Chapter 35

Church bells tolled eerily in the distance as terrified screams continued to fill the frigid night. The same witch with the long blond hair that I'd had words with earlier ran around in circles, attempting in vain to fight off over a dozen crows pecking at her head, face, and neck until she collapsed in a bloody heap next to the cauldrons. Only when their final victim was dead did the crows cease their attack, cawing out in victory before flying away.

The shocking reality of the violence perpetrated by my feathered friends was further evidenced by over a thousand dead bodies unable to escape their wrath. I'm guessing they didn't expect a bunch of birds to go all Hitchcock and divebomb their sorry asses. And yet, even as I gazed around the silent theater, something seemed to be missing from the gory motif.

As usual, Serenity was nowhere to be found.

I suddenly thought about Thomas, hoping beyond all hope that he was still safe. Allowing my senses to expand, he felt somewhere close by. If only I'd been able to spend more time with him, I would've been able to hear his thoughts in my mind.

Or maybe, just maybe that strange connection only happened between two angels.

Instinctively I glanced down at my now empty wrist. I don't know what pissed me off more. The fact that I'd failed to protect his gift, or my failure to protect my friends from being used against me.

I decided it was both.

But since there wasn't a whole lot I could do to keep a bracelet made out of plastic wrappers from melting under such intense heat, at least there was something I could do to save my friends. Their helpless, vacant stares prompted me into action.

“Let them go, Sebastian.”

He took a chance and stepped forward like we were playing a game of chess and he'd just eliminated the ability for me to make any moves with my king. “And what if I don't,” he sneered hatefully. “Are you going to kill them just like you killed the others?”

I raised my chin stubbornly in an effort to sound braver than I felt, knowing full well that what came out of my mouth next was nothing but a lie. “I'll do whatever it takes to stop you.”

The amused look in his eyes told me he thought I was bluffing.

I wasn't.

I planned to do some killing alright, just not who he thought.

Boldly reaching out a hand, he stroked my cheek. His touch wreaked of anger. And there was also something else.

Pain. A lot of pain.

Not his though. The pain he'd inflicted on the lost souls.

“Don't force us to use the ones you love as pawns in this war, Chaos,” Sebastian whispered forcefully, never taking his lavender eyes off mine. Deviously charming, the possessiveness in his gaze combined with the intensity in his voice warned me that if I made the decision to defy him yet again, I wasn't going to enjoy the results.

Sometimes I just couldn't help myself.

Jutting out my chin, I spit in his face. He didn't pull back so much as jerk his arm away in surprise. Taking control of the situation, I advanced on him. “If you ever decide to lay a hand on me again, I will fry your ass. Do you feel me?”

He nodded, swallowing hard. The searing knowledge that he was truly afraid of my power sliced through me like a hot knife through butter.

It was satisfying as hell.

“I don't think she likes being touched,” Serenity purred, suddenly appearing at Sebastians's side. “What do you think, brother?”

I gasped in surprise. “Brother?”

Face contorted with anger, Serenity whirled around to confront me – hatred blazing as her obsidian eyes turned blood red to match her dress and lips. “Yes, Chaos. If you must know, we have the same mother, but different fathers. Mine is a mighty Warlock, while Sebastian's is the Angel of Wrath.” Pausing momentarily she stalked up to my friends, their unseeing eyes staring back at nothing. With hair so black it looked almost blue as it draped all the way down her back, and perfect porcelain white skin that made her look like a fragile China doll, I had a hard time accepting how something so beautiful could have such an unsettling capacity for evil. Turning toward me once again, she concluded by adding, “When you failed to follow your deadly destiny, the responsibility fell to us to ensure the Dark Ones plans were carried through. And I, for one, expect to succeed at releasing doom upon the earth so I can finally get what I've always wanted.”

Her rantings sparked an idea. “If you want to become immortal, then I want to know that Thomas and Luna are safe.”

“Who is this Thomas I keep hearing about?” Sebastian asked Serenity instead of me.

“He's an angel of light,” she replied with a smirk, eyes locked on mine. “Or, was an angel, I should say. Thomas is the one responsible for convincing Chaos to save her soul. They fell in love and when she died a human death, he renounced his eternal life. In doing so, he passed his angelic power on to her in exchange for saving her life, thereby making her immortal and him human.”

Sebastian's mouth fell open in surprise. Snapping it shut, he sputtered, “For a human and an angel to be romantically involved...well, it goes against just about every rule there is.”

“I took care of that too,” Serenity replied, sounding smug. “The one person she can't resist is also the only person she's ever loved, but can't have. Otherwise, he dies.” Her eyes tightened with contempt. “Or maybe she prefers to cavort with monsters.”

I knew without being told that she was referring to Vycandor. It made me shudder to think of the lengths she had taken to keep me apart from the one angel I was born to love.

She'd called it poetic justice.

And now no matter what, I knew I couldn't let her win twice.