She took a moment to really see him before stepping inside. He had a face she’d etch in her mind forever. Rumors about the Angel of Death were wildly inaccurate. No one described him as painfully beautiful. Probably no one left alive to give a firsthand account. He didn’t appear the radiant or Greek god she’d imagined. Nor did he have wings. The Inciters had been wrong about that too. Maybe he wasn’t one of those kinds of Seraphs. His build was that of a fighter. A fighter who’d been through hell and back.
He tilted his head, watching her watch him. Her pulse hitched, but that didn’t stop her from memorizing every detail. Silver-blond hair half pulled back, revealing a prominent hard jaw with a slight scar comparable to the scar her father had.
But those hypnotizing, glowing, golden eyes hid something she couldn’t read. They weren’t angelic. More devilish, if you asked her. Kind of animalistic. Like he would hunt her down and eat her alive if she tried to escape his prison.
“Inside,” he ordered with that whisky-smooth, oh-so-sure voice. He’d turned colder since they’d arrived.
“Wait!” She couldn’t accept this was it. They were supposed to barter. Did he lie?
“Get in,” he ordered.
“I thought we were going to talk. I’ll help you and you’ll help me. That’s what you said.” She’d never forget the face of the Seraph who killed her friends. Poor Collin would never get to become an Inciter like he’d dreamed about. She’d only joined to find her father.
“Inside,” he said sterner. “There’s something I must do first. Move.”
She faced the cell and sighed. “How long will I be in here? When are you coming back?”
A steel urinal-toilet combo hung in one corner, with a white sheet-covered cot against the wall. Was this her new normal? Her new life? The realization of never finding the answers she’d been seeking all this time hit hard, unless the Seraph kept his word.
The wall behind her swooshed closed between them. She spun around and banged on the glass door. “No!” Her reflection stared back at her. “Let me out!” Was he still there, watching her? She frowned and hit the door. Her mouth felt like cotton, and the pressure inside her head was splitting her skull in half. “Can I at least get something for my headache?”
No reply.
This moment was like sealing her fate of never having a real home or family ever again. Her adoptive parents were the closest thing she’d ever had, but she still never felt like she fit in no matter how much love they showed her. She was different. She knew it. They knew it.
Now she was ripped away from ever finding out why her dad had done what he did. Ripped away from her best friend, Drake, too. She’d allowed herself to love him like a brother, even though she knew being with the Inciters was only temporary too. So, where did that leave her? Alone? A prisoner? No, this wasn’t her fate.
She dug her fingernails into her palms. How was she going to escape? She had to make a plan to get out of this. Tell him what she knew in small bites. See if he would search as he’d said. Though she doubted he would. She banged again. Tears welled, and she blinked them back. Don’t let him see you weak. Do not cry. Do not cry.
Even though her heart bled for the slain Inciters and Collin, she had to focus on what to say to get what she wanted, but focusing only forced the image of a bloody Collin on the ground. She swallowed. He’d been through so much and hadn’t deserved to die. He’d reminded her of her little sister before she’d died. Her gaze blurred. She shook her head, refusing to cry.
“Crying is for pussies,” Collin had said once after they’d found him shortly after his stepdad beat the crap out of him. She’d caught the glassiness in his eyes, but he never ever cried. I’ll be strong like you, Collin. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you either. The Seraph will pay,” she whispered.
Why had she fallen asleep at the warehouse? Sure, she was sick, but she shouldn’t have ever listened to him. She’d trusted the others to keep him safe, but they weren’t strong enough.
Luckily, Drake had gone to his godmother’s or she might’ve lost him too. He’d be devastated when he found Collin and the others. He’d blame himself. A tear slipped, and she slapped it dry. He was probably searching for her now, but would he even know where to look? He never once mentioned where the Seraphs were. Dammit. She was screwed.
What an exciting book! Great excerpt. I'd love to read more.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I was thinking, too! I agree! The excerpt is a great sneak peek! Grab your copy now to read more! :)
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