“For your own safety,” he qualified.
“You’ve got to be kidding me! I’m not going to let you fly me like some kind of weird pet! That’s just sick. Thanks but no thanks.”
I sounded so resolute in knocking back his offer, but at the same time, I was all too aware of my wings, which were itching for freedom and pushing up against my back. The dull ache behind my shoulder blades was beginning to intensify.
“So you’d rather let them wither? You know you don’t have much time before they start to crumble and fall away like old plaster. Are you sure that’s what you want?” Jake asked.
“Why are you so keen to help me?”
“Let’s just say I’m protecting my investment. Think about it, Beth. You don’t have to decide now although we are in an ideal position.”
“If I agree I don’t want an audience,” I said suddenly selfconscious.
“There’s only the two of us here. That’s not an audience. I don’t want to see you lose your wings and you don’t want to lose them. It’s a win-win situation, don’t you think?”
“If I do it,” I warned, “it’s only so that I can fulfil my
“Always the optimist,” he smiled.
“It’s called faith,” I said.
“Whatever it’s called I think we should do everything we can to keep your angelic essence intact, don’t you?”
Jake’s offer was both insulting and tempting. If he was right and I was at risk of losing an essential part of who I was, did I really have a choice? My wings were one of the things that distinguished me from him and his kind. My wings were a precious gift bestowed by my Father. If I made it out of Hades, what would I do without them? And how would Xavier feel if I came back with such a vital part of myself missing?
I brushed away the tears that were already snaking down my cheeks and took a deep breath.
“Okay,” I said. “I accept.”
Jake lifted my chin with his thumb, his strange but beautiful eyes scanning my face. “Good decision,” he said before steering us to a nearby rock ledge. “Put your right foot up here,” he instructed before upending the contents of a small, carved box he withdrew from under the bike. A shimmering chain made of fine silver links, attached to a manacle pooled onto the rock. It looked like a magical object from a mythological world. I wanted to ask about its origins but held back. Jake wrapped one end of the chain around his wrist and fettered the manacle around my ankle. Being made of mesh meant it was remarkably flexible, melding around my flesh as if it were a part of me.
I looked around at the ravine in which I was permitted to take flight. The rock face rose steeply on both sides and ended in a pervasive darkness. The black waterfall flowed silently. It was like a rocky void, a strange, ghostly abyss illuminated only by the headlights of Jake’s motorcycle, which cast a pool of opaque light around us.
“Knock yourself out,” Jake said.
Although I’d been reluctant about revealing my wings to Jake, they now seemed to have a will of their own. They were so desperate for release they didn’t even wait for a trigger or a signal from my brain. I didn’t try to restrain them and a moment later my linen nightgown hung in ragged shreds from my back. The thought of flight had energized me and my wings seemed to creak from lack of use as they rose up behind me. They emitted a pale silver light of their own and I felt them humming with power. My other muscles were also coming back to life now that my circulation had returned.
Jake watched me in silent fascination. I wondered how long it had been since he’d seen an angel’s wings up close. Did he still remember the intoxicating feeling? I didn’t have time to stop and consider it. My wings arched like a feathered canopy over us both. Jake studied them with a wistful longing and I felt suddenly proud of them. My wings were the one physical feature that separated us despite our common origins. They were a tangible reminder of who I was and where I’d come from. I would always be different from Jake. My flight through the darkness would be a reminder of all that he and his kind had relinquished for the sake of pride and power lust.
I rolled my ankle from side to side, testing the strength of the shackle. Then I dropped my head to my chest, sprinted forward a few paces, and let my wings lift me into the air.
The moment my feet were swept off the ground, I felt an instant relief, as if something dry and withered inside of me had sprung to life again. I threw myself against the enveloping darkness without grace or rhythm. I dived through it, fanning it with my beating wings and it seemed to part a little to let me through. When a firm tug at my ankle told me I’d gone too high, I didn’t dwell on my captor below but simply swooped down again, making sure to stay lower. I let my thoughts switch off and my body take over. I didn’t feel the same exhilaration I did when I flew with my family at Venus Cove, but the deep physical release was worth it. Jake stood on the ledge below, face upturned and the chain leash wound around his wrist.
From where I was he looked very small and irrelevant. In that moment I was all that existed — not my worries or fears or even my love for Xavier. I was stripped back to my very core, nothing but energy, darting and looping through the airless ravine.
I flew until my wings were begging for rest and even then I didn’t stop. When I finally descended Jake was looking at me with undisguised awe. Wordlessly he tossed me a helmet and swung himself onto the bike.
“Come on,” he said. “You can spend the night at the Ambrosia — our secret.”
“You can’t keep secrets from Lucifer,” I said. “You must know there’ll be repercussions.”
“True.” Jake shrugged. “But right now, I don’t really care.”
29
Sweet Revenge
I woke the next day feeling more like myself than I had in a long time. I stretched and arched my back, pleased to find the muscles feeling light and relaxed rather than as heavy as concrete. It was a relief to be back in the luxurious surroundings of Hotel Ambrosia even though I knew it could only be temporary.
I’d just thrown off the covers and slipped out of bed when I heard the sound of a key card in the door of the suite. I tensed up for a second expecting trouble, but it was only Hanna and Tuck poking their faces through the door. I assumed they were the only ones allowed to know about my return. Jake had ordered a lavish cooked breakfast and Hanna almost dropped the overladen tray in her enthusiasm to rush to my side.
“I’m so glad to see you,” she said, embracing me tightly. “I can’t believe you’re alive.” I breathed in her now- familiar smell of freshly baked bread.
Tuck, who was more guarded with his emotions, crossed the room to give my shoulder a fraternal shove.
“You had us worried for a while,” he said. “What happened back there in the arena?”
“I’m not actually sure,” I replied, accepting the glass of orange juice that Hanna thrust into my hand. “I didn’t do any of it on purpose, the fire just parted around me.”
“How did you manage to get out of the chambers?”
“Jake came last night and let me out. I’m guessing there’s going to be trouble.”
“He defied his father’s orders?” Hanna’s eyes bulged. “That’s a first.”
“I know,” I said. “I hope he knows what he’s doing.”
“Everyone’s been talkin’ bout you and your powers,” Tuck said. “They reckon Big Daddy was gonna let you out himself, see if he could cut a deal with you.”
“Maybe when Hell freezes over,” I said under my breath, but I couldn’t keep myself from feeling just a little bit hopeful. If Lucifer came up with terms I could agree to, then maybe there was a slim chance I wouldn’t have to return to my prison in the earth. On the other hand if Jake setting me free made Lucifer angry, I could end up in worse trouble. “I need to find something to wear,” I said, glancing at the dirty undergarments on the floor. I was still in the oyster silk pyjamas I’d found folded on the bed when I arrived.
I started riffling through the wardrobe, eager to change into clean clothes. Jake had added jeans and a sweater among the showy dresses and silk shirts. Perhaps he finally understood the importance of flying under the
