(BLAINE)
Zane is sitting in Kian's study, hands wringing in his lap. Anxiety radiates off him, but so does curiosity.
When I used my power to see his soul, I saw nothing but kindness. Perhaps a little snark too, of course, but nothing bad. The only person he's ever harmed was himself—emotionally, anyway. I couldn't read his mind with my power. I could only judge his character.
But he clearly doesn't see himself the way I do. Not that I see him in any special way. Not at all.
I'm so fucked.
Kian had tried contacting Cyrus again about the run-in with Godric but received no response. First things first, we need to know what we are dealing with. The box was the answer. Everything that had happens lately revolves around it.
Kian opens the safe in the wall and grabs the box tucked inside.
"So I just need to open it?" Zane asks. "That's all?"
"Yes," I answer, standing beside his chair.
"Why can't you?"
"The warding against angels prevents us from doing so," Kian says, walking over. "We're only half angel, but the warding is strong."
"Why would someone block angels from opening it?" Zane asks with a shake in his voice. "It's just a ring."
"That's what I'll find out." Kian places the box on his desk.
"Come here."
Zane's wide, nervous eyes flashes to me. The fact that he looked to me for reassurance causes warmth to trickle through my chest.
I am not used to being a safe place for anyone. I am used to people fearing me and being intimidated in my presence.
But Zane, even though we argued the last we spoke, trusts me for whatever reason.
I nod to him. "It's okay."
He stands and walks over to the desk.
Noise from the hall draws my attention, and I look over to see Thereon Kaiser standing in the doorway. Loki is beside them, his brown eyes peeking around Thereon's arm. Kian brings a hand up to rest near his mouth, his expression pensive. "Open it."
With a trembling hand, Zane undoes the latch and opens the lid.
Right away, I felt the power contained inside. Kian feels it too. He seems to lose his balance a little before resting his hands on the desk. His pale eyes shift to me.
What I see leaves me cold.
He rarely shows such worry. His arrogance and prideful nature keeps him cool in tense situations.
But now? Fear.
A whimper sounds behind me. Loki has jumped behind Thereon and pressed his face into the larger male's back.
"What in the shit is that?" Kaiser asks, muscles tensing.
"It feels so…" "Dark," Thereon says.
"Powerful," Kian added.
"Too powerful."
"I don't feel anything," Zane says, glancing at all of us.
"Should I take it out of the box?"
"I will now that it's open," Kian says, moving aside the red cloth and pulling out a ring. As it touches his skin, he losest a bit of his strength and has to rest his hip against the side of the desk.
It had a gold band and a large green stone in the center surrounded by what looks like rubies. "Is that writing?" I ask, noticing an engraving along the band.
Chills spread along my arms as I step closer, but I ignore the feeling. Kian's brow furrows as he concentrates.
"The language is demonic. It's a type of binding spell."
"Binding for what?" I ask.
"I don't know." And Kian hates not knowing. It is a shot to his ego.
He turns the ring between his fingers, studying the engraving.
A flap of wings sounded as Cyrus lands in the garden outside the window.
Zane screamed and flings backward into the wall. "He… he just appeared. Out of nowhere." He blinks a few times before focusing on me. "Did that really just happen?"
Cyrus opens the glass door of the patio that leads into the study and walks inside. Zane continues staring at him, his complexion paling.
"I have to be seeing things," Zane says. "He has wings. Real wings. This can't be real."
"Enough of your noise, human," Cyrus says to Zane before turning his back to him. He strides toward Kian, his white wings tucked to his sides.
"What have you found?"
"This." He hands over the ring before motioning to the box. "It has demon and angel warding. The home it came from is warded as well."
Cyrus grabs the ring and examines it.
His hair matchees the shade of his pure white wings, and his blue eyes have flecks of gold. He looks no older than thirty, even though he'd been around since the dawn of time.
"Where did you find this?" Cyrus asks, unable to hide the unease in his voice.
