Hidden Wings (20 page)

My breath caught in my throat, like I’d swallowed the hugest gobstopper, and goose bumps rose on every inch of my skin. Those feelings he was describing…the ones my parents had…were the same feelings I felt with Kade!

I was just about to ask him a question, when he continued.

“Your father was his happiest when he was with her. It was something I didn’t understand. Something I wished and longed for. Something I still haven’t found…to this day.” His words were filled with sadness.

“Mating with humans or even half-breeds is strictly forbidden. Angels are only allowed to mate with their own kind, those of pure blood. Disobey this law, and you will be marked for death. This law is the same for Angel and Fallen alike,” he spoke, and then walked back to the door.

After hearing those words, my heart felt like it had been hammered, torn, and scorched. I wasn’t a pure blood, and if Kade was an Angel, which I was almost positive, then there was no way we could ever be together. Would we end up as star-crossed lovers, never finding true love, and forbidden to be together because of a stupid law?

And then it hit me. My father had obviously crossed that forbidden line, and I was the proof.

“Do you know what happened to my father?” I asked.

“Yes,” he answered sadly. “Your father is dead. As soon as the leaders learned of his treachery, he was immediately captured and taken to them. I was later notified that he was stripped of his wings and then slain.” He paced back to the door and peered down the corridors.

I didn’t realize that his words would have such an effect on me, but they did, and my heart began to ache. Although I never knew my real father, and actually didn’t know he existed before tonight, I still would have liked to have met him, even if he was a Fallen Angel. Alaine said he wanted to be good. He must have had some kind of goodness in him, for her to fall for him.

“Do you know my mother?” I needed to know.

“No. Your father kept her secret. He didn’t want anyone to know what she looked like, and he never mentioned her name just in case we were questioned.”

“Oh,” I breathed.

If I was going to die, I’d like to confirm who my real mother was. With all of the information, everything was pointing at Alaine, but I’d never get the chance to ask her.

My hands and feet were throbbing and my fingers were numb, like there wasn’t enough blood flowing through them. I couldn’t think of anything else but that pain.

“Could you please loosen these ties,” I asked sweetly.” I know I’m going to die, but I’d like to do it with my limbs intact.”

He quickly strode over to me. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. He quickly untied the ropes from my hands and feet. “They will be back soon, so you need to leave quickly,” he breathed.

“What?” I questioned, baffled.
Was he letting me go?

“Listen to me Emma. You need to move quickly. Go left as far as the tunnel will take you. At the end will be a large cavern with a waterfall. Jump down to the pool below and swim beneath the waterfall. There you will enter another cave. Take the tunnel on the right. Remember… it’s the
right
tunnel that will lead you out.”

“Wait. What about you?” I asked.

This was a place that I didn’t want to be alone in. I knew there were lots of Darkling out there.

“I’m going to stay here and hold them off as long as I can,” he said lifting me from the chair. “Now hurry, Emma. Before they come back,” he urged.

“But won’t you get into trouble? Why are you doing this?” I asked. My heart was pounding with adrenaline.

“It’s a small favor for an old friend. I know he would have done the same for me. Plus, I need a bit of excitement in my life. This past century has been such a bore,” he winked.

Century?
I shook my head.

He quickly led me to the door and sniffed the air. “You must go… Now!” he spoke with urgency. He pushed me into the corridor and pointed me in the right direction.

“Thank you,” I said, turning and giving him a hug. He hugged me back.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Danyel,” he answered. “Now run!”

I bolted down the darkened corridor as fast as my feet could carry me. They were still numb and sore from being tied up. It was dark, and the few torches attached along the walls offered very limited light. The pounding of my heart was much louder than the pounding of my feet as it echoed through the tunnels. I kept my hands alongside the walls for balance. My converse shoes were still wet from being in the river, and were constantly rubbing against my ankles. But the pain was the least of my worries right now.

Danyel. His name rang through my mind. Even if he was with the Fallen – he saved me.

Loud screams echoed down the corridor. I paused for a moment and listened. And then I heard a voice.

