Broken Wings (Hidden Wings Series Book Two) (2 page)

“Porthole?”
I asked then realized what he just said. “Wait! Did you just say EIGHTY miles away?”

“Yes, on both accounts.
There are portholes set up across the earth, which transport us to and from the Midway, and to the Otherworlds. It’s mostly for those who don’t have wings.”

“Yet!
We don’t have wings…yet,” Dominic butted in. He wandered back to the kitchen table with a handful of medical supplies, attempting to tend to his own injuries.

“I thought
all Angels had wings?” I questioned.

“No
t all. Guardians, like us, don’t have wings. Eventually, if we move up in ranks, we will earn our wings; but some spend their eternity without them.”

“Why wouldn’t
they give Guardians wings?” I asked.

“
Because Guardians are sent into the mortal world, and they need to blend in and look as human as possible. Showing our wings to mortals is forbidden, so as not to be tempted to show them off, the Guardians aren’t given any. Yes, we are damn good looking, a lot more than the mortal population, but that can’t be helped. It’s all part of the total Angelic package,” Dominic chimed. I heard echoes of laughter from Malachi and Alexander.

“Sure. Whatever
,” I said, rolling my eyes.

Do
minic knew how to lighten the mood of a room. His snarky, pride-filled charm was one of his best traits, along with his good looks and perfect physique. He had mastered his game, but who wouldn’t after being alive for hundreds of years?

As much
as Dominic was what humans call a “lady’s man”, he wasn’t really my type. Then again, I really wasn’t sure what my “type” was. I’d never really had a boyfriend, and never really cared until I was zapped by Kade. Even then, I still wasn’t sure what was up with that.

There was de
finitely a connection between us, but I had no clue how or why until a few hours ago. Samuel and Alaine told me that they had the same connection, and from what little information I gathered from them, it meant that Kade and I were somehow bonded.

T
hat was madness, because even with our unbelievably strong connection, there was no way we could ever be together. Kade was a Pureblood, and I wasn’t. I didn’t want the same thing to happen to him that happened to Samuel. The last thing I wanted was for him to be sentenced to death because of me.

Malachi turn
ed to me with an exasperated look. “Emma, like I said before, Kade knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s been in these kinds of situations many times before, and if anyone can get to the Midway without being detected, it would be him. He’s the fastest of all of us, and I’m sure he’ll be back soon. Hopefully with reinforcements. Just get some sleep. If anything happens…I’ll wake you.”

Wow. Malachi was actually being nice to me. I knew he had it in him, but he liked to play the mean, bad-boy. I don’t think he showed many others his nicer side, and that was fine wi
th me. I could play along. At least now I could rest, knowing that I’d be alerted if anything did happen. 

“Thanks,” I said. It seemed like hours before my mind
finally settled, and sleep found me. And as I slept…I dreamt.

*****

I was suddenly shrouded in darkness and couldn’t see anything around me. I stepped forward into what felt like soft, wet sand and began to sink.

“Help
! Help me!” I screamed. I couldn’t move because my feet were tightly suctioned into what I could only imagine as quicksand. Suddenly, a pair of eyes started glowing in the darkness just in front of me. They were kind, beautiful, and very familiar. They were Kade’s unmistakable hazel eyes.

“Kade!” I
shouted. “Kade, please help me!” But the eyes didn’t move. They stayed put, staring at me with a look of sadness and concern.

Why wasn’t he helping me?

“Kade? Kade?”

I began to question if it was really him.

My body was steadily sinking into the thick gunk below, and there was nothing I could do about it. I was now knee deep, and dared not move a muscle in fear that I’d sink even faster.

Suddenly, another set of ey
es appeared next to the beautiful hazel ones, but these eyes sent a spine-shivering wave of fear through me. It must have been their color, because they were blood red, and blazed with fire.

I
tried to reach out toward the glowing hazel eyes, but I was now waist deep. I stretched out my hand, but the hazel eyes seemed to be getting further and further from me.

“Kade, don’t leave
me!” I screamed, but in an instant the beautiful eyes shut, and disappeared into the darkness.

Fear gripped
my entire being. The red eyes were the only ones that remained. They were now directly in front of me, watching. Then the strangest thing happened. The longer I stared into those red eyes, the more I started to feel like there was something hidden behind them. The burning gaze that was fixed on me actually looked concerned.

I was now
shoulder-deep and could barely breathe, but managed to keep my arms out. The thick muck gripped my chest tightly, slowly constricting it. I reached my hand out towards the red eyes, and felt something grasp it…

“
Wake up! It’s Kade! Hurry!” A panicked voice yelled, yanking me from my sleep. I sat up, breathless, my heart frantically beating. I was trying to focus, when suddenly, all the lights clicked on.

Malachi
was at the front door yanking it open. Dominic and Alexander ran to assist him. As soon as the door swung open, Kade fell limp into Malachi’s arms, and all I saw was red. Dominic and Alexander pushed around them and ran down the tunnel with their weapons in hand.

“
Kade? Kade? Hey man! Are you with me?” Malachi said, shaking him. He quickly carried him to the couch across from me. Kade’s only answer was a groan, but his eyes remained closed.

“What th
e hell happened to him?” I gasped, frozen in place. He looked like he was badly injured.

I
suddenly snapped myself from terror in front of me, and jumped up off the couch. I knelt at Kade’s side and held his hand in mine. It felt very cold and weak. Then a most horrifying realization hit me like a brick.

I was touchi
ng him, and there was no heat… no surges… no feelings of euphoria… nothing!

