Secrets And Sins Part 3: Happy ever after

Chapter 59

~Ava~

"Are these really necessary?" She asked her stone-faced escorts as they led her through the winding hallways. "I promise to behave."

Each step she took was accompanied by a metallic rattle from her new accessory, cerulean shackles. The cuffs dug uncomfortably into her wrists and though Ava wasn't particularly surprised by the step up in security after the last time she was allowed out of exile, it really wasn't helping her irritability.

Bea had been forced to leave her hours ago, Halo coming to retrieve her exactly when they said they would. Now that Ava knew she was so close, and in danger from the homicidal angels inhabiting this stupid Citadel, it was driving her crazy. She knew Bea could take care of herself, she did, but Ava would've preferred to keep her fiancé as far away from this fucked up place as possible.

"Michael's orders." One guard grunted without looking at her.

"Of course they are." She didn't bother to suppress her sarcasm. "And if Michael told you to jump off a bridge, would you?"

Disappointingly, neither angel took the bait, and Ava fell into a sullen silence. She didn't know why she was being taken to the amphitheater or where Halo and Gabriel had disappeared to. She hadn't seen either of them all night. But when the door opened ahead of her, another guard letting them into the brightly lit pit, it became apparent what was going on...

"A parlay?" Ava's face scrunched up. "With who?"

"With whoever is in charge."

"That would be the Council headed by my douchebag of an uncle..." Ava scowled. "Michael."

"Michael as in..." Mary glanced at Lilith who sat quietly beside her, but the other woman didn't seem to be paying attention to the conversation. Instead, she picked at a thread at the edge of the bedcovers. Ava really wanted to ask what was going on with her but knew they were running out of time.

"Yes, that Michael," she said, making a face. "He sucks and I can guarantee he won't listen."

"He doesn't need to; he just needs to let us inside."

She considered that for a moment. "And once you're inside?"

"We flip as many Councilors as we can." Mary lifted Lilith's hand into her lap, Ava could see her thumb rubbing across her knuckles. "Overturn Michael and his, make them pay for what they did..."

Lilith smiled a little at that and Mary grinned, bringing Lilith's hand to her lips and brushing a kiss to where her thumb had just been caressing.

"And if he finds out?" Ava pressed, refocusing on the moment at hand. "Is there a Plan B?"

"Oh, there's a Plan B all right." Mary's grin widened as she looked back at Ava, "our secret weapon that the angels don't know about."

Ava leaned forward. "What's that?"

"Plan B." Mary announced with an air of triumph.

She didn't get it. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Oh my god, Ava, the one time I try to make a pun..." Mary's face fell as she groaned.

Ava still had no idea what she meant. "A pun?"

"B as in Beatrice, B as in Bea?" Lilith offered quietly, amusement shining in her eyes.

"Oh! Bea..." Ava's smile felt as unsure as she did about this plan. "I get it..."

"She killed one before, if we can get Halo back into you as well, nothing will be able to stop us. We can break you two out of here."