The Weight of a Wing (The Stolen Wings Book 1) (9 page)

“Hey. Look at me!”

Rafe’s hands holding onto her shoulders, shaking her, made
Alise snap out of her daze. “What? He’s torturing Cassie. What’s so hard to
understand?” She glared at him.

“He’s doing it to get your attention,” Vale said.

“Well, he succeeded,” she muttered and slid off the
pedestal. She didn’t stagger, but Rafe’s arm went around her waist to support
her.

“There are too many people here,” he said. “Let’s go around
back. There must be another entrance there.” He steered her gently as if she
were so fragile, he could break her just by touching her.

Trying not to make the move too obvious, she slowly eased
out of his hold. She couldn’t think with all that magic around her. However,
once she pulled away, the lack of it made her cranky. “No one is toying with my
human,” she grumbled as she followed his lead.

The square was too crowded. The small alley behind the
building was more fitting for whatever they had to do next.

Alise kept her distance while Vale tried to open the two
doors in the back, finding them locked. “The entire building is sealed,” he
said. “We can’t get in, not when everyone can see us.” He gestured in the
direction of the square.

“We could blow it up,” Rafe said.

“What about all these people?” Vale asked.

Alise scowled at him. “Are you insane?”

“It was just an idea.” Rafe shrugged. “Use their ways, but
somehow…” He craned his neck and looked up at the building. “Somehow, I don’t
think it would work. It’s too easy.” He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes
at Alise. “You know Gorem more … intimately.” Rafe grimaced while glancing at
her back. “What would he do? What’s his angle on this whole thing?”

It was an easy question. “He wants me to get in.” She
stepped to the left to stand in his shadow so she could look at Rafe without
being blinded by the bright, morning sun. “But you are right. It’s a trick.
He’s not here… not in this timeline.”

“Are you sure?” Vale asked. “Can you feel him?” He glanced
at Rafe, suspicion clear in his gray eyes. Since Alise and Gorem had a history
together, it wouldn’t have been unheard of for some kind of a connection to be
forged between them.

“No. In my head, I’ve seen Cassie being choked to death by a
ring of fire,” she said, and the Guardians frowned at the painted image. “I
caught a glimpse of her surroundings. I’ve been with Cassie inside the
university before, and I recognized the hall. But the way I saw it just now… It
looked rundown and deserted, not animated like it is today.”

“So, he’s time jumping,” Vale said. “That must be one powerful
Wizard to take them all the way into the future...”

Alise shook her head. “I don’t think it’s the future. The
building hasn’t always been a university. If I remember correctly, it was
abandoned for some time during the war. They could have gone there.”

“Still, it’s a powerful Wizard…,” Rafe said.

“Who’s breaking the rules,” added Vale. “You’re not supposed
to time jump and disrupt the natural order of things.”

“If only we
could
time jump,” Rafe said, giving Vale
a significant glance. “We do know someone who can…” His voice trailed off.

“No, it’s too risky,” Vale said. “We’d have to cross back
and break him out somehow. There’s no guarantee we’ll succeed and be able to
return him without anyone noticing his absence. If we screw up, the deal is
off. We can’t take that chance.”

Alise couldn’t believe they discussed it and passed on
embarking on some crazy and utterly risky adventure. It didn’t sound like the
Guardians she knew of but, to be fair, all she knew were rumors. She had never
socialized with Guardians back in the day. It was way beneath her.

“Damn,” Rafe muttered. “Have you seen him?” he asked Alise.

“The Wizard? I’ve only seen Cassie, and she appeared to be
alone. I think I was watching through his eyes, though.”

“So, no sign of Gorem?” Vale said.

“No.”

Rafe swore under his breath and kicked a piece of gravel on
the sidewalk.

A car drove down the alley behind them and stopped in the
small parking area reserved for the professors. The man stepped out of it and
quickly passed by them, holding onto his briefcase, before he disappeared
inside the building.

“So, he can pass while we can’t.” Rafe threw a peevish look
at the closed door. “But
you
can.” He turned to Alise.

She took a step back. “I’m not going in there.” For a
moment, she feared they might force her in. But if they lost her, there was no
guarantee they would catch Gorem. He could disappear into another timeline. In
a way, she was keeping him there. Whether he stayed for revenge or something
else, she didn’t know.

“Oh, no, I’m not letting you out of my sight,” Rafe said,
grabbing her arm. This time, she made no attempt to free herself. “How about a
quick relocation spell?” he asked Vale.

“With the type of Wizard he must have by his side, he’ll
probably see right through it,” Vale said. “I won’t be able to cast a spell
strong enough for them not to see it’s not her.”

“Yes, but he likes to believe he’s smarter than us,” Rafe
said, his eyes twinkling, “so he’ll play along. It can’t hurt to get one
Guardian out of the way if he can get to her later on. He’ll let us believe
we’ve fooled him and pull you in.”