“
Oh my God! Something’s wrong with him! He can’t die, right? Tell me he can’t die!” Hot tears welled in my eyes as I looked at Malachi for answers. Something was VERY wrong. I couldn’t feel Kade and it scared the hell out of me.

“We
cannot die unless our heads are cut off, or our hearts are pierced with an immortal blade, or ripped out,” Malachi answered.   

“But why isn’
t he responding?” I couldn’t tell what kind of injuries he had, because he was covered with blood.

“I don’t know. Maybe his injuries are to
o extensive for him to heal quickly enough. I’ve never seen an Angel in this bad of a condition. Especially, Kade. He’s too quick for someone to have beaten the shit out of him like this,” Malachi breathed.

I was even more worried, knowing that Malachi was this concerned.

Dominic and Alexander came back in and secured the door.

“It’s clea
r. Kade was the only one who made it through,” Alexander announced.

“Alaine!
Alaine!” Malachi yelled. Her door was still shut, but within a few seconds it swung open. 

“Yes?
” she responded from the room where Caleb was still under her watchful care.

“W
e need your help in here! Now!” he answered. I heard Alaine quickly giving instructions to James, and then she exited the room.

“What’s wrong?” she asked
. Her eyes suddenly caught and steeled onto Kade’s lifeless body on the couch. She gasped and hurried over to us. I moved out of the way so she could get to him. Her eyes furrowed as she checked his pulse. “Malachi, help me get his shirt off.”

Mal
achi lifted his upper body while Alaine tugged his shirt over his head and dropped it on the ground. Kade moaned, but he was still unconscious. There were two noticeable puncture wounds in his chest. Noticeable, because blood was constantly flowing out of them. He also had a deep gash on his right shoulder.

“Dominic
, bring me my medical bag! Quickly!” Alaine yelled. In seconds Dominic was at her side, passing her the bag. She quickly opened it and started pulling out supplies. She took a syringe and vial of fluid, and pushed it into Kade’s arm, then started to clean out his wounds. He moaned again, but his eyes were still shut.

Alexander went into the kitchen to watch the monitors.

“What happened to him?” she asked.

“I don
’t know. I saw him on the monitor entering the tunnel, but didn’t see what happened before that,” Malachi answered.

“Were th
ere any others?”

“None that we know of.
He showed up alone.”

“Where’s his
vial?” Alaine asked in an urgent tone.

“He keeps it in his right p
ocket,” Malachi answered, with narrowed eyes. 

“G
et it and pour some into his mouth, right now,” she asked, cleaning out one of the deeper wounds on his chest.

“W
hy? It doesn’t work on Immortals… only humans,” he responded, confused.

“I
know that. Something’s happened to him. I don’t understand how, or why, but right now…Kade
is
human.”

“What?!?”
The room exploded with gasps, confusion, and murmurs.

“Look,” she said, tilt
ing his head to the side. She pushed the hair back from behind his ear, revealing nothing. His mark was gone. There was nothing, not even a scar.

I’d never
really seen Kade’s mark, so I didn’t know what I was looking for. From what I learned, each Angel was born with a special mark, a mark that was unique to them alone. Their insignia. It was that mark which distinguished them from all others.

The ro
om fell silent. Malachi, Dominic, and Alexander stared sadly at their wounded brother, who was now barely holding onto life.

Could Alaine be right
? Was Kade really human? And if he was…how?

It was difficult to
watch him lying there, quiet and still, beaten and barely hanging on. Just a few hours ago he was strong, fearless, and full of life - slaying demons and saving my life. He was my hero, my Knight-in-Shining-Armor. 

“Just do it
Malachi, and hurry,” Alaine scolded.

Malachi must have been in
shock over her last words. He quickly snapped from his thoughts, reached into Kade’s pocket, and pulled out the blue vial. He twisted the top off, lifted his head a little, and poured half of its contents into Kade’s mouth. Kade coughed a bit, but swallowed. A few seconds later, he groaned, and his eyes popped open. They were red and glazed over, filled with pain and confusion.

“Kade,” Alaine nudged. His eyes suddenly rolled back and then closed again.

“We need to get him stabilized so we can get some answers from him.” Alaine looked worried, and her eyes looked weak and weary. She also looked like she was going to pass out.

“How is o
ur perimeter?” Malachi called to Alexander, who made his way back into the kitchen and was watching the monitors.

“Fine so far. I
don’t think they saw where he came in. He was probably injured taking out the ones that were near the entrance because there is blood splattered all over the walls. Right now, I can only see about three Darkling wandering around the outside, but they look completely lost. Frickin’ idiots. There are no signs of the Fallen, and I’m pretty sure the Darkling won’t find the entrance anytime soon. We should be safe, at least until morning.”

“T
he Fallen are definitely out there, waiting. We just need to be ready in case they do find the way in,” Malachi answered.

“I
f they do, I’ll know and will alert the rest of you. I’ll make sure to wake
all
of you if there’s any action,” he chimed, wiggling an air horn in his fingers.  

“
Yes, don’t forget to keep your weapons close,” Alaine said with concern.

I spent the next few hours
watching her carefully stitch and bandage Kade’s wounds. I didn’t move an inch. I just sat still, watching her fingers work like magic. She toiled, tediously and tirelessly, until her work was finally complete, and when it was…it was perfect. She definitely knew what she was doing.

“
Nothing vital was punctured, so he should be fine after lots of rest,” she whispered loudly enough so I could hear. I glanced up at her, and a half smile grew on her weary face. “Malachi, could you please take Kade into the middle room? Danyel is in there now, but it’s closer and will be easier for me to go in between, to check-up on both Caleb and Kade. I hope Danyel doesn’t mind.”