The Angel Island (Dark World: The Angel Trials Book 5), page 1
The Angel Island
Dark World: The Angel Trials 5
Michelle Madow
Dreamscape Publishing
Raven
Witches dressed in matching white outfits teleported into the bunker to bring all of us to the Haven. I wasn’t sure why they were all dressed the same, but they looked like they’d come straight from a yoga retreat.
There were thirty-nine of us that needed transportation. Thirty-six gifted humans (I was one of them), one vampire (Thomas), one shifter (Noah), and one male witch (Dr. Foster.)
Oh, and one dead witch. Cassandra.
So, forty of us needed transportation.
I couldn’t look at where Cassandra was lying in a puddle of her own blood. Thomas was huddled by her side, devastated. He wasn’t looking at anything but her. From the little I knew, the two of them had been like family. My heart broke for him.
I hadn’t let go of Noah’s hand since he’d rushed into the bunker, killed the demon guards, and saved the day.
Now a kind looking witch approached me and held her hand out for me to take. “Ready?” she asked.
I glanced over to Noah, my heart racing at the thought of leaving him so soon. We’d only just been reunited. I knew we had to all get to the Haven, but couldn’t Noah and I teleport there together?
“Go,” he told me. “Shivani will take good care of you. I need to wait for all the humans to be out of here first. Once they’re all safe, I’ll be right behind you.”
“If you’re waiting for the rest of them to go, then I’m waiting, too,” I said. He opened his mouth—likely to tell me to get to safety—but I continued before he could say a word. “I’ve been waiting to see you again for days. Don’t try to fight me on this.”
I stared him down, daring him to do otherwise. We’d just figured out that my gift was my stubbornness. It might not be the most useful gift out of all the gifted humans here, but I was going to use it to my advantage.
Plus, Noah and I were imprinted. I could feel his desire to keep me close ebbing from the imprint bond—it was as strong as my desire to stay by his side.
I had this.
“Fine.” He sighed, not looking upset in the slightest, and turned to face the witch. “Get the others first. Raven and I will go once they’re safe.”
She nodded and hurried over to the human closest to me. Suzanne. The older woman who’d welcomed me to the bunker when I’d first arrived gave me a small smile. Suzanne took the witch’s hand and disappeared into the ether.
“Thanks.” I squeezed Noah’s hands and looked up into his stormy dark eyes. I wanted to kiss him again. The pull between us was so strong—like a magnet connecting his soul to mine.
“There’s nothing to thank me for,” he said. “After what we just went through, I’m never leaving your side again.”
Even though so many people surrounded us, I stood up onto my toes and pressed my lips to his. He met me halfway, and as we kissed, my soul felt whole again.
How could I have gone my entire life without Noah in it?
We were interrupted by someone loudly clearing her throat beside us.
I reluctantly pulled away from Noah—although we kept our hands clasped together—and turned to see who wanted our attention.
It was the witch who had come with him for the rescue mission. She wore tight, all-black clothing, and black boots with killer heels. The shoes looked impossible to fight in. But she’d proven otherwise by helping Noah take down the demon guards and freeing us from the bunker.
“We haven’t had a chance to properly meet yet.” She held out a hand. “I’m Bella Devereux, of the Devereux witch circle.”
I took her hand and gave it a shake—her grip was firm. “Raven,” I replied. “I met your sister Amber when she tracked down a demon for Noah. It was right after…” I was about to say it was right after Azazel had killed one of her sisters, but stopped myself before saying something insensitive. “It was right after Azazel attacked your circle.”
“You mean after he killed Whitney.” Bella’s eyes darkened when she said her sister’s name.
“Yeah.” I nodded, unsure what more to say. I’d never been good in situations like this. Probably because I’d never experienced the loss of a loved one myself. So I went with the basic, clichéd reply. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Not your fault,” she said. “It was Azazel’s fault. And he’s going to pay.” She clenched her fists, fire in her eyes as she spoke.
I liked her instantly.
“Yes, he will,” I agreed.
I’d originally only been part of this to help get my mom back home safely. But now it was so much more. Azazel had hurt so many people—and he planned on hurting many more. He’d taken me and locked me in this bunker. He’d taken my mom, Sage, and so many others to places we didn’t know. I didn’t even want to think about what he might be doing to them there.
I wasn’t going to let him get away with this.
Which was why after we made sure the gifted humans were safe at the Haven, I was going with Noah to Avalon. There, I’d train to become a Nephilim.
Once I was a Nephilim, I’d have the supernatural strength to help fight in this war against the demons.
It didn’t take long for the witches to transport all the other gifted humans—plus Cassandra’s body—to the Haven. Once they were all gone, the witch from earlier approached me. Shivani.
She, Noah, Bella, and myself were the only ones left in the bunker cafeteria. It was eerily quiet. Half-eaten trays of food remained on the table. Many had been disturbed during the fight, so food and drinks were spilled out all over the floor, too.
It looked like there’d just been a massive food fight.
