An Angel's Crusade (An Angel's Wings Sequel)

Chapter Three: Guilt

Kinsley

Watching Alex walk away with Iris and Asher made Kinsley's heart throb a bit. She looks around her and notices that she's basically surrounded by White Angels who hate her. Who blame her for their friend's death. She partly blames herself for Leo, but Alex doesn't, and maybe Iris didn't either. And now both are gone, and she's alone.

"Where are they going?" Payton asks, her voice worried and still a bit sad.

"I think they're taking them to see their leader," Gabriel answers. They're holding hands so tightly that Kinsley can see their fingers turning white. "They'll be back," he adds. He turns to face her and he gives her an encouraging smile. "Don't worry."

Payton smiles, but it's weak.

"We should be with them," Bailey says angrily. "We should be meeting the leader too."

"And you will," a voice says behind them.

Kinsley reaches for her sword and readies for a battle, but when she turns around she only sees a White Angel around her age, maybe a few years older, standing with his hands in his ripped jeans pockets. He has green eyes, not as dark as Owen's, but not as bright as Iris'. His hair is chestnut brown, though Kinsley can see blood splattered into it. He's wearing a shirt that is smeared with blood. The shirt itself is ripped into ribbons, but the White Angel doesn't seem to care.

Kinsley must have been staring at him because he looks down at himself and gives a small laugh along with a smirk. "Oh, don't worry, not all of it is my blood, most isn't.

Kinsley stares at him hard. "So, you're telling me that you're covered in my people's blood?"

The White Angel's smirk quickly disappears. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about that."

Kinsley narrows her eyes. "It's fine. I'm covered in it too."

The White Angel seems to relax.

"Who are you?" Bailey asks in a less than friendly voice.

"Aiden Davis," he says, unfazed by Bailey's rudeness. "I'm here to escort you all to your tents."

"Tents?" Bailey echoes, her eyebrows furrowing. "What are you talking about?"

"If you think we're staying here‒" Gabriel starts, but a voice cuts him off.

"We are." Kinsley turns around and sees Asher walking up to them. "We have nowhere to go, the White Angel troops are offering us their hospitality and protection for the night."

Payton steps forward. "Where's Iris?"

Asher's creamy brown eyes flick to the small dyed auburn haired human. "She's fine. She's with Alex. They're talking to their leader."

"You just left them?" Payton asks bewildered. "We don't know these people."

"I can assure you," Aiden cuts in. "We aren't going to kill you."

Payton gives him a look. "Yeah, because I should trust you."

He shrugs, choosing his battles wisely.

"They're fine, Payton," Asher reassures her. "You know Alex wouldn't let anything happen to Iris."

Kinsley's heart throbs again. Time to change the subject. "So, tents."

Aiden turns to her and something washes over his face. Something that Kinsley's been seeing a lot of in the past few hours. "The White Angels will be escorted to the tents where they will be staying. You on the other hand will be escorted to a place where you will be evaluated." Kinsley almost laughs. Of course. They're probably going to take her in the woods and execute her. Maybe she would've been better off with her own kind after all. "We'll also need you." Kinsley follows his gaze to the other Dark Angel of the group.

"What?" Asher protests. "Charlie's not one of them, he never was!"

Aiden remains calm. "We just need to make sure. We can't simply take his brother's word for it, it's a little biased."

"Ash, it's fine," Charlie says. "They need to be sure, I've got nothing to hide."

Aiden smiles. "Good." He gestures to a couple of White Angel soldiers behind him and then smiles back at the tense White Angels. "If you'd go with Oliver and Dylan here. They'll take you to your tents, Miss Cooper and Mr. Storm should be there soon." He turns to Kinsley and Charlie who is now standing beside her. "And if you would follow me."

"You aren't taking my brother anywhere," Asher says standing beside his twin. "Not without me."

Aiden practically glares at Asher, maybe hoping he'll back down, but when it's clear he isn't going to, he nods. "That's fine."

Kinsley notices Asher's body relax a bit.

"Ash," Bailey says, her voice tense.

"Just go with them, Bailes. Make sure everybody has their wounds tended for while we're gone. Alex will be with you soon." Asher gives her a nod and Bailey returns it.

Kinsley watches the light brown-haired White Angel closely. She watches as her hard green eyes flick to Charlie, and turn soft. She gives him a small smile. She wants to go with him, but she knows she has to stay with Gabriel and Payton. Suddenly they meet Kinsley's gray gaze and they turn hard again.

She hates her. She blames Kinsley for Leo, and she probably always will.

"Let's go." Aiden's voice causes her to break the tense glare.

Kinsley kind of hopes they're taking her to her execution. Maybe all the guilt will go away then.