next to me.
“I never should have asked you to return to the academy. I should have sent you to Neamh,” Gabriel says around a sigh. “I feared the judgment you would find for your half-vampire side...much like Henry Ravaric. Even his parents’ use of vampire blood was heavily frowned upon, and to this day, I’m not sure why the Great Light allowed it.”
I curl my hands into fists. “The light is not so great, Gabriel. He is a false god, and every angel will suffer because they follow him.”
“I understand you are angry, but you must see he protects us all. He made the angels,” Gabriel counters.
“And lied to them. No vampire killed an angel to start the war, it was all lies. The Great Light just wanted the vampires gone, so he killed an angel and made it so the war would start. He is a monster!” I protest, and Gabriel shakes his head at me. “You have to see it.”
“You’re wrong,” Gabriel firmly states. “The Great Light is good and pure. It cannot die because it’s a god, and we are born from him. Either way, this is not why I had them bring you to me today.”
“Then why?” I demand.
“Erendriel is going to trial today and will be found guilty of many vampire crimes—”
“And when will the angels be found guilty for murdering an entire race?” I question, but he ignores me as he carries on speaking like I didn’t interrupt him at all.
“And then he will spend time with the light above, which will not be pretty,” Gabriel says, then gulps, and for a second, I swear I see guilt in his eyes, but it is gone too quickly. “When Ren is finished, all the vampires will be killed in a public event in the middle of the city. I have made it so you can die with your mate...as it should be, but I am truly sorry for this.”
“You’re sorry?” I question. “You’re just fucking sorry?”
“Language,” he warns me and goes to place his hand on my shoulder, but I move away. “I also wanted you to know Vesnia has been found not guilty and given her choice. She became a dark angel last night, as did Thallon. Your friends will be safe...isn’t that something?”
“I hope my face haunts you as much as Ren’s did,” I spit out and rush to the door. “You’re a coward, Gabriel, and I once thought you were a good person. I saved your life, and now you are condemning mine!”
“I am sad you see it this way. Knock the door and leave, Kaitlyn Lightson. I’m afraid I will not remember you in years to come like you wish,” he coldly replies, and it cracks something in my heart as I knock the door and step out into the corridor where two guards wait at my side. I wipe my tears as they grip my arms and lead me down the corridor to the end. Just as we get to the door, one of the guards pulls a dagger out of nowhere and steps around me, stabbing the other guard and slamming her hand onto his mouth as he tries to scream. His body slides down the wall as I get a good look at the other guard’s eyes under the helmet. They look just like Henry’s. Looking around, she pulls the helmet off and throws it onto the ground, letting her thick black hair down.
“Do you remember me?” she asks, and it takes me a second before it clicks.
“Hazel?”
Chapter 7
“Yes, we met once at the academy. I knew my brother was in love with you then. I’m so happy he got the girl in the end. Henry got word to me, and I’m not letting my brother’s mate be killed in here,” she softly tells me before sliding the dagger out of the angel’s chest and into a clip at her side. “Now help me move his body into the closet there.” She nods at a door, and I grab the angel’s feet as she picks up his wings before we make quick work of dragging him into the closet and dumping him on the floor.
“Gabriel is making a distraction for you. He told me to say he didn’t mean anything he said, but he is being watched. He said, ‘Save your race and tell Erendriel I made a grave mistake and will take my guilt to my grave,’” she tells me, and I nod, wiping some more tears