Angels in the Abyss

CHAPTER 8 - THE DEVIL

"He did what?!" Sylus froze, staring at me in disbelief.

I met his gaze briefly before glancing around the weapons room, only to find Imara's eyes locked on me, wide with shock.

I turned back to Sylus. "I'm fine, Sy. He can't kill me. I'll be okay."

Sylus's eyes drifted to my neck, which was hidden beneath my scarf. Without warning, he pulled it away, revealing the bruises forming on my skin.

His expression darkened. "Are you fucking kidding me? Sure, he can't kill you, but what good is that if he can hurt you like this? Or worse, next time?"

Imara approached me, her face etched with concern. She reached out, gently touching the bruises on my neck. I winced and stepped back. Her expression quickly turned to anger.

"Sylus, I don't care what deal you made with that bastard. I'm killing him myself."

She marched toward the door, with Sylus close behind. Before they could leave, I stepped in front of them, blocking their path.

"Stop. I'm not letting you do something stupid."

Imara crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at me. "Move."

I stood my ground, refusing to budge.

Just as Imara seemed ready to push past me, Sylus stepped in, placing himself between us. He gently grasped my arms. "Indigo, we just don't want to see you get hurt again."

I shook off his hold and turned away. "You made a deal."

"And I'd normally keep it, but you're my top priority. I'm not just going to stand by and let him do this to you."

I faced him again, my voice steady. "And what about what I want? You both supported me until one incident happened. I told you I wanted to do this. Stop doubting me!"

Sylus took a step back, hesitating. "I don't doubt you—"

"Well, that's how it feels! You both think I'm fragile and need protection. I appreciate the concern, but I'm fucking sick of the coddling. Please, just let me handle this."

Sylus remained silent, clearly torn. He looked at the floor before sighing, then met my gaze. "Fine, we'll let you do this." He turned to Imara. "Right, Imara?"

She didn't respond, her eyes fixed on a distant point, refusing to meet ours.

Sylus stepped into her line of sight. "Imara."

She rolled her eyes, then turned to glare at me. "Fine, but we'll be there every step of the way. And if anything else happens, you come straight to us."

"Yes, of course."

"Good." She stormed off toward the stairs, slamming the door behind her.

My eyes stayed fixed on the door she'd disappeared through until Sylus moved in front of me, blocking my view. "It's okay, Indy. She just needs some time."

I nodded, then buried my face in his chest, wrapping my arms around him. I missed his comfort. He held me tight, whispering, "Please be careful, my dove."

We stood there, holding each other for a long time. I wished it could last forever.

꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ 

It was late at night, and I was back in my bed. Sylus had hesitated to drive me home, but there was no way he'd win that argument. As I settled into my pillow, I heard the front door slam shut. Instantly, I jumped out of bed and looked out the window facing the driveway. A familiar figure crossed the front yard, heading toward the backyard.

Atlas fucking Blackwood.

I quickly moved to the other window with a better view of the back. I watched as he approached the greenhouse, and just before he entered, his wings appeared on his back. I couldn't help but watch in awe, mesmerized by how effortlessly he did it. Snapping out of it, I hurried out of the bedroom.

I tiptoed quietly through the hallway and down the stairs, rushing to slip on my shoes. Doing my best to avoid making a sound, I slipped out the front door.

Scanning the front yard, I tried to figure out the best way to approach the greenhouse without being noticed.

Our estate was surrounded by trees. Through the woods it was. As fast as I could, I darted across the yard and made my way to the nearest tree, hiding behind it.

I continued moving from tree to tree until the greenhouse came into view.

Finally, I reached a tree directly behind the greenhouse. Peeking around the edge, I saw three winged figures—fallen angels—all gathered together, with Atlas among them. I narrowed my eyes, trying to get a clearer look, and realized the other two were Bastian and Lyra.

I glanced around, assessing whether it was safe to move closer. The trees provided cover. Staying low, I slowly tiptoed toward the greenhouse, keeping myself crouched. I finally reached the back of the greenhouse, positioning myself just below a slightly ajar window. Lucky for me, the small opening allowed me to eavesdrop on their conversation.

I recognized Atlas's husky voice. "We need a sacrifice as soon as possible; this isn't an opportunity we can afford to miss."

"Good luck with that because I'm terrible at picking up girls," Bastian chimed in, his tone as casual as ever.

"I just got my nails done, so that's not my problem," Lyra added, her voice dripping with her usual vanity.

I could almost see Atlas rolling his eyes. "I've already tried once. I can't be the only one taking this seriously."

"You tried? You didn't even follow through," Lyra shot back, her words biting. "You should've just killed the bitch. We wouldn't be in this mess right now."

I nearly scoffed at her callousness.

"I'm not killing my step-sister," Atlas snapped. "Do you know what would happen if my mom found out? How this could ruin everything? We've already had to flee London to end up here—I'm not making things worse than they already are."

"Yeah, and now your step-sister and her fallen angel hunter freak are all over us. Great job, babe."

A loud crash echoed through the room, and I nearly leaped from my hiding spot, but I forced myself to stay composed.

"Atlas, come on, man, no need to get mad. Let's just be one big happy family. Anyone up for a hug?" Bastian's attempt at lightening the mood was met with a scoff.

"Bastian, I will literally kill you," Atlas growled.

"Yup, got it, zipping it up now."

Atlas sighed heavily. "You need to understand how serious this is. If we don't get a female sacrifice soon, we won't have Lucifer's protection. We're still on the run; the angels could find us at any time. With this, we wouldn't have to run anymore. We could finally live a normal life."

My eyes widened in shock. Lucifer? As in the Devil? How could they possibly be connected to him?

"Immunity would be nice," Lyra said. "I wouldn't have to keep searching for a decent hair stylist."

I'd heard more than enough for now. I needed to get this information to Sylus and Imara immediately.

Just as I was about to retreat and crawl back behind a tree to make my escape, a shadow loomed over me, two massive wings enveloping me in darkness.

Someone stood right behind me.