Sing, Canary - Ashley Amy Page 0,46

that spot because of the tray only being removed for toileting. From here, I could smell that the years still hadn't dissolved what had been there.

"There's something under here..." Bring out her hand, she opened her palm to me. I had been too focused on her abilities to remember she needed gloves.

Rushing to my bag, I pulled out a pair for each of us. She worked them on and reached her hand back into the hollowed area.

Elbow deep, I could hear the sound of papers rustling as her fingers tried to gain a good hold. With a few grunts and reaching further in, she pulled out a stack of documents.

I took them from her as she crawled out of the cage. My free hand helped her stand before she dusted off her knees.

We moved over to the old desk Gideon used to give orders to the newly turned vamps. Simone didn't look up from her find as we flipped through the papers that told us we were on to something.

Though, when my eyes fell on a piece of it, I wasn't ready. It was a family tree, dating back to when Barcel had been turned. I followed the two centuries of lineage that grew from his daughter's line only to find the woman next to me.

In the newest generation, Simone's face filled the slot. The woman beside me wasn't just anyone.

Barcel had picked her to be turned for a reason. He had her arrested for a reason. That one thing was her being his final heir. Simone Barclay was Barcel's last living relative. I had a feeling her last name was a tribute to him as well.

In her mortal death, he just secured his power from no more heirs being bred.

She gasped beside me, turning to run for the outside. On the porch, I could see her doubling over to vomit over the railing.

Her body shook as she lost everything inside her stomach.

I understood it. My own stomach soured, thinking about the things I knew Barcel did to her in prison. No longer willing to say nothing, I moved to Simone's side.

My fingers helped hold her hair back as her wail came with the vomit. She turned into my chest, knowing I was a safe place for her.

"He-he..." she couldn’t get the words out, but I already knew. I knew what that monster did to someone of his family line.

"I know, Simone. It takes a sick man to do such a thing, but we both know how far off the deep end he's always been."

I held my woman's lover to my chest as she mourned something someone should never have to. A family member was the one who had been using her body. Even though he was generations back, it didn't change knowing what he did to her.

Guiding her to the car, I'd go through the rest of the paperwork in my office. Simone did her part. Without her, we would've never known Barcel's motive behind trapping her.

Now, I just prayed there was something else in here about Delilah to free Roan.

30

Roan

The two new guys were huddled near my cell. The lion and the older angel were my closest neighbors in this place. Though, I was not sure why the other dark angel that was not Augustine was in his cell.

Not that I cared much.

Rolling my eyes, I simply remained silent while passing their chamber. I didn't need to bother with frivolous things such as their conversation.

Though as I stepped on the other side of their block, I heard a name I hadn't been expecting. Lyra's name was only a whisper, but I heard the dark one murmur it to the lion.

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw the lion punch the wall in his fit of rage. He yelled his mourning as his fists pounded into the cement of the wall. Even with his animal being caged within him, I could see his natural strength cracking the concrete.

"She didn't deserve what we did, Caine! She didn't deserve to be picked on by us!" he cursed whatever pastime he was recanting. “And now you’re telling me she’s been hurting herself this whole time?!”

"Lyra will be fine, Ax. I killed Dolion. I slaughtered the man who hurt her." The angel moved to the lion, turning his body to embrace him. It was then I realized they were lovers of their own. Their lips only brushed like a breeze, but they shared a single moment during their grief. “I promise, we’re going to