Touched by Darkness: (Sins of The Fallen Book 2)

I blink up at the tall, gothic-looking building in front of me with pointed tower roofs and stained windows. Two gargoyles stare back down at me with grotesque faces and long teeth. A shudder runs through me as Amenadiel steps past to unlock the front door. “Does everyone here live in houses that resemble haunted castles?”

I swear the fucking door creaks when he walks inside.

“What did you expect, Angel? A colonial-style house with a white picket fence and a sedan—renowned on the sales market for its safety features—parked in the driveway?”

I enter behind him and hug my arms around myself to ward off the cold. If I thought it was cold outside, it’s even worse in here.

With a click of his fingers, the sconces on the walls light up and flood the large entryway. I expected cobwebs, silhouettes darting for the shadowed corners, and maybe a skeleton or two, but that’s not what greets me. While the building looks dark and gloomy from the outside, its interior is warm and comforting behind closed doors. Damask wallpaper lines the walls, and the black marble flooring has been freshly polished by the looks of it. It shines, reflecting the flickering candlelight as Amenadiel guides the way toward the double staircase. Expensive oil paintings decorate the space in every direction I glance. Self-portraits of rich and powerful men. I spot one of Lucifer and another of Amenadiel and his son, Dmitriy.

I quickly avert my gaze as we reach the top and continue down a carpeted hallway.

“Through here.” Amenadiel opens a bedroom door to his left, but I draw to a halt, looking between him and the door.

“I’m not fucking you.”

“Did I say I want to fuck you? Enter the room.”

I take a hesitant step forward. “If I remember correctly, you told me you hungered for sex and blood.”

He walks in ahead, his voice ringing out. “I was bored, and it was fun to rile you up. If I wanted to fuck you, I would have done so already. Believe it or not, corrupting Eden’s angels lost its shine a long time ago. Maybe because I used to be one myself.”

The room is dark, a sliver of moonlight seeping through the crack in the drawn curtain.

Amenadiel rounds the bed and pulls them open before proceeding to light a fire in the fireplace and the sconces on the walls with a simple click of his fingers. He’s at one with his magic, using it so effortlessly that it steals my breath.

He turns around and motions behind me. “Now that the room is lit up, take a look in the mirror.”

When I turn around, my mouth falls open. I can’t believe what I see.

Amenadiel walks up to me and his cold, dark eyes lock on mine in the full-length mirror as he sweeps my raven hair away from my shoulder, his fingers grazing my olive skin.

“I’m a fallen angel,” I breathe out.

“You are,” he confirms as he shifts behind me and trails his touch over my black feathers.

I’m too stunned to push him away. I can barely breathe, unable to take it all in.

I lean in to get a closer look and blink my lashes. “My eyes are brown.”

“And your wings are black.”

My gaze meets his in the mirror again, and I slowly straighten back up, then turn. “What does this mean, exactly?”

“It means you can now blend in with the crowds.” He walks to the minibar over by the window and proceeds to pour himself a tumbler of amber liquid.

Slowly turning back around, I study myself in the mirror. My once pale skin is now tanned, and the freckles on my nose are no longer visible. My blonde hair is the darkest shade of black and reminds me of smoke and midnight. It shines, silky smooth, beneath the flickering flames on the walls. I can hardly recognize myself.

“Looks like you have some explaining to do when you see your friends.” Amenadiel doesn’t attempt to hide the amusement in his voice.

“How did this happen?” I whisper.

“How? By committing the ultimate sin and relinquishing the last of your light. You were already tarnished by sin, but your act of violence inside the gates of Eden drained you of your remaining light. I think a more eloquent way of putting it is to say that you sold your soul to the Devil. Now”—he gestures in my general direction—“get dressed.”

“In what? I have no clothes.”

Amenadiel takes a sip of his alcoholic drink before making his way over to the walk-in closet. He re-emerges a few seconds later with a black dress and a pair of heels. “Here. The shower is through there.” He points to an adjoining bathroom. “I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”

The door clicks shut behind him and I stare after him for a long moment, wondering why he’s being so kind to me when he tried to murder me not long ago. Worrying my lip, I look down at the strappy dress in my hands. It’s made of silk and has a cowl neck. It’s more revealing than what I would normally wear, but considering I’m currently naked, this is plenty of fabric.

At least, I think so, until I step out of the bathroom after my shower. If I bend over, I’ll flash my ass to strangers.

“Fucking typical,” I mutter.