"The human," Kian answered.
Zane's eyes widen when Cyrus faces him. I stepped closer to his side, and he presses against me.
"You." Cyrus walks toward him, holding the ring up. "Speak. Where did you find this?"
"In a box," Zane answers. "I mean, it came from a crate with a bunch of other stuff. I bought it at an auction from the Lockwood Mansion."
"Do you know what it is?" I ask the angel.
"A binding ring," Cyrus answers. "The power inside is strong. And impossible."
"What do you mean by impossible?" Kian asks. "What is it?"
"I need to speak with Uriel."
Cyrus leaves the study and walks back into the garden before spreading his wings.
Zane gasps again as the angel flies out of sight. "I… that…" He blinks and slumps forward a little. "I…" And then he collapses.
I catch him before he hits the floor and cradle his head, fear gripping my chest.
What was wrong with him? My worry turns to amusement when I realize he's only fainted.
I have always wondered when things would become too much for him to absorb. Apparently seeing a man with wings is the straw that broke the camel's back.
"Cyrus took the ring," Kian says, moving his gaze to the window.
"I'm glad," Loki says, still clinging on to Castor.
"I don't like how it made me feel." Kian looks calm. Indifferent, even. But his hands are balled into fists at his sides.
He'd been calling Cyrus for days, and when the angel finally answered, he took the ring and left without any sort of explanation.
"Godric is expecting an answer today," I say, rising to my feet with Zane nestled in my arms. "We can't give him the ring if we don't have it," Kian responds. He tears his gaze from the window.
"All of us need to patrol tonight. If he does set any more shades loose, we need to be ready for them. Now all of you… leave my study."
I exit the room, and the others follow me. The door closes behind us.
Thereon and Loki walk outside, while Kaiser veers toward the kitchen.
None of them speak. We are all processing what just happened.
Who does the ring belong to? Why had Cyrus, a being who rarely shows any kind of emotion, appeared so freaked-out by it?
The confusion quickly shifts to anger, as it so often does.
Cyrus keeps us in the dark on many things, but this felt too important for him not to tell us. Especially since we are right in the center of it all.
On the walk to Zane's room, he stirrs and opens his eyes.
"Blaine?"
"I've got you," I say.
"You're safe. You just fainted."
"That man… he had wings."
I can't help but chuckle.
"Yes. He did. He's an angel." Even if he behaved like an asshole.
"It's all real," Zane says in shock. "I can't believe it. His wings just appeared. And so did he. He flew high into the air." He pushed his face against my chest. "I think I'm losing my mind. That's the only explanation."
"You're not losing your mind." I refrain from pressing my face into his hair.
Why did he have to smell so good?
"How do I know for sure? You could be a figment of my imagination too." Zane lightly snorts. "I always said I liked tall men. Leave it to me to fantasize about a sexy one like you who's taller than a house."
"I wouldn't go that far. Maybe a small shed. But not a house."
His words wrap around my heart. And knowing he shared a mutual attraction to me definitely got the attention of another part of me as well.
After entering his room, I place him on the bed and force myself to let him go.
"I don't want to sleep," he whines.
"I just woke up like two hours ago."
"You're in shock," I say, sitting beside him. "You need to rest your mind. I'll bring you some water."
"I'm not thirsty." He tries to sit up, and I gently push him back down. I touch his temple, sending a rush of calm into his body and putting him to sleep. Another power we have.
The irony doesn't go unnoticed by me either, how someone like me can ever bring anyone a sense of calm.
If only I could turn it on myself.
Zane slumps on the pillow, and I remove his glasses. I hate having to put him to sleep, but he really does need to rest. His body—and mind— had been through a lot over the past several days.
And humans are fragile.
I leave the room and close the door, releasing a sharp breath.
In Zane's presence, my anger has been tamed.
Still present, but controlled.
But with each step I take away from him, it grows stronger inside me.
I need to kill something. A few dozen shades will do just fine.