Cursed Demon Kissed 2 Page 0,18

became the evil one foretold in the prophecy. Until then, she was trying to keep me from that path. As far as I could tell, I wasn't on it. I didn't choose what happened to me. It was all fate. I had no control over anything. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time; which was a classic Ivy occurrence, but on a larger scale. Now instead of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and walking into a bully, I would be walking into Hell. Maybe I did bring things on myself.

Irritation shot through me. I had to go see if I could find the entrance into the Underworld that Al told me about. It was my ticket out of this place. And it pained me horribly to feel so damn helpless. Collin had been gone for three months. Three months! Meanwhile, I'd been up here finding nothing. Now that I knew what to look for, I hoped it wouldn't be much longer. He needed me. I abruptly turned around and headed toward the archives.

I was so close to finding what I needed. Now I knew the location. The entrance was somewhere in the tombs. I just had to find the correct location and figure out how to access get inside. As I walked down the hall, like I'd done so many times before, I shoved my hands in my pockets. If I encountered a Martis while walking, the guard would close in on me, reminding me that I was a prisoner, and also showing the Martis that they were safe from me. It was a joke really, because they hadn't taken my ruby ring away. They had no idea I channeled my powers through it. I could leave whenever I wanted - efanotate away - and they'd have no clue how I escaped.

Leaving this place was beyond tempting but there were two things here that I had to have before I could depart, the location of the entrance, and Apryl's Celestial Silver comb. The Martis took it from me when I arrived, which was rather pointless since I couldn't kill them with it. They said it was theirs, for a Martis warrior, which I was not. I hadn't seen it since, but there was no way I was leaving without it. As soon as I gleaned the information I needed from the archives, I'd find my comb, and get out of this place.

I rounded the corner, and cut through another courtyard that smelled sweet with winter flowers. This was the fastest way to the library. The guard closed in on me as we approached a Martis. The woman sneered at me as we passed. Considering that the Martis were supposed to be good guys, most of them were awful. It didn't dawn on anyone that I was still human, and in possession of my ravaged soul. No one remembered that I still had angel blood flowing through my veins, and that I should have been their sister Martis. No. Instead, they viewed me as an abomination and made sure I knew it.

I stared at the Martis as I passed, refusing to let her get the better of me. I was leaving soon. The Martis wouldn't chase me into the Underworld. I'd ditch the guard, and finally be on my way to rescue Collin. It'd been so long that I was sure he thought I wasn't coming.

His blue eyes and soft touch raced through my thoughts, causing my stomach to stir. The night he saved me, and took my place, he said words that I'd never forget - I love you. I didn't respond at the time. I said nothing, watching him fall inside the pit, taking my place.

I suck.

I kicked open the library door, my mood turning darker. The guard scribbled something on his pad behind me. I turned to him irritated, "Oh, and you guys never get mad, and kick a door, right? You're always perfect all the time." They said nothing, not acknowledging that I spoke.

They sucked, too.

I walked into the room. Massive walls stretched to the ceiling covered in whitewash, thick wooden shelves with thousands of books and ancient texts went all the way to the top. The room was gleaming white. I had no idea how they kept everything so clean. The floors, walls, ceiling, bookcases - all of it was pristine, like it was brand new despite its age. The impossibly high books on the top shelves were so