Amenadiel nearly chokes on his drink when I enter the spacious living room. And not because he thinks I’m a sexy vision he wants to tear into with his teeth, but due to the unimpressed look on my face.

“Are you making fun of me? Is this supposed to be a joke? This dress makes Dariana look modestly dressed.”

“That dress will ensure Daemon sees no one but you,” he replies when he stops coughing.

My eyes narrow. “What are you doing?”

“Ensuring you turn heads at the academy. Why?”

I watch him turn away from the large window and take a seat on the couch in front of the blazing fire. It’s an impressive mantelpiece with intricate, carved detailing. I’m drawn closer to the heat from the flickering flames. “Why? You’re a cold-hearted monster, for one. I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you. But don’t you worry, Amenadiel, I’ll figure you out.”

He bites down on ice, a lazy smirk on his lips. “Is that so?”

My eyes dance across the room. Thick, heavy curtains frame the tall windows, the chandelier on the roof is void of candles, and there’s a stack of firewood next to the fire. I back away when I spot the dead bear on the floor. Its jaw is wide open, and the teeth look fierce in the dim light. “Interesting rug.”

Amenadiel follows my line of sight. “Yeah, watch where you step so you don’t trip over its head. Been there, done that.” He tips his glass back and drinks the last of his amber whisky.

“So… It’s still early. If I leave now, I’ll make it to the academy just before lunch. Are you sure you won’t go on a murder spree the moment I walk out?”

Placing his tumbler down on the coffee table, he stretches his arm out over the back of the couch. His eyes sparkle with humor and something far darker that makes me want to shrink back. My survival instincts are always on high alert around Amenadiel. I’m not stupid; my brain, body, and mind know he’s ancient—one of the originals. With that comes power and control.

“If I wanted to go after Daemon and his friends, don’t you think I would’ve done it already? Why would I spend this long listening to your annoying, constant stream of verbalized thoughts?”

“Maybe because you were adamant you wanted to buy me to piss off your nephew. It wasn’t that long ago, and I don’t believe for a second that your stint inside my mind reformed you in any kind of way.”

“Well, sweetheart…” He rises to his feet and walks up to me. “I guess you have no choice but to trust me, hmm?”

My breath catches in my throat, and my eyes fall shut when he cups my chin. The urge to drive my fist into his knowing smirk is almost too tempting to ignore. But I hold on to the last bit of patience I have.

“I always have a plan, Angel, and I’ll kill anyone that gets in my way. Now run along, little angel. Find your boyfriends. No need to worry yourself about the ins and outs of my hedonistic and destructive mind.”

“Stay away from my friends,” I bite out, “or I will make your life hell.”

“When I first spotted you, I thought you were weak—mediocre—but now I see why Daemon would shift Heaven and Earth to keep you. The fire in your eyes turns into a raging inferno every time I threaten your friends. You’re a storm, Angel. The most beautifully dangerous chaos to capture his heart.”

I snort, sliding past him. “I’ll keep my eyes on you. Mark my words. Don’t make me regret saving you.”

“You’ll be back here before you know it.” He sits back down on his couch and kicks his feet up on the coffee table, then winks. “Mark my words.”

I never thought I would be this nervous. But then again, I also didn’t think I would return with wings as black and mysterious as the night.

The other students don’t even notice me when I walk through the large doors. For the first time since my arrival, I blend in.

I feel invisible as I make my way down the crowded hallway in pursuit of the three boys who make my heart beat in a staccato rhythm. How do I even explain what has happened to me? And how do I stop them from going after Amenadiel?

Coming to a halt, the student behind me bumps into my back. I ignore his muttered grumbles as he sidesteps me. Thoughts swirl in my mind. It makes sense now why Amenadiel changed his tune. He wants Daemon to go after him. And he will. As soon as he sees me back here, he’ll go straight for his uncle. It doesn’t matter that I returned unharmed. Daemon won’t stop until Amenadiel is defeated, and that’s exactly what Amenadiel wants. He doesn’t need to lift a finger. I played right into his hands.

I’m torn from my thoughts at the sound of Dariana’s distinct laughter up ahead, like a mild summer breeze. My heart stops, then starts to gallop in my chest. Amenadiel told me she would be alive despite my dream, but the relief is still immediate.

She’s walking down the hallway with her friends, wearing a black dress with a tulle skirt. Her raven hair is tied up in a high ponytail that sways with her every delicate step. Dariana has a way about her, as if she’s floating on air.

I open my mouth to call her name, when she looks at me, and the world stops. Not because she’s sweeping me up in her arms while gushing over how happy she is to see me and how worried she’s been. That’s not what happens at all. Instead, her eyes sweep past me as if she never even noticed me.

