and heavily protected. All we can do is pray they all make it safely. At least they’re only dealing with the Darkling, so I think they’ll be fine. It seems as if Lucian is still testing our strength.”

“Why would he keep testing it?”

“He’s finding our weak spots and trying to wear us down before he attacks. His goal is to make sure when he does attack, he wins.”

“Do you think it’ll be soon?” I questioned. I still had a ways to go before my transformation.

“I don’t know. But we need to take extra careful measures. You can’t be alone anymore. Especially knowing the Darkling can scale these walls.”

“I know. Just the thought of it makes me terrified. I don’t think I’ll ever feel safe being alone again.”

“As long as I have breath, I’ll guard over you.”

“Thank you,” I said, wholeheartedly. I knew he meant what he said. His eyes never lied.

Voices echoed from down the hall. One of them was Alaine’s, and the other sounded like Courtney. Alaine entered the room first, her brow was furrowed, her eyes red, and she was spattered with black blood. As soon as her eyes found mine, she sighed in relief.

“Thank God you’re here,” she said, rushing over to me, wrapping me in a hug.

“Yes, Kade brought me here after I was injured.”

“You’re injured?” she questioned.

“Not anymore. He gave me the healing potion and I’m good as new.”

Thomas entered next, carrying Courtney in his arms, and Caleb right behind him.

“Set her on the bed,” Alaine said, heading to the sink and washing her hands. “Kade, are you injured?”

“No. I’m fine,” he said, glancing over to me with a grin.

We quickly shuffled off the bed to make room. Courtney was whimpering, and her hands, clasped tightly over her right eye, were covered in blood.

“What happened?” I asked, very concerned.

“My bag, please,” she noted to Thomas before answering me. “She was hit with a stone thrown through the downstairs window.”

“Oh my God,” I gasped.

“Let me see darling,” Alaine spoke softly, trying to coax Courtney to settle down and let her see the wound. After a few moments, Courtney slowly let Alaine take her hands away.

When she revealed her injury, I held my breath and turned into Kade’s arms.

Her right eye was badly bruised and was swollen shut. Right above her eye, a large piece of skin was missing, and I noticed it hanging off her forehead.