whispers to me, his warm breath blowing against my cheek. “If anyone can reason with Ren, it’s you. You’re his mate, his chosen queen, and he speaks fondly of you even when you ran away. Change the academy, Kaitlyn.”
“Will he not listen to you then? Why do I need to change things alone? You’re a fucking angel too!” I question, pushing him away from me, but he doesn’t let go. “And why are you even close to him?”
“When you’re not angry and in shock, I will tell you,” he replies and lets go of my arm. I miss his touch the second it is gone, and I’m sure my face gives that away, but Henry thankfully points at something in the distance. I step forward, gulping down disgust when I see Vesnia. She has a gold chain on her neck, and it leads to a young vampire with black hair and muscles for days. Her eyes stay on the vampire the whole time, but she doesn’t look broken or scared. Her clothes look washed, and overall she doesn’t seem in such a state as many of the other angels are. “I made sure Vesnia was paired with a good vamp. Bryne Maddix is a bit of a Welsh arsehole, but he won’t hurt her or force her to be fed on. That can’t be said for most.”
“Thank you for taking such good care of my best friend,” I dryly tell him. We stare each other down until some people pass us and I remember Thallon. “Where is Thallon?”
“In the dungeons with the teachers,” he tells me, and this he does look guilty about. I can hardly look at him as we stare at each other. “I don’t like the fucker, but I am sorry he is down there.”
“Let’s just go,” I sigh.
“Wait,” Henry touches my arm again, and I gulp. Contact between us is not making it easier to stay mad at him. “Where did you go when you ran away? Why do you smell like a dog, and why are you really back?”
“I smell like a dog?” I question with a furrowed brow. “Real smooth compliment there, Henry.”
He sheepishly grins, and I almost laugh until someone cries out in pain nearby, reminding me of, well, everything. Any humour between us drifts away as reality waits for us, and it’s not pretty. “Take me to Thallon, Henry.”
The dungeons are just what I expected them to be like. Dark, doomy, and they smell like damp things gone wrong. After walking down endless flights of stairs, we come to a large room with two gated sides. In the one prison are some of my old teachers, and I pause as they turn to look at me. They all look in rough shape, some of them are missing their wings, and all that is left is feathers on the ground. No one speaks, and the horror of the room makes me freeze, feeling so lost I don’t know how to react.
“Kaitlyn?” Thallon’s deep voice grumbles, and I turn towards his voice, seeing him alone in the other cell on the dirt. My heart beats like a drum as I rush to the bars, and he slowly stands up by holding the bars, wobbling as he does. Thallon does not look good—in worn clothes, covered in dirt and looking thinner than he was the last time I saw him. And oh my gosh, the smell in here is terrible. But gods, Thallon makes my heart pound all the same. Dirt and misery can’t hide who he is to me.
I don’t give a monkey’s ass what he looks like…he is my Thallon.
“Let him the hell out. Now, Henry!” I all but scream as Thallon just about holds himself up on the bars, and I look down to see his leg is bleeding through his trousers. Henry grabs the keys and unlocks the door, and Thallon instantly falls onto me, and I nearly drop him, but Henry helps.
At least he is finally helping. Gods, I’m so mad at him, but I will deal with Henry later.
“I missed you,” Thallon mutters in my ear, and I reach my hand up, resting it on his forehead.
“He is burning up and bleeding. We need a healer, Henry,” I demand. Henry grunts and lifts Thallon over his shoulder before straightening up.
“Agreed. Fly up with me,” he says before stretching his wings out and flying up the staircase. Well, if he can do it. I take a deep breath, stretching my