“RUN, EMMA!” The voice yelled as loud and clear as if it were directly into my ear.

My pulse raced as I took off again, twisting and turning down the tunnel. I couldn’t hear footsteps, but from what I remembered… I didn’t hear any when Kade and Alexander were running through the woods either.

I glanced back over my shoulder and saw another elongated shadow on the wall. It looked like one of those freaky shadows in horror movies; the ones where nothing good was attached to the end of it.

I heard the sound of rushing water ahead. I finally came to the end of the tunnel, and stood directly in front of another cave opening. It was an underground river, and about ten yards away was a drop. The waterfall. I stepped in and gasped as the frigid water rushed over my feet. I waded deeper. Sharp, jagged rocks were everywhere.

I was now knee deep and started to shiver. The water felt like it was flowing straight from a glacier.

My teeth clattered loudly against themselves.
It w-w-was free-e-e-zing!
I slowly made my way toward the edge, and glanced over the waterfall. My stomach twisted. It was at least a 50 foot drop. Danyel made it sound so easy. Just jump in and swim under the waterfall? Yeah right! But, there was no other way down. The water below looked dark, eerie, and totally uninviting. What was under there? Rocks? Darkling? Strange creatures that could bite me?

A horrible stench suddenly burned my nose. I turned to see two dark figures standing at cavern’s opening.

The Darkling.

They looked at me through their evil, black eyes, grinning through their sharp rotted teeth.

“Come child,” one hissed.

“Don’t you
dare
come near me!” I yelled, trying to sound brave, but my words were shaky.

“We won’t hurt you,” the other one said.

“Like hell you won’t!”

They inched closer, so I stepped closer to the edge.

“Jagged rocks down there. You’ll die if you jump. Break your pretty, little neck,” one hissed in an evil tone.

They were slowly moving closer and closer. Way too close for my comfort. I could smell their hideous odor and it was making me sick. I’d rather jump and die on my own terms than let them kill me. I’ll take my own chances, but I couldn’t let myself think. Thinking was bad right now. Really bad. I needed to act before my brain went into rationalization mode, telling me how stupid I was going to be.

“Don’t be foolish child.” One lunged for me.

“Go to hell!” I screamed, took in a deep breath, crossed my arms in front of me, closed my eyes, and pushed off of the edge.

God help me!

I dropped over the falls. My stomach tickled with a weightless feeling, and in a few seconds I plunged into the deep, frigid waters below. I wanted to suck air in. It was a natural instinct when instantly submerged into freezing water, but I pinched my nose and held my breath. It felt like sharp blades were piercing every part me.

As soon as I broke surface, I gasped. My body trembled violently, trying to warm itself as the glacial falls pounded on my head like ice hammers.

At least I was still alive and practically in one piece. I struggled, trying to get my shivering limbs to function and swim under the falls. Danyel was right. I entered another small cavern. A solitary torch lit two tunnels. Right or left. My brain was frozen. I was pretty sure he said to go right. I hoped it was right.

I suddenly heard two loud splashes behind me.

Holy hell! When was this nightmare going to end!?

Adrenaline kicked in… or what was left of it. If it wasn’t for that, I’d definitely be an ice angel…or at least three quarters of one.

I drug my shivering-to-the-bone body out of the water. Numb fingers and hands barely managed to pull myself up the rocks. I felt so weak. This time, I grabbed the torch off the wall, and headed down the right tunnel. I was tempted to light myself on fire to heat up, because I was frozen to the core. It didn’t help that my clothes were soaking wet which made it harder to move.

My thoughts went to Kade. I hoped he and the others were safe. Given the horrific circumstances I was in, at least I was alive and free – for now. Pure adrenaline kept my feet pounding through the dark tunnel. The faint stench of Darkling emanated from the walls.

“Emma!” Someone call from ahead.

I stopped dead in my tracks. My breath ceased.

Who the hell was that?

I didn’t answer and waited. Maybe it was dementia from hypothermia.

There were already two Darkling on my tail. But what if there were more ahead? If there were…I was trapped and screwed.