Except for the puddle of blood where Cassandra’s body had been. And the four piles of ash in various areas on the floor.
The remains of the demons.
“The four of us will teleport to the Haven together,” Shivani said, holding out her hands. Bella did the same.
Noah and I took their hands, the group of us standing together in a circle.
“Ready?” Bella asked.
“Ready,” Noah and I said at the same time.
The world faded around me, my stomach dropped, and in a single flash, everything went dark.
Raven
We teleported into the lobby of a five star hotel. It was gorgeous, with bright woven columns, intricate tiled floors, huge crystal chandeliers, and colorful seating all around.
The others were all there, standing around and staring in awe as they chatted amongst themselves. The Haven witches—the ones in all white—congregated together in the front.
Other than the color, their white outfits weren’t all that different from the blue prison suits all of us humans were wearing.
Besides Shivani, who was still in our circle, only one Haven witch wasn’t standing with the main group. She was off to the side with Thomas, who was holding Cassandra’s body in his arms. The two of them had their heads close together as they talked between themselves.
“The witch is promising a funeral pyre for Cassandra once we’re settled in,” Noah whispered in my ear. He was able to hear the conversation, thanks to his supernatural shifter hearing. “Cassandra will be honored as a noble warrior.”
“Good,” I said, leaving it at that. Nothing could get across the hollowness in my chest at the knowledge that Cassandra—a witch I barely knew—was killed fighting to free me and the other humans in the bunker.
The guilt weighed on me like crazy.
Noah simply wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer. I knew through the imprint bond that he knew what I was feeling. Standing there together, we grieved Cassandra’s loss.
Eventually, Thomas placed Cassandra’s body into the witch’s arms. The witch then walked the corpse out of the room. Thomas stared blankly at them as he watched them go. His eyes looked so pained and empty. I wished there was something I could do for him.
Sage needed to hurry up and get here. She’d know what to do.
“Where’s Sage?” I looked around the lobby, trying to find her. I wasn’t sure what had happened to her after Azazel had teleported away with her, but I’d hoped she’d be at the Haven, too.
Dread settled in my stomach at the realization that she was nowhere to be found.
“She’s at the Montgomery compound.” Noah sounded upset—like Sage being back home with her pack was a bad thing.
I studied him, trying to figure out what was going on. “What aren’t you telling me?” I asked.
“It’s a long story.” He glanced over at Thomas, his eyes shining with regret. “I’ll tell you everything later, in private.”
As he was saying it, the chatting around us quieted. I looked around to see what was going on.
A tall woman had entered the building, and all eyes were on her. She wore the same white yoga outfit as the witches who had rescued us from the bunker. Her hair was twisted up into a practical bun, her expression serene as she gazed around the crowd.
We all looked to her, waiting for her to speak.
“I’m Mary—the leader of the Haven.” Her voice was warm and steady, like music. “Welcome to our home.”
Her eyes stopped when they met mine, and I froze. She looked so familiar. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I could have sworn I’d seen her before.
From the way sh e was looking at me, it seemed like she recognized me, too.
The recognition was gone nearly as quickly as it had appeared. She looked away from me, continuing to browse the crowd with interest.
But I knew what I saw. She knew me. I wasn’t sure how, but she did.
I felt like I knew her, too. And that my experience with her hadn’t been good.
Noah must have sensed my tension, because he gently squeezed my hand. “Relax,” he murmured, quiet enough for only me to hear. “You’re safe now.”
I nodded, although my instinct told me to remain on edge and alert. So that was exactly what I was going to do.
“I’ve been briefed on your situation, and I’m sure you’re all confused and afraid right now,” Mary said, her expression warm and open.
The humans who’d been in the bunker with me nodded in confirmation. A low chatter started between them.
“What the demons did to you was horrific,” Mary continued, raising her arms to stop the chatter. “But the Haven is a kingdom of peace. We’re literally a haven for supernaturals. We’re a place where supernaturals can come and live, as long as they agree to live by our rules. As gifted humans hunted by the demons, I’m happy to extend that same umbrella of protection to you.”
The low chatter started again. There were a few smiles in the crowd, but most of them looked concerned.
“That’s all well and good,” someone said—Harry. He’d sat at my assigned table in the cafeteria. He was middle aged and slightly overweight, and his gift was perfect aim. “But when can we go home to our families?”
From the nods and echoes of agreement from the people surrounding him, he wasn’t the only one with that question.
“Do you want to put your families in danger?” Mary answered his question with a question, staring him down in challenge.
The grunts of affirmation after Harry had spoken turned into mutters of confusion.
“Of course not.” Suzanne was the one to answer—not Harry.
Harry just stood there frowning, a puzzled look on his face. Many of the others looked equally bewildered.
Not me. Given my situation—with my mom being taken by Azazel because of me—I had a pretty good feeling about where Mary was going with this.
“If you go home, the demons will search for you, and they will find you,” Mary said, looking at them in warning. “So if you want to keep your families safe, you can’t return to them. At least not yet.”