“Why me? I came up with that spell. I can do it better than
you,” Vale said.

“Because as long as Gorem is free, we can’t risk losing her,
too. I’m staying right here with her,” Rafe said. “I’m the muscle, and you’re
the brains of this operation, remember?”

Vale didn’t seem flattered by that statement, as he made a
disgusted face. “Okay. As long as we get in…” He sighed and started for the
door.

“Wait.” Rafe stopped him. “Leave your stone.”

“What? The stone, too?” he whined. “What if Cassie needs
it?”

“While they’re here, they won’t let you use it. It’s better
for you to appear weak.”

“Do you want my blades, too?” With a roll of his eyes, Vale
tossed him the healing stone.

Rafe caught it with one hand and slipped it in his pocket.
As Vale pulled the door open, he disappeared in a cloud of scintillations.
Alise hadn’t felt the spell being cast, she had only seen the Guardian’s lips
moving silently, but the breeze brought a whiff of ozone from where Vale had
stood—a sign that he hadn’t disintegrated but relocated to somewhere else.

“Yes,” Rafe murmured under his breath and relaxed beside
her. “He’s in.”

 “Did you send your friend into the enemy camp without
backup?” The question sounded more like an accusation as Alise frowned at him.

“Look. We don’t particularly enjoy pain, but it happens
often so we’re used to it,” Rafe said. “If he knows he can’t rely on the stone
to help him, it will keep him on his toes. It’s better for him. You’ll see.”

Alise watched him with doubtful eyes, but didn’t comment. He
knew best. She
hoped
he knew best. No matter how much he wanted to catch
Gorem, he wouldn’t risk losing another member of the Triad. It was everything
he had. She could at least trust that.

She stared at the door for several more seconds, and when
nothing happened, she asked, “Now what?”

Cassie tried her best not to look at the bloodied body
across the room from her. Vale was pinned to the wall with heavy chains and
appeared to be unconscious. Blood from a gash on his forehead had dried on his
face, but there was more blood pooling on the floor around him. Oddly enough,
she didn’t recall the fight. She only remembered seeing him appear in a place
that had been empty a moment earlier. How badly was he injured, and how long
could he last? He looked bad. Her stomach knotted with worry. She was going to
be sick.

“Now, now. Don’t start throwing up on me. We’re not done
here,” Fabian said.

Cassie winced and curled up in her armchair. Fabian had made
it appear after the last torture episode and let her rest on it. She doubted he
had done it out of kindness, though. He probably didn’t want to get his tunic
dirty by bending over to pick her up from the floor. She didn’t have much
experience with Wizards, but he hadn’t made too much of a good impression on
her.

For the time being, Fabian was busy staring out the window,
much to her relief. As it was getting close to noon by her estimation, the
ghosts had decreased some. With Fabian not showing any sign of noticing their
presence, Cassie still had moments of doubt, wondering whether she was
imagining things.

The one specter who didn’t follow the general pattern
returned. The man—the image was blurred, but Cassie thought it was a man—kept
fussing around Vale. While he didn’t actually touch the Guardian, and she
couldn’t clearly see his features, she could swear there was an expression of
concern mixed with fury written on his face. It felt good to know someone cared
for their fate, even if he didn’t seem able to help much. However, that didn’t
explain who he was.

Gathering her courage, Cassie managed to ask in a shaky
voice, “What are you going to do with him?”

Fabian glanced at the fallen Guardian. “Nothing.” He
shrugged. “He’s no use to me, and Gorem wants him out of the way. If he’s
smart, he’ll stay out.”

Cassie had a feeling that Guardians weren’t smart when it
came to staying out of the way. She stifled a sigh and struggled to look less
scared. They would come for her, wouldn’t they? Vale had. Maybe the others
would be more successful. She could only hope so. Until then, she had to do
something to keep the Wizard’s attention diverted from Vale. Gaining some
information on their behalf would be good, too. But how?

“How long are you going to keep me here?” Cassie asked.

At first, she thought he wasn’t going to bother with an
answer, but then he turned and narrowed his eyes. The look he gave her made
Cassie regret her words.

“For as long as you’re useful,” Fabian said. He kept his
reaction in check, but his demeanor hinted he wasn’t any happier than she was
with the current situation.

“So, the world separates into useful and not useful to you?”

“Of course. How else could it be?” he sneered and, once
again, Cassie had difficulty telling if he was being serious or simply mocking
her.

“But why?”

“Because everything isn’t either black or white like they
seem to believe.” He gestured vaguely in Vale’s direction. “There are many
shades of gray out there, and in order to get to those grays, you need to make
compromises,” he explained with the patience of a teacher confronted with a
slow student.

“Is that what you’re doing here? Compromising?”

Fabian’s face tightened. “Don’t assume you know me because I
have been kind to you and haven’t killed you yet.”

