All the Queen's Angels

Chapter 2: Run to You

I awaken to the sound of distant explosions, cocooned in his wings. This is definitely not a hallucination.

We're both sitting, my back against his body, his legs wrapped around me, and his wings around both of us. I turn. If he notices I'm awake, he doesn't show it. His eyes are wide in the dim light as they stare blankly ahead.

His hair is longer than I thought, tied back with a strip of leather. Some of the scarlet strands are loose so I reach out to brush one back. He flinches and stares down at me in bewilderment.

I curse myself. Now he thinks I'm crazy and creepy. I'm about to ask him where we are when he clamps a hand over my mouth, bringing a finger to his lips.

The rumbling from earlier grows louder. I look up, expecting to see the domed ceiling of my foyer—instead finding over half the dome caved in. I am now staring straight through the broken glass and into a stormy grey sky.

The chandelier sways precariously in the stale breeze. Our surroundings crumble around us, causing the air to become thick with dust. When the rumbling grows faint again, he finally parts his wings. It begins to drizzle.

We sit in silence, paralyzed by the destruction. All around us are the hulking remains of the Vlahos palace. In ruins.

"This...was not supposed to happen", he whispers.

You don't say?

"The plan was just to relocate you to safety", he says hoarsely. "The plague has been ravaging Gardenia for years now, and the Gardenian crown commissioned me to keep you safe. When I ran into that man the only thing I could think about was getting you out alive so it didn't occur to me that he might be part of something larger...". He trails off, his eyes dull with shock.

A plague. No wonder no one from the palace came when I screamed—they're all dead. As for my parents...I guess I'll find out soon enough. I expect to feel some sort of grief but instead I'm met with a dull hollowness.

Someone shouts orders nearby, followed by the scuffling of several pairs of feet. We scramble into a crouch and keep close to a collapsed wall, his wings still partially shielding us. I peek over the top. Soldiers. A flag is raised with a crest—identical to the one on Knife Guy's chest.

The Vincenzio coat of arms. "A coup", I croak.

As quietly as we can, we hurry along the wall, rubble scuffling under our feet. New voices call up ahead and we pause. Meanwhile the soldiers behind us grow louder. Angel Face swiftly pulls me toward an alcove that's mostly intact and we squeeze behind the decorative statue just as the men march by. I glare at their uniform sporting the traditional light blue and gold of the Vincenzio royal family.

I survey the hall. The rain is pouring harder through the various gaps in the ceiling, forming puddles on the once-plush red carpeting. With the coast clear, we continue our mad dash through the palace ruins, with Angel Face leading the way. The halls have widened and the remaining architecture is more lavish, with grand chandeliers littering the marble floors and gold trim adorning the crumbling walls. The hall opens up to a grand foyer boasting a sweeping staircase and towering pillars supporting a mostly-intact domed roof. In fact, the whole area appears eerily untouched.

I pause in the shadows, unease pooling in my gut, but Angel Face heads towards the main door that is cracked open to show open sky. He beckons and extends a hand and I begrudgingly follow, reaching to grab it when something moves just beyond the door.

In a heartbeat I grab his hand and swivel to barrel across the checkered floor just as soldiers burst through the door. We sprint frantically up the grand staircase and he pulls us to the left into one of the main side halls. I let him lead the way, clutching my skirts that threaten to trip me, and wonder what position he held in the palace to become so well acquainted with the layout. Bullets singe the air as the whiz by, close enough to graze us and we turn into another side hall, running deeper into the palace.