𝐈𝐥𝐥-𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 ✔️

19

V A L E R I A

I'm an angel. I'm supposed to guide people to do the right things, to prevent people from corruption, and yet I let the corrupted lips of a vampire kiss mine.

This was my first time breaking a rule. I expected it to be different. I expected there to be pain, to be consequences, to be drowning in a sea of guilt. Yet I breathe. I don't feel guilty, all I feel are imagined kisses as I think about it in the cafeteria while trying to appear unphased. 

I smile. A real one, not a fake one like I've been showing the world to hide the fact that I'm one thing away from breaking. Adonis Priest, the one person I know I should run from, I'm seemingly in my head running to for happiness.

I move my eyes up. I think maybe I'm not the only person thinking about it. His dark eyes look at mine from across the room, but it's with a completely different look than usual. I rub my lips together to hide my smile as I look down. Nobody knows why he looks at me like that, only me.

"Do you agree, Val?" Hazel asks me. When I hum in response, she repeats herself. "That the killer is gone? There have been no murders in a while."

"Oh, I don't know about that," I say. "I'm sure they're somewhere."

I know they are. The demon must know I'm the only one left. They aren't just going to let me live, especially when they know my face, I don't know what the delay is, but I know the moment is coming when I'll need to fight them off.

I think about telling Adonis. I had nobody else left that I felt like I could trust besides him. I felt as if he would protect me, but I was nervous about him seeing me differently once he knew I'd been lying to him.

The bell rings. I stand up and put my bag over my shoulder to head to class, but when I turn, I bump into somebody.

"Sorry," I try to laugh it off, but that stops instantly when I look up and see whose in front of me.

"Hey Valeria," Azriel smiles.

I force a fake smile and step around him. I began walking to class, trying to get away from him as I remembered what Adonis said to me. Adonis didn't trust Azriel. So I was on edge.

"Running from me?" he says teasingly, but when I don't respond, his eyebrows lower. "Or maybe your psycho boyfriend told you to stay away from me?"

"Not my boyfriend, and not psycho," I say while looking forward. "Now, go walk with your vamps."

He's still following me, he opens his mouth to say something, but I say to a teacher I pass, "Ms. Vines? This new guy needs some friends. Set him up with one?"

She quickly stops him from walking to tell him about the 'friend program' offered by the student council. I smile as I enter the classroom. 

As usual, I sit in front of Adonis. But I sigh to myself seeing Azriel enter the room. 

He takes a seat next to me.

"You must be our new student, Azriel, is it?" the teacher says to him as all the students take a seat.

"Yes, vampire," Azriel answers. "Catch me up. What have we been learning?" 

My teacher began explaining the history we had been learning about angels and vampires, he talked about the place we went for a trip, and he explained how other species were involved. I didn't really pay much attention, I just played with my pencil.

"Don't you think that it was selfish of the angels?" Azriel says. Everybody turns to look at him except certain vampires who don't care about anybody.

My teacher asks, confused, "What do you mean, Azriel?"