As if I’m a wallflower.

My pulse rushes in my ears as she steps past with her friends, then turns the corner.

I stand frozen, an immovable fortress, while shoulders bump into me and grumbling students curse my existence. I don’t know when I finally move, but I eventually feel my back meet a set of lockers.

“What’s happening?” I whisper shakily, swallowing down the thick lump clogging my throat.

Did she not recognize me because of my new complexion, black hair, brown eyes, and raven feathers? I look different, sure, but I still look like myself.

I set off running, bumping shoulders and forcing myself through the thick crowd until I reach the bathroom up ahead. Pushing my shoulder against the door, I emerge into the empty room. It’s the same bathroom where Daemon, Alaric, and Ronan fingered me on one of the sinks. It still reeks of cheap citrus air freshener and a mixture of girls’ perfumes.

I walk up to the nearest sink, grip the sides, and stare unblinkingly at my reflection. It’s definitely me. I’m not that unrecognizable that you would simply walk past me. It’s more a case of, “Whoa, what happened to you?”

I lean closer.

My eyes look different, void of the sparkling light from before. Now there’s something else beneath the swirling darkness dancing in their depths. I can’t pinpoint it, but it stares back at me with nefarious intent. Even my lips spread in a slow smirk before I tear myself away and press a palm over my mouth.

I startle when the door opens and a group of girls enter. They don’t spare me a single glance, as if I’m not even here.

I always dreamed of blending in.

Of being one of them.

Now I don’t know how to feel.

I’m stuck in a nightmare far worse than what Amenadiel put me through.

Maybe it was a mistake? Maybe she was too distracted with her friends to notice me? But then…

Why did she look so happy?

Shouldn’t she worry about me? Amenadiel attacked me in my sleep and made me bleed. I don’t even know how long I’ve been missing. How long was I back home with Freya? A week? A month?

Unable to shake the bad feeling inside me, I leave the bathroom.

I’m back, I remind myself. The first hurdle is over. Let’s take it one step at a time and not overthink it too much. So she didn’t recognize me? Big deal. Maybe I wouldn’t recognize her if she turned into a true angel overnight with white feathers, blue eyes, and sparkly, translucent skin.

My heart feels lighter already as I make my way to the cafeteria. This is the one place I used to avoid like the plague, and while it still leaves a foul taste in my mouth, exhilaration quickens my blood. If I hungered before, it had nothing on the ache in my incisors now at the sight of the humans tied to wooden poles.

I ignore that ache and scan my eyes across the cafeteria. My shoulders slump with disappointment when it becomes abundantly clear that Daemon and his friends aren’t here.

Dmitriy is.

I spotted him in the corner with an angel on his lap as soon as I entered the room. I take a moment to study him, noting all the ways he’s similar to his dad. And Daemon. The family resemblance is striking. So much so that my breath catches when he looks up, as if sensing me watching him. I quickly avert my gaze and walk back out.

Something is wrong, and the unease inside me is not letting up.

That’s when I spot him.

Daemon has a girl cornered against a set of lockers up ahead. I stare with my heart trapped in my throat while he whispers in her ear.

Ronan and Alaric hover nearby, looking bored out of their minds, as if nothing in the world entertains them anymore. I remember that look on Daemon’s face in the woods the first time I met them.

But they’re not the ones who’ve gotten my attention. It’s Daemon and the predatory way he handles that girl.

I could be dead for all they know. They’ve already moved on? As if they didn’t steal my heart and wreak such havoc on my soul that I never stood a chance against them…

My heart splinters in my chest while I stand there watching like some creeper.

He’s kissing her now with deep sweeps of his tongue and wandering fingers.

Fingers I’ve felt on my body.

I used to come alive at his touch, but now I feel like a broken, used, and discarded toy.

My feet move before I can stop them.

I need to get out. I can’t stand here for a second longer, subjecting myself to this humiliation. Unfortunately, the only way to make it to the front doors is to walk past them.

I’m just about to pass Alaric and Ronan when the door to my right opens, and a teacher steps out in front of me, causing me to bump into Alaric.

“Careful,” he growls, steadying me with his hand.

I jump back, my heart pounding so hard against my chest, I swear they can hear it smash its fists against my ribcage. But the look in his eyes…

It’s empty.

Cold.

Detached.

Not a hint of recognition.

“I’m sorry,” I blurt, then set off running.

This was a mistake, and I should never have returned. I should have never been so foolish as to think they cared.