Raven
There was shocked silence, followed by an explosion of outrage.
Harry was the loudest of them all. He marched to the front of the crowd, his face red with anger. He looked like he wanted to grab the nearest sharp object and throw it straight through Mary’s heart.
Mary simply raised her hands in the air and watched them, waiting for them to quiet down.
“Do you mean we can never see our parents again?” a small, shy voice asked from behind Harry. I immediately recognized Kara, the young girl gifted with a perfect sense of direction. She stood next to her twin brother Keith. Both of them stared up at Mary, their wide eyes scared and lost.
“Of course not.” Mary smiled, as if that were ridiculous. “Never is a long time. But I advise you to stay here until the war against the demons is over. While you’re all blessed with extraordinary gifts, your strength is no match for the supernaturals. With the demons hunting your kind, it’s not safe for you out there. We have spells around the Haven that will prevent them from tracking you here. But if you go back to your homes, they’ll find you. They’ll take you again. If your family members are also gifted, they’ll take them as well. And if they aren’t gifted, I doubt they’ll be spared.”
She paused and looked around, letting her words resonate through the crowd.
Many of them looked stunned, or bewildered, or helpless.
But I knew Mary was right.
“You’ve been through a shock,” Mary continued. “But you’re not prisoners here. The Haven doesn’t force anyone to stay against his or her will.”
“So we can leave now?” a man whose name I didn’t remember asked.
“The Haven is located in a large mountain range in Southwest India,” she said. “It’s dangerous to simply walk out into the rain forest. You need to be teleported to safety. And my witches expended a lot of energy bringing you here. They need a day to rest and recharge. After that, they’ll return to your homes, if it’s what you wish. I advise against it, but it’s not my decision to make. It’s yours.”
People glanced around at each other and shuffled their feet. They looked frightened and unsure.
I didn’t blame them. I’d panicked when Noah and Sage had told me I couldn’t return home, too.
“As I said earlier, I encourage you to stay here until the demons are defeated,” Mary said. “This hotel on our property was designed to keep humans safe within the Haven. As long as you stay within the hotel boundaries, you’ll be protected. But you also have two other choices.” She took a deep breath, as if preparing herself and us for what was coming next. “These choices are going to be shocking, so I ask you to bear with me as I explain. I—and all of the witches from the Haven—will be available to answer any of your questions immediately following this announcement. Are you ready to hear your options?”
I tilted my head, curious about what she was going to say. Many of the others did the same, some of them saying that yes, they wanted to know. Others looked small and terrified. Keith and Kara were huddled together, shaking.
Suzanne walked over to the twins and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. They both visibly relaxed under the influence of her gift of compassion. Suzanne walked around and continued to do this to the humans who appeared most scared, until they were ready for Mary to continue.
“Thank you.” Mary nodded at Suzanne in recognition.
Suzanne gave Mary a close-lipped, trusting smile. She clearly felt at ease around the leader of the Haven.
So why didn’t I? The question wouldn’t stop eating at me.
The more I looked at Mary, the more I felt like this wasn’t the first time I’d seen her. And I was deeply suspicious about why that might be.
“Firstly, you should know that when gifted humans are turned into vampires, their gifts are magnified,” Mary began. “Gifted vampires are highly valued in the Haven. They help protect our kingdom. So, one of your options is to be turned into a vampire. You’ll become immortal, and will have supernatural strength.”
“Will we have to drink blood?” Harry asked.
“Will the sun incinerate us?” another woman asked.
“Aren’t vampires monsters?”
Similar questions were echoed in the crowd until people were talking over one another. I didn’t blame them for being suspicious.
Turning into a vampire wasn’t a decision that should be made lightly.
“Vampires aren’t monsters.” Mary spoke strongly now, overpowering the questions. Everyone silenced and looked to her. “I’m a vampire. And I hope I’m not too scary.” She smiled and let out a chuckle. Some of the humans eased up, but only slightly. “I and the others will answer all of your questions in the upcoming days. But no, the sun doesn’t incinerate us, although its light does burn and feel draining. Yes, we drink blood. But at the Haven, we only drink animal blood. We’re the only vampire kingdom that survives on animal blood alone.” Her eyes flickered to me for a second, as if I should already know this.
I did. But only because Noah and Sage had taught me when they’d given me my “supernatural world lessons” during our long drives. I didn’t know it from her. Obviously. This was the first time I was meeting her.
She had no reason to think I knew more than the others.
“In exchange for this gift of strength and immortality, you’ll promise to remain in the Haven for ten years after being changed,” she continued. “After that you’re free to go wherever you like.”
“You said we had another option,” Valerie, who was gifted with the ability to sense ghosts, asked. “What is it?” She stared up at Mary hopefully, waiting for an answer.
From my conversations with Valerie in the bunker, I suspected she was hoping the other option would get rid of her gift. She hated sensing ghosts. She said they were bitter and angry.
