Fate

26

Chapter 26

I sat down beside Aryan on the bed and pulled a feather from my wings. My eyes felt puffy and though I'd taken a hot shower to calm my nerves, it didn't help much.

Aryan grabbed my hands and ducked his head down to look me in my eyes. "Hey, are you alright?"

I shook my head, unable to talk. I was having a hard enough time holding back tears. Saying anything would just make it even worse.

He moved closer to me and lifted my chin. "Can I help?"

I hated to stay so silent and not tell him anything. But I was tired and hurting and nothing was helping. Nothing.

"Julia, please. Tell me what you're thinking."

"I don't know what to do."

"About Andreas?"

I nodded and stared down at my hands again.

"You're afraid of him."

I nodded again. Of course I was afraid of Andreas. He'd put me through hell and threatened me so many times. I was sick and tired of dealing with him.

He pulled me into his arms and wrapped his arms around me tightly. "You know we'll protect you, Julia. We won't let him hurt you."

"But he'll hurt you and Lucy and Kellan and everyone I love."

"We won't let that happen."

"How can you say that? After all he did to me, and you, how can you sit there and tell me everything will be fine?"

"We got out of there and beat him. You healed. And we're all fine. We're stronger than him."

"Then why can't we kill him?"

"He's strong. We just have to be stronger." Lucy said, standing in the doorway.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"My father was not always a bad man. He had dark thoughts, yes, but he didn't act upon them. He grew up in Rome. He stayed in the shadows for several centuries. He was an introvert, brought on by the fact he had seven other brothers and sister. This helped him shock everyone when he turned evil. When he met my mother, he gave up his control to her. He worshipped her more than necessary and it drove her mad. She had me then... she killed herself. That was the turning point for my father. He stopped believing in love and fought to destroy it whenever he had the chance. I've always thought that was the reason I could never... find someone." She glanced at Kellan beside her and heat crept up into my face. I felt like I was intruding on them.

She continued, unphased from what had just happened. "He lost his wings around the time the United States were claimed. He was in Europe and was telling humans of angels. God was furious and rightfully so. You don't go around telling humans that Angels exist. Not unless you're God himself. I was not in Europe at the time but I remember hearing the news of his banishment. God struck him with lightning and ripped his wings from him. Not all angels can regrow their wings and God made sure Andreas was among those. Andreas turned his back on everything he knew and set out to make an army of his own. He was failing until you were born. Word got out to him and I believe he had spies watching me at the time. He was growing stronger while you were growing older. I didn't know of his plans to harm you until it was too late and he already had."

"How do I defeat him?"

Her eyes widened and the look she gave me made me scared to be sitting so closely to her. "You aren't going to set foot near him."

"I'm the only one he wants. If you go, he'll kill you. There's no question about it."

"I'm not giving him what he wants."

"What if I do?" Aryan asked.

I almost punched him. Almost. "Are you insane? Do you want to die?"

"He didn't harm me once when I was at the lab. Not even when I fought him and broke his assistant's arm. I can go back and get in his good graces once more."

"You are not sacrificing yourself for me."

"It's safer than you going."

"He won't kill me. You know that. He wants to use me."

"You're too vulnerable to his plans." Kellan said.

"Thanks for the confidence." I said dryly, looking at the three of them with narrowed eyes. I wanted to prove I was strong and could take care of myself but they never gave me the chance. I couldn't even get away from the lab without Aryan there to help me.

"We just don't want you to get hurt." Lucy said, looking at me sympathetically.

"We still don't have a plan of action here."

"I may be of assistance." Holden said, standing in the doorway, a grin on his face. "I hope you don't mind that I let myself in."