The Dark Angel Return
1212 Words
My legs nearly gave out when I stood in front of the police line. I couldn't bring myself to look at the charred remains. The garage that Dad had built from scratch was now almost completely leveled. There were no witnesses. There was no explanation for the fire.
"Could this be Mr. Sullivan's doing?" I muttered under my breath.
"It's not him," Ray, who was standing beside me, quickly shook his head. "Mr. Sullivan and his men were rushed to the hospital last night. Someone attacked his estate. Word is, his condition is getting worse. He might not make it."
A chill went down my spine. The person who attacked Sullivan's estate last night was Cassiel. I didn't know that the ruler of South Balmoral was on the verge of death.
"Well, I hope Mr. Sullivan recovers and never bothers me again," I said quietly.
Ray cleared his throat. "If Jacob wakes up, don't tell him about this just yet. We'll figure things out about the garage."
"We have nothing left. Even with insurance, the money will go toward the mortgage. It's over."
"What are you two going to do now?"
I shook my head weakly. "I'm not sure."
"We should head home for now."
Yeah. What's the point of staying here? Just to wallow in grief? There was nothing left but ashes. I wanted to scream and cry my heart out, but tears wouldn't change anything.
We walked through alleyways and on sidewalks toward the apartment. Neither Ray nor I said a word. He must have sensed that I wasn't in the mood to talk. My mind was completely blank.
When we arrived at the apartment building, however, I saw our belongings—Dad's and mine—piled up in the lobby. Some were even being hauled out!
What the hell?
"Took you long enough to show your face!" the apartment owner barked in a snide tone.
Mr. Lee, a short, round man with pink skin, marched up to me. He jabbed a finger inches from my face.
"You think you can just live here without paying? Well, young lady, I can kick you out—watch me!" he yelled.
I struggled not to cry. It felt like the world was collapsing around me. First, the garage burned down; now, we were being evicted. What kind of cruel joke was this? I hadn't even had time to catch my breath.
"Mr. Lee, my dad just had surgery. Our garage burned down last night. I—"
"Not my problem!" Mr. Lee snapped, cutting me off. "With things like that going on, there's no way you'll be able to pay. You're out!"
"But—"
"Go find a homeless shelter! I won't be swayed by your pity party. If I let you stay, the rest of my tenants will try the same sob story."
"Mr. Lee, give Lune and Jacob just one more day to find a new place. You can't throw their things out like this," Ray said firmly.
"Then you can house them in your unit! But don't forget, Ray—there'll be an extra charge. You got that?"
Mr. Lee stormed off, ignoring any further words. I knelt down and started gathering our scattered belongings, trying to keep them together.
"I'll set something up for you in the meantime, Lune. Are you okay with sleeping on my couch for now?" Ray asked, helping me pick up boxes.
I shook my head, holding back tears. "Don't, Ray."
I didn't want to be a burden. Ray's apartment was already cramped with three kids and a baby. Even if I had nowhere else to go, refusing his help was the right thing to do.
All I could think about was Dad. How was he supposed to recover without a home?
I packed as much as I could into boxes, carrying them outside and stacking them on the front terrace. I needed to find a way—any way—to keep us off the streets, even if just temporarily.
"There's an unused storage space at the taxi depot," Ray said out of nowhere. "I could ask if you can stay there temporarily. You and Jacob could fix cars in exchange for shelter."
"Are you sure? I mean, I don't want to trouble you, Ray."
"I owe Jacob a lot, Lune. Asking for a favor like that won't cost me anything. But I can't guarantee they'll say yes." Ray lifted one of the bigger boxes onto his lap. "Still, it's worth a shot."
"Okay. Thank you so much, Ray."
I picked up another box and headed toward the front door. But when I looked up, I saw someone walking toward us:
Cassiel.
The box in my hands dropped to the floor.
He stood at the gate dressed in black from head to toe. But it wasn’t his clothes that took my breath away; it was his eyes.
They looked different. Wilder. Darker. Yet, beneath all that, there was something soft. Something human.
Our eyes met, and something inside me shattered. All the anger, fear, and exhaustion that had built up inside me poured out in a single sob. Cassiel stepped closer slowly and deliberately, as if afraid I might vanish if he moved too fast.
"Lune," he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper. His hand reached up to gently cup my cheek. The warmth of his touch made my knees weak.
"I told you not to leave me."
His voice wasn't angry; it was broken.
"Cassiel..." My lips trembled as I said his name. "You shouldn't be here."
He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. "Why not? To see you like this? To see you lose everything?" His jaw clenched. "I warned Daniel. I told him you’d get hurt if he took you away.”
"Cassiel, please," I whispered. "This isn't your fault."
He laughed bitterly. "Everything that touches me burns, Lune. How can it not be my fault?"
Before I could reply, he pulled me against him. The smell of rain and smoke clung to his jacket, and I could feel his heart beating hard beneath my ear.
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. My tears soaked into Cassiel's shirt. Cassiel held me tighter, as if he could stop the world from falling apart by having me close.
"I'm sorry for everything," he murmured against my hair. "But I can’t stay away from you.”
My body trembled in his arms. "Do you think I care about any of that right now?" I whispered. "My dad's in the hospital. We just lost our home. Cassiel, I don't know what to do anymore."
Cassiel leaned back just enough to look at me. He brushed away the tears on my cheek with his thumb. "Let me take care of you," he said.
I looked into his eyes, and I saw something—something raw, desperate, and honest.
Maybe, for the first time, I saw the man beneath the curse he argued with Daniel about.
I nodded slowly, too tired to argue. "Okay."
Cassiel exhaled, relief washing over his face. His hand lingered at the back of my neck as he whispered, "I won't let you break, Lune. Not again.”
And just like that, I crumbled completely in his arms.
- Writer
