Page 59 of Protected by the Fallen
Angel Fire illuminates my skin. I don’t center it on any one area of my body, rather I draw it everywhere. I hear the person behind me curse when the heat of my power burns his skin.
“Messenger!” My captor shouts. The exasperation in his voice tells me it’s not the first time he’s said my name.
I keep twisting and kicking, determined to free myself and reach the exit.
“Messenger. STOP! You’re safe. It’s me. It’s Joseph.”
The Angel Fire fades to a dull light, but I don’t dare release it completely.
Not yet.
“Joseph?”
That’s when I sense his emotions. He’s concerned and a little irritated. Remembering his injury during the banquet, I search for any lingering signs of pain. There are none.
My fight seeps out of my muscles, and I release all my power, letting it coil back into my core to rest until I call on it again.
Sensing my body relax, Joseph removes the arm from around my waist. I turn and look up into comforting blue eyes. “Y-you’re here?”
In the maze.
With a sorceress.
I snap out of the daze.
Grabbing Joseph’s hand, I pull him toward the exit. “Come on. We have to get out of here.” His steps are slow, and I tug harder. Now that he’s here, I know I can get away from Odette. I’ll come back for Joey later. He seems to trust her, so hopefully she won’t hurt him.
“Messenger, relax. You aren’t in any danger.”
He doesn’t know what’s happened.
“The Dark Embassy was attacked again,” I tell him, continuing to pull him along even if it means dislocating my shoulder. He doesn’t know the danger we’re in. If he did, he’d be using his powers to transport us out of here. “Odette arrived and she kidnapped me. She’s somewhere behind us. We’ve got to move.”
Joseph stops walking, and I am yanked to a stop with him. I prepare for another round of trying to convince him when he says, “Adrian and Zeke told us about your arrest.”
I hesitate. My forehead furrows. “What?”
“Gabe and I know about your arrest. Wherever Lukas is, he heard as well. He sent Odette to tell us that they planned on breaking you out.”
“Wait a second.” I drop his arm, planting my hands on my hips. “Odette works for Lukas?” I knew the sorceress had helped him by removing the block on my powers, but I hadn’t gotten the impression they were friends.
“Yes,” Joseph nods and continues, “Lukas’ spies marked Master Nate as a co-conspirator with The Darkness. He’s been watching him for some time, waiting to figure out what mission he had at the embassy. When he learned about Master Nate’s interest in you, and him turning you over to The Dark Council, Lukas knew he had to get you out of there before it was too late.”
My mind spins. “Too late?”
“Before Master Nate convinced Dark Fallen to keep you as their weapon. We think he was planning to stage your abduction, pretending it was The Darkness, only to hand you over to the entity himself.”
“But why would he do that?”
“Because we believe he knows who you really are.” Gabe rounds the corner, trailing behind his voice. I smile and instinctively take a step his direction but freeze when I see Odette and Joey turn the corner behind him. I move back beside Joseph.
“It’s alright, Veronica.” Gabe gives me his characteristic, easy-going grin. “They’re friends.”
I look from my soulmate to Odette to Joey. I focus on Gabe. “You think Master Nate knows my parents?” I don’t say I’m dual-blood. I have no idea what Odette and Joey know.
“We think he knows your parents are Light and Dark Fallen, yes,” Joseph answers, exposing my secret with no hesitation.
I gape at him, then back to the sorceress I’d considered my enemy. She doesn’t look surprised. Now, I’m not sure what to think.
