Golden Wings

Chapter 30~ Present Day, New York

"Over a millennia ago, before the portals to the Earth were sealed off, the Angels and their darker brethren went to war. The Dark Angels had gone down to the realm of Earth and were possessing humans for the thrill of it. But wherever they went, damage was spread. Families were torn apart, people were caught doing immoral acts, and many humans lost their lives to the Dark Angels carelessness. The war lasted many, many years, but after a long and painful struggle, the Dark Angels were vanquished. They were banished to the realm of Gehenna and the portals between Earth and The Blue were sealed off. The woman who had defeated the Dark Angels, the one who had banished them and later sealed off the portals, was Alexandrine James, and after she won she was named Queen of The Blue."

The story was familiar, I had heard it a thousand times before. It was one thing that was often repeated in The Blue; the reason the portals were sealed off. And the voice telling it was dark and familiar, sarcastic and quippy. The story always ended there when Aunt Jacklyn or Grandfather told it to me; but this storyteller continued speaking, voice dripping with contempt.

"The Dark Angels chose a King of their own. Cowardly and destructive, he was easy to overpower. And so The Queen of Gehenna came to the throne. The Queen of darkness, their leader, their ruler. And she made a promise to her Dark Angels; she promised that one day they would rise again and take back what had once been theirs. The realms would be reunited, portals to Earth unsealed, and she, the Queen of the Dark Angels would rule it all."

As he finished speaking, I started to recognize the voice. The thought combined with the story he had told was enough to make my stomach roll.

"Which leads us to you, Clarisa."

Until that moment, the voice had been in my head, and my body had been floating in space. Now I was brought harshly back to reality, and I became aware of the pain in my head, the harsh burning wetness on my right side, and the roar of...

The ocean.

My eyes snap open, and I try to sit up, only to be prevented by the throbbing pain that courses through my whole body. I grimace and lie back down roughly.

"The Queen will hold up on her promise." Despite my consciousness, he is still speaking. I can hardly concentrate on what he is saying; I'm so busy trying to figure out who he is. "But Raymond James would never have willingly given up his throne... That is, until you."

The voice snaps into place, and I freeze. I know who it is, it's so obvious now but...

But...

"And you, Clarisa, would never have willingly put yourself in a position of danger. That is unless someone you loved was in a position of danger themselves."

His face looms into view, familiar and dark and terrifying.

Edward.

"Which leads us to here, and now." He smirks, but instead of being warmly familiar, the smile is dark and cold and hating. A pendant I had never noticed before hangs around his neck, and I struggle to make out what it is. A dark thread looping around his neck holds a small, blood red bullet, no longer than my pinky. His colourless eyes are narrowed at me, like a secret I don't know. But his eyes are no longer something I would spend hours swimming in, now they cause me to flinch away from his gaze. But his mouths and eyes are not what I notice; I see only his wings. His dark, crow feather wings, veined with purple-red streaks.

The wings of a Dark Angel.

"Edward-" I gasp, petrified. "Your wings-"

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" He cuts me off, chuckling. "I feel they suit me much more than mere silver ones, don't you?"

"But- How..." Panic is bubbling up inside me, and my heart is racing.

"Oh, Clarisa." Edward laughs, throwing his head back. "Your mind is so feeble, it was one of the easiest to convince." As I stare at him in confusion, his wings change to silver, and back to black again. Edward laughs, and at that moment I feel so much love for-

The feeling dissipates. I shake my head, confused and repulsed all at once.

"What are you doing?" I ask, trying not to realize how stupid that question is. I sit up, wincing.

"It's the power, Clarisa, the power that allows this." He holds his hand out, and flames burst from his palms. "It's one of the best parts of the job! It's the power, and with someone as feeble-minded as you, well, I can make you believe just about anything!" He laughs darkly, and it clicks.

"Like I was in love with you..." I say quietly, hurt. "Like I cared about you like you cared about me!" My pitch rises, and my breathing becomes shallower. "And you can make people see things can't you?"

Edward smirks, and that's the only answer I need.

"It was you on the streets today! And in the warehouse..." I trail off as realization and fear dawns on me. "Kyle..." I whisper, and Edward laughs.

"There it is." He mockingly congratulates me, chuckling under his breath.

"Took her long enough." A new voice says. I whip around and everything freezes.

"Wayne?" My voice shakes, and despite the pain, I stagger to my feet.

Wayne stands there, arms crossed, brown eyes blazing like a fire. His usual boyish attire has changed to a dark suit much like Edwards. I watch, gut sinking, as Wayne crosses to Edward and says, loudly enough for me to hear,

"Hate to interrupt this exposition-fest, but we're running low on time, so we should get this started, no?" Edward nods, smiling, and that's when I look around.

We're in the middle of the ocean, almost a mile from shore on the cement block I saw earlier that evening. The sky is dark, but the waves are crashing, and I feel a storm on the horizon. Edward and Wayne are in the middle of the block and I-

I'm standing on the edge.

Panicked, I try to extend my wings, but all I feel is a white-hot pain searing it's way down my back and body, forcing me to my knees.

Blinded by the pain, I don't see Edward as he says, "Oh, right. I must've forgotten to mention that..."

An arm loops around my waist, hoisting me to my feet while pinning my arms to my side simultaneously.

I open my eyes to see Edward smiling at me while he says, "Your magic, weak as it is, won't work out here. For one thing, I've set up a sort of bubble, much like that of Gehenna's. Once you enter, you can't exit, and once inside your power is greatly weakened. And, for another thing, right now you're so close to your weakness that any magic you try won't work at all. Including flying." The pain has faded now, and I notice that the arm restraining me belongs to Wayne.

"Are they coming?" Edward asks, and I feel Wayne nod behind me. "Good," Edward says and tosses Wayne something I don't see. I flinch as he catches it and as he holds it to my throat I realize it's a knife.

"Why are you doing this?" I demand, feeling the knife brush my neck. It can't kill me, but I don't fancy getting cut anytime soon. Besides which, Wayne's arm is to tight around me to allow me to move.

Edward turns to me, a deadly smirk playing on his lips. "You're the granddaughter of Raymond James, Clarisa." He states.

"So?" I ask defiantly, despite the lump growing in my stomach.

"It means that you're the heir to his throne," Wayne says from behind me, voice dark. "The heir to The Blue."