Page 31 of Wings of Lies (Daughter of the Seven Circles #1)

Chapter

Twenty

I invaded the mind of yet another past version of myself. The cuffs didn’t block my dream-walking abilities. Ready and hopeful to find more information about my mom, I let the memory unfold.

It was a month after the big reveal of who I was, the prophecy of my life, and my explosive episode.

A month, and still, we hadn’t worked on my emotions or powers.

Instead, she had been monitoring my state like a helicopter parent and finally caved to give me an iPod to appease my restlessness.

Last week, after getting sick and tired of wearing turtlenecks and baggy sweatshirts, she found out I no longer had my amulet and had a conniption, like full-on took a couple of her favorite chicken plates and slammed them to the floor.

Afterward, she screamed at me for being so reckless and losing it in the forest at our previous house.

Things went downhill from there, which was why, after another screaming match, I was in another forest next to our fourth house, listening to music to calm down .

She allowed my space because her powers couldn’t break through the itches—not one bit.

I both loved and hated it. So, the next best thing was storming out of the house with my headphones and calming down away from her.

Plus, it sucked to see the absolute terror on her face when the flickering purple fire took hold.

I wasn’t sure who she was more scared of—me, my father, the council, the queen, or the one with the ability to sense when I used my power.

A snap in the forest stole me from my musings. I pulled out a headphone, searching between the tall pines. When something moved, I jerked to my feet.

“Who’s there?” I squinted, making out a figure hiding behind a trunk. My hands prickled, signaling my Glory. “Come out. Or I’ll…” What? Erupt in flame because I’m scared and hope they see me as a threat while my legs wobble uncontrollably? Yep, I could already see it going in my favor.

When the figure stepped out, my thoughts took a sharp turn and dropped me off at Fantasyland, where handsome princes came and stole away girls from their terrible lives. But in my life, shit like that didn’t happen. But just damn it.

Rough leather hugged the contours of his muscular body, and wavy brown hair fell across his forehead brushing his sculpted cheekbones.

He was handsome and alluring in his unusual uniform, with a sword at his hip.

And those eyes? Those azure pools sparkled like sunlight dancing on the surface of our tranquil pond behind our house, reflecting a depth of emotion that stirred my soul.

“Who are you?” I asked, suspicious and intrigued.

He didn’t respond, watching me .

The prickling of my Glory traveled up my arms. I was about to lusceler away and tell my mom we were compromised by a handsome stranger when I noticed a flash of silver reflect in a ray of sunlight. Surprised, my fear and Glory vanished.

“It’s you.”

He was wearing my amulet. The sparkling, ruby wing clasp rested against his exposed neck.

It was an angel wing my mom gave me as a birthday gift.

She explained the color signified my birth month, according to humans and their made-up system.

She loved the quirky things humans made up and created.

I, on the other hand, was indifferent and a little bitter.

Probably because while she got to go out and experience said human quirks and creations, she kept me locked away at home, threatening me if I ever followed her.

I stepped closer until only a few feet separated us as he watched me with a wary expression. With each step, he seemed to stiffen more. Part of me feared he’d run away. But I wanted to know who he was. I always imagined this moment, meeting the stranger who warmed me after my outburst.

“I’m not sure how you found me. But sorry, we moved. It wasn’t safe to stay. Do you have a name?”

A muscle throbbed in his jaw.

I gave him a tentative smile. “It’s only a name, right? For all I know, you could give me a fake one.”

His lips pursed, considering, then said, “Aspen.”

Shit. He shouldn’t have talked. I forgot what he sounded like, and the smooth, low tones did nothing for the fantasies I created about this mysterious male.

“Lucille.”

He gave a sharp nod, still stiff. “I know. ”

“Right.” I told him the first time we met when I was naked. My cheeks flushed. “Why—why were you there that night?” Why was he here now?

The chirping of birds settled the fluttering of my nerves from his silence. I took a slow step forward, and he took one back.

“I swear I don’t bite.” I smiled, unable to hide the laughter in my eyes. He stared at me like I stunned him. The flush increased under his intense, curious gaze. “You do know how a conversation works, right?”

He gave another sharp nod, making me laugh. It sure didn’t seem like it. When I stopped laughing, his gaze traveled down to the pocket of my sweats, to my dangling headphones still playing my music.

