Wingless

Chapter 13 [Lues' POV]

I wake up. Tanith is observing me, greed gleaming in her cat-like eyes. She looks at me like I'm an object that she wants to win. I don't like it. "I refused your offer," I say impatiently. "Why are you still here?" She shrugs.

"I want to meet Celeste," she says. "Where is she?"

"Yeah ... no. She doesn't need to deal with the likes of you," I say. It's true. Celeste's adorable, but she's so innocent and naive. She doesn't deserve having to deal with Tanith - all she's going to do is twist her brain into doing everything she wants her to do.

"You think I'm going to manipulate her into it, don't you?" Tanith says, amusement edging her voice. I blink. Can Fallen Angels read minds?

"I like you, Lues." she says bluntly. "I'm not very good at showing it, I know. But I do. You're the type of demon that isn't cruel. That doesn't treat people like a game they can play." Her voice hardens into ice. "Unlike some I know."

"Who ... was it?" I ask delicately.

Pain rips through her face as if something has slashed through it. "I don't talk about that." She says through forced breath. I nod. 

"You loved him very much?"

"I love him very much," she hissed. "And I hate him - and oh my God. And to think every time I look at you I see him-"

"What?"

"Nothing," she says. "Forget I said anything." I fold my arms and look at her.

"Stop it!" she yells. "Stop it... that's exactly what he used to do... look at me ... look at me like-" 

"Tanith. Who?"

She looks at me, her eyes erupting with self-pity, pain and anger. "Your father, Lues. Your father."

*

Two hours later, and I still haven't stopped setting stuff on fire. My dad has the nerve to make people Wingless when he should have been himself? Call people disgraces for falling in love with other species when he did exactly the same thing? Say that there was no such thing as true love when he has evidently brought it out of Tanith?

Before he dumped her like trash, of course.

The door opens. Celeste's here. I feel warmer, happier. Celeste will know what to do. Angels are brought up to comfort, right? I imagine telling Raven something like this. She'd laugh, then probably blackmail my father with the information - she'd make him promise her everything. Jewels. The throne. Me, probably. I wince. I could never tell Raven. I can imagine Celeste's innocent, sweet face already. I rush downstairs to talk to her.

"Celeste? Are you-" I stop. Her face is pale, bright pink blotching around her puffy eyes, her eyelashes still dripping tears. "Celeste, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she says flatly. Then she notices my own pink eyes and looks at me. "What's wrong with you?" There's still no emotion in her voice. 

What's happened to her?

Celeste's POV

He actually looks happy to see me, like he's interested in me, like he cares. There's nothing that I want more than to run into his arms and hold him tight, but I can't. I can't act. If I do, I know I'll stop acting, and experience this whole pain all over again. I see he's been crying and I can feel my insides screaming to throw my arms around him and ask him what's wrong. But I fight to keep my voice expressionless.

"What's wrong with you?" I ask.

He looks at me and I can see the pain on his face multiply. "Come on," he says. "Let's go upstairs." His own voice is flat but his eyes are glassed over with tears. I've never seen him upset like this before. What does it matter anyway? He doesn't matter.

I go upstairs. "Well, what's wrong?" I ask. I know how harsh it sounds the minute it escapes my mouth but I force my face into an impassive shape. He flinches but continues speaking, his voice still steady.

"My dad. And ... and an angel." 

My eyes widen. He tells me about Tanith, and how she wants him to join her, and I realize everything, and that I was wrong, and that he does love me after all.

I open my arms and squeeze him tight.

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Aww <3 Anyway, I have a HUGE plot twist planned *evil laugh* But I still need ideas of what you guys want to happen? Comment stuff and I will work it into the story (hopefully) :)