“S–sorry.” Cassie lowered her eyes. “It’s just that…” Her
voice cracked as she whispered, “I don’t want to die. And I don’t want to be in
that kind of pain ever again,” she blurted out. “So I was thinking…” She
hesitated. “If I cooperate, will you spare me the pain?” She held Fabian’s
light blue-gray eyes with hers.

“You want to cooperate? Betray your friends?” He smiled
disbelievingly.

“They’re not my friends,” Cassie muttered. “They destroyed
my home. I don’t want to have anything to do with them.”

“You ungrateful humans…” Fabian laughed quietly, shaking his
head. “What would you be willing to do?”

“Anything. I mean… Don’t make me kill anyone because I don’t
think I could, and you’re probably much better at it anyway.”

“As a matter fact, I am,” Fabian said with what could have
passed for a proud grin. “So, what could you do for me?”

“I could call Alise,” Cassie offered with a hopeful smile.
“I mean, without the fire and the…” She couldn’t say the word
torture
,
“rest.”

“Would you?” Fabian gave her a long, pensive look.

“Just show me how.”

“Nothing’s happening,” Alise said after several minutes.

Rafe ignored her accusing tone. “Well, there’s one thing we
know for sure…” He sighed. “He got in.”

“How do you know he didn’t end up somewhere else?” she
asked. The Wizard could have blasted Vale off into space for all she knew.

“Because if he could let us know what happened, Vale would
have done it by now. The only explanation is that he’s trapped.”

Or dead
. But Rafe didn’t look too worried.

“So, what are we doing now?” she muttered and shifted her
weight, feeling restless. The air burned, and they weren’t getting any answers
by waiting here. She needed to do something. Cassie had to be dying of worry
and fear by now as she didn’t handle stress well.

“I’m thinking…,” Rafe said, standing there like a marble
pillar, unaffected by the heat.

“You’re obviously not trying too hard,” she said
sarcastically.

“If you have any ideas, be my guest,” he replied with the
same tone and waved a hand at her in invitation.

“Actually, I do.” She took a long look at the building with
narrowed eyes. It was massive, sporting the typical architectural style from
the beginning of the past century. Taking it down would be like attacking a
castle. She didn’t want to ask for someone else’s help—the kind of help that
was going to cost them a great deal—but she had no choice. “Come on. Let’s go.”
She turned on her heels and started for the car.

Rafe was instantly by her side. “Where are we going?”

“To see someone. But I can’t introduce you in those
clothes.” She glanced at the Guardian’s leather gear. “He’ll freak out.”

“What’s wrong with my clothes?” Rafe looked down at his
jacket.

“You look like you’re about to beat somebody up,” Alise
said. “I’m surprised no one has called the police.”

He shrugged. “Whatever. So you’re taking me shopping?”

“Yep.”

“Then you’re paying,” he said, not a hint of humor on his
face. “This should be interesting,” he added a moment later.

More like a big pain.
She sighed, but since it needed
to be done, she settled for giving him directions to a fashion boutique on
Stephan the Great Avenue. Rafe followed her lead, more or less, but without
protesting much. Once she began picking out new clothes for him, he started
complaining.

“I don’t like these pants. They have holes in them.”

She looked at the pair of jeans she was holding out for him
to try on. “They’re the latest fashion. And you need to blend in.” Like he
could ever pass unnoticed with his height, broad shoulders, bright blond hair,
and strangely-colored eyes.

Reluctantly, Rafe took the jeans and muttered, “I still
don’t like them.”

Alise shooed him into the fitting room. While he changed,
she tossed him a shirt through the curtains. At least it was white, the color
he seemed to favor.

“I feel naked,” he whined when he stepped outside, carrying
his old clothes in a bag with the boutique’s name on it.

The salesgirl gazed at him from the counter with longing
eyes and let out a dreamy sigh.

Alise gave him an up and down look and smirked to herself.
“Believe me, you’re not. And I wouldn’t complain if I were you. Those clothes
cost half of my paycheck.” They’d probably be stained with blood soon anyway.

“You get paid that little?”

“
You
try to work in this economic climate and see how
well it goes,” she huffed.

“Don’t you miss being able to make clothes out of thin air
and not need any money?” he teased her.

She gave him a pained look. “Not really,” she said, although
he could see right through the lie. Once a Fairy always a Fairy, no matter how
hard she struggled to adapt. “Now drive.” She pushed him towards the car.

Rafe got into the driver’s seat and turned on the engine.
“Where to?”

“Take the second left and go until I tell you to stop.”

A moment later, he said, “Okay. Who are we going to meet?”

“Someone who can help.”

“This someone better be a powerful Wizard,” he muttered.

“He’s not a Wizard,” she said.
Something better.
She
smirked to herself.

Rafe glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “What’s the
plan?”

There was a cruel smile on her face when she answered, “We
blow them up.”