I pulled out my iPod and watched his eyes narrow in confusion. “It’s an iPod.” When that didn’t clear the puzzlement, I said, “It plays music.”

How didn’t he know that?

I lived hours away from civilization, without a TV or phone, and I knew what an iPod was.

Bold, I stepped into his stiff bubble and placed an earbud in his ears. He jerked up as if to fight me off, grabbing my hand, then stilled. But I wasn’t sure if he stilled from the music playing in his ear or from the strange, tantalizing tingles erupting at his touch.

“Who are you? What is this?” I whispered as the tingles enticed the butterflies in my stomach.

He pulled back his hand and shook his head. “Stay here. Stay put. Stay safe.” Then he luscelered away.

“What the hell?”

He was an angel, or part—an angel who made no sense.

Stay put? Stay safe? He couldn’t possibly know our situation, could he?

I hoped not, but he wanted me safe, so that had to be good.

Although, if my mom found out what happened, she’d find an island and lock me away in a basement with bubble wrap and every binding rune she could think of.

It was a good thing she couldn’t use an angelic feather anymore, or she would have another horrible Binding Rune on me.

Yeah, that was a big hell-no to telling my mother. Plus, I wanted to see if he’d come back.

And he did, two weeks later. I might’ve taken up the habit of running in the forest every day to check.

I sat on pine needles, soaking in the rays of sunshine sneaking through the canopy as I listened to music and ate my favorite chocolate bar. When I saw movement, my lips twitched, hoping it was him and not the wolf who somehow followed us to this house.

He stepped out with a half-eaten apple, and I stood, taking him in. He wore the same outfit, the same closed expression, and the same drop-dead gorgeous looks.

“I was wondering if I’d see you again.” I walked over to him, and he didn’t back up. That was progress. Now, I just had to figure out how to make him talk. “Are you always this quiet?”

He shook his head.

So just with me. Damn.

When we first met, he talked, asking questions about me, but now, if I asked questions about him, he barely answered. Maybe I needed to talk about myself, and then he’d reciprocate. But where did I start?

“The first time we met, you asked about who I was. Well, if you want to sit, I’ll tell you a little bit.”

He gracefully sat against a tree as I crossed my legs and faced him .

“Obviously, I’m part angel,” I said, pointing at my eyes. “Like you.”

He tensed when I acknowledged what he was, so he really hated any conversation related to him. That didn’t bode well for getting to know him.

I sighed. “I’m—” Nope, I couldn’t tell him my age without too many questions popping up. “I have—” I couldn’t tell him about my powers, who we were running from, or why we stayed isolated.

“I love chocolate,” I laughed at myself at the pointless fact I provided.

His lips twitched, making me smile again at almost getting him to drop the closed-off expression with my dweebish behavior.

I looked down, playing with the hem of my t-shirt, thinking of something better to mention. Something a bit more real that wouldn’t give away anything too important but still let him in. Why I even wanted to let this handsome stranger in, I didn’t know. But something told me I should.

Or I was just lonely.

“I told you last time I hated my father, and my mother lied to me. Nothing’s changed since then.

I’ve…” I glanced up at him, then back down.

“I’ve had a pretty difficult life.” What a freaking understatement, but that was the most he’d receive.

“Because of things that happened, my mom’s gone overboard on the protection.

To the point, running away sounds pretty good. ”

“Don’t you dare. Stay here and stay safe,” Aspen demanded.

Was it weird I found it endearing that he wanted me safe even though he snapped at me?

Probably. I shouldn’t let him affect me.

We didn’t know each other. I didn’t know his intentions or how he kept finding me, but I couldn’t help it.

I’d blame it on the fact that my only friend was my mom.

This was the most I’d ever talked to someone, besides my mom, since middle school—let alone a guy.

Nineteen-years-old and I haven’t even had my first kiss.

“You want me to stay safe, which is curious in itself, but what exactly do you want me to stay safe from?”

Surprise, surprise, he didn’t answer.

I glanced at the ruby angel wing at his neck, smiling. He kept it. I should ask him why he did, but he probably wouldn’t answer. “The necklace I gave you. Did you know it was an amulet to protect me?” If that was what you called it.

“No.” He looked like he was about to take it off.