Crap. I was dead. The only weapon I had was the torch, but I was so weak from shivering that I could barely hold it up. Now, more than ever, I’d wished I’d had those special powers everyone was talking about. Heck…I’d even take the gun right now!

“Emma!” the voice called out again, louder. It was definitely in front of me, and it was male. But it wasn’t Kade or the others. It sounded older. I strained to focus down the dark tunnel, but I couldn’t see a thing. All I knew was that if I didn’t move soon, my muscles would seize.

“Emma! Move it!” the voice scolded.

Okay. Whoever it was, they were demanding. That was a good sign that they were trying to help.

Growls echoed behind me and even more splashes, so I decided to take my chances and run towards the voice.

I ran about ten yards and suddenly saw a figure. I screamed as it reached for me, and swung my torch at it.

“Emma! It’s me,” he said, catching the torch and steering it to his face.

“Who?”

“Me. Your friend from the woods.”

It was the bum guy that I’d met outside of Alaine’s home. Emotion rushed over me and I fell limp into his arms.

“Emma, you’ve got to be strong. Just a bit longer,” he urged.

He threw me on his back, and I locked my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. He dropped the flame on the ground and took off.

He was definitely one of them. Like Kade and the others, because it felt like we were flying.

I couldn’t see a thing as we made our way through the pitch black maze, but I could tell he was traveling fast. Cold air whipped against my face as he glided effortlessly through the cavern. I held on tight, my body molded and froze to his. And then, I saw a glimmer of light up ahead.

“Emma, when I put you down, I want you to run. Run and don’t look back. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” I answered.

Loud growls echoed from the tunnel. The Darkling were coming.

As soon as we exited the tunnel, my lungs and nostrils were happy to breathe in clean, fresh air. But my body was numb and fatigued from the cold and constant shivering. The mysterious man took off his long trench coat and wrapped it around me. I hugged it close; his warmth still lingering in it.

“Thank you,” I said. He might have looked like a bum, but his jacket smelled so sweet, like expensive cologne. “Who are you?” I had to ask. I mean, really…who the heck was this guy? I’d met him twice, in two different areas, like he was following me. I had to get his name.

“A friend.”

“A friend? That’s it?”

“Do you need more?” he asked, with a tilt to his head. “Let’s just say I’m sort of a guardian.”

“So you know Danyel?” Maybe they were working together on the inside.

“Danyel?” His brows furrowed. I took that as a no.

“He’s the one that let me go.”

“He…let you go?” He said more to himself, but as he did, his eyes softened and he smiled at me.

“Yes. He let me go. But, wait. Aren’t you coming with me?”

“No.”

“You’re going to make me go out there all alone?

“You’ll be fine Emma.”

“But those Darkling! There’s too many of them! What if they-”

“I’ll be fine.” He smiled and nodded, taking my chin in his hand. “Now go. Run and find the others.”

I didn’t question him, but my heart didn’t want to leave him to fend off the Darkling alone. But I was much too weak to help him anyway. I wondered how this stranger, my hero, fit into my crazy life. Right now…my mind was reeling with enough crazy crap, like trying to stay alive.

“Go!” he urged again.

I turned and ran. A few minutes later there were loud growls behind me. I quickly dove behind a large tree and turned to peek. My hero was crouched, in attack mode, glaring at the exit of the cave. Two Darkling approached him, flanking him on each side.

He lunged at one of them, whacked it in the face and then tumbled to the ground. And in the same fluid motion, he reached for something in his boot, and rose to his feet behind the other Darkling. The Darkling screamed, reaching for a weapon which had been embedded in its back, but was unable to free it.

The other Darkling charged at my hero, kicking him in the chest, sending him flying backwards about twenty yards landing hard against a tree. He groaned, curled into a ball. He was hurt, and I suddenly felt sick.

The Darkling was on him again, grabbing his arm and flinging him against another tree. He hit hard and dropped limply onto the ground, just as three more exited the cave. I watched in horror as he tried to get up. He was so brave, but he didn’t have a chance.

The Darkling quickly surrounded him, sniffing the air around them. One bent down, wrapped his fingers around his neck, and slowly lifted him up.