Page 43 of Angel of Ruin

I don't know how long I lay there. But when I hear the door creak open, I tense immediately, knowing it's Sariel before I even look up. His golden eyes meet mine, filled with a mixture of guilt and concern.

"How are you feeling?" he asks softly, hovering near the foot of my bed.

I glare at him. "Like I've been lied to and manipulated. Oh wait, I have."

Sariel winces but doesn't argue. "I am sorry. I thought you deserved to know the truth, Lyra. All of it."

"Then tell me," I demand, sitting up straighter despite the pain. "No more lies, Sariel. What was this all really about?"

He takes a deep breath, his wings rustling nervously. "The trials were never meant for humans to succeed. They're... entertainment for the xaphan."

My stomach churns. "Entertainment? You mean we were just… You just used us?"

"It's more than that," Sariel says, his voice low. "These trials... they're a way to keep your kind hopeful, yet subservient." He swallows. "And to satiate the bloodlust for the xaphan and demons. It's supposed to keep everyone in their…place."

I feel like I've been punched in the gut. "So all those promises of wings, of a better life... it was all just fucking lies?"

Sariel nods, unable to meet my eyes. "The trials were designed to be impossible. We change the rules, add new obstacles, anything to ensure no human ever succeeds."

"But why?" I ask, my voice cracking. "Why give us hope only to crush it?"

"Control," Sariel replies, his tone bitter. "As long as humans believe they have a chance to become like us, they'll never revolt. They'll keep striving, keep failing, and the xaphan maintain their power."

I shake my head, tears stinging my eyes. "And you went along with this? You watched us struggle, suffer, die... for what? Your sick amusement?"

Sariel moves closer, his expression pained. "At first, yes. I didn't care about humans. But then I met you, Lyra. You changed everything."

I want to believe him, but the hurt is too fresh. "How can I trust anything you say now?"

He looks at me with such utter devastation that for a moment, I'm shocked. And then quietly he says, "I guess you can't. But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying. To save you. To protect. You are the only thing that matters to me, Lyra."

And I swear he rips my heart out of my chest with those words.

22

SARIEL

"Iwant to go through with it," Lyra says. There are bags under her eyes and her shoulders slump slightly. She's still weak from her injury, but her attitude says otherwise. "And you're not going to stop me."

I perk a brow, tapping my fingers on my thigh. In lighter circumstances, her audaciousness might have amused me. But right now, her persistence is concerning. Her life is on the line.

We’ve been arguing back and forth for days, and now this morning she was released from the medical wing. My overseers have yet to call me in about my show or what to do with her, and I want to take the time I’ve been given to get her out of here.

Lyra, on the other hand, refuses to leave. Frustration builds inside me. This human is too stubborn for her own good.

"Little nexari, you don't understand what you're asking for. You are lucky to be alive. That won’t be the case if you go through another trial, don’t you understand?"

Lyra's eyes flash with defiance. "I understand perfectly. I've come too far to give up now. These wings are my only chance at a better life."

"A better life?" I scoff, rising from my seat. "You nearly died in the last trial. Is that what you call better?"

She stands her ground as I approach, her chin tilted up in challenge. "I knew the risks when I signed up, Sariel. I'm willing to face whatever comes next."

I growl, my wings rustling with agitation. "You're being foolish. There's no glory in throwing your life away."

She steps even closer, her scent filling my senses. "Help me, then. You saved me once. You can do it again."

I clench my fists, fighting the urge to grab her and shake some sense into her. And maybe do something more to her small, willing body. "I can't protect you if you insist on throwing yourself into danger."