The back of my knees knock against the bed, and I nearly tumble ass-first onto the cot again. My cell is instantly filled to the brim with large, fluffy wings. Like most of the city of Lethe, the prison is made to accommodate wings.
These wings, however, are far more stunning than anything I had previously seen. Their elegant arcs protrude from the middle of her back, fade from angelic white to corn yellow, then soft pink, and finish with a flourish in a vibrant cerulean blue.
Her wavy, black hair complements the pale rosiness in her cheeks and slanted eyes. A soft smile graces the loveliness of her heart-shaped face. A sweet, rose-scented breeze accompanies her entrance, and I can see the sheer brute force of Todd towering behind her.
“Helena?” she asks in a calm, bright voice. Her clothes mark her as a business female. The fitted turtle-neck tank is robin egg blue to match her wings. I can barely make out two slits that must tie underneath her wings. The tank is accompanied by a modest, knee-length black pencil skirt and black pumps. The Angel clutches a leather-bound tablet in front of her.
Her presence is reassuring, and I forget to respond. She asks the question again.
Yes, I nod quickly.
“Lovely,” she says. “My name is Phaedra. I will be taking you to King Hades. If you would please follow me?” The longer she speaks, the more I can discern her voice's bright, wise quality. I wonder exactly how old she is. If I had to guess, she must be at least a century older than me.
I eyeball Todd warily and stay put. Phaedra notices this and frowns.
Her wings snap open, obscuring Todd's view and casting a brilliant light throughout the room. It isn’t magic. The light is justher.
She smiles once again. “I apologize for any trouble the DaePolice have made. I assure you, we did not know who you were. Now that your identity is confirmed, you will be taken to your uncle. Toth’toros is only here because he is one of the king’s most trusted men.”
I stare at her, unblinking.
One of her hands drops from the tablet and gestures out the threshold of the door. “Shall we? Don’t worry, we shall go for your clothes presently.”
I purse my lips, but I follow. It’s not like I have many options.
Todd walks behind us, his wings on full display. His black sunglasses and black suit mark him as death incarnate.
“I know you can’t respond, but I need to tell you how sorry I am for all of this,” he whispers quietly. “I really didn’t know who you were.”
I continue to look straight ahead and blink back the surprising moisture in my eyes. Apologies are not things I am used to hearing.
None of the other prisoners so much as come to the front of their cells. Their dwellings are different. They are open to the hallway, save for their bars. They remind me of animals left on display, which I dislike.
Though, it is more humane than home.
We don’t even have prisons in Aqualis, just torture houses and arenas. I almost laugh. Death or torture. Those are your only options. The Northern Courts arenotknown for their kindness.
Phaedra’s scent is powerful. Its brightness seems to enliven the colors around her. But even the power of the sweetness isn’t enough to work out the knot that sits high in my stomach or the heavy sadness I carry from seeing Erik in my dreams. I wonder if I’ll ever think of him without the shooting pain that rushes through me at the sound of his name.
We arrive at the lockers where the inmates' personal belongings are stored, and I squint. The blinding fluorescent lights are a far cry from the dim cell. Phaedra nods to mybodyguard, and Todd leaves the room with a tense smile.
“I can take you to one of the bathrooms on the other end of this level of the prison, or you can change here. I assure you, I can hide you from any camera,” she says. Her wings flap open, and her bright blue eyes writhe to life with electricity. Pure, unadulterated power fills her as tiny bolts of lightning dance over her skin.
In answer, I unzip my jumpsuit and peel it off. I don’t really give a shit if they see me in my scratchy sports bra, but Phaedra casts some sort of net around the room. The lights go dark, along with everything else.
It scares me to see such power. It reminds me of my father’s seaweed-green magic.
In a hurry, I dress. It would be helpful if my mortal legs hadn’t robbed me of my Mer instincts. It makes me wonder what else my legs may have taken from me.
When I am finished, Phaedra seems to instinctively know. The shocking web of light stops instantly, like a power outage, and the room is bathed in the familiar ghastly artificial green-white.
“You look stunning. Let’s go.”
The Angel opens the door and waits for me to walk through. Todd still stands at attention, but I can’t tell if he is watching me from behind those thick, black shades.
My eyes narrow at him. I want him to know that I do not accept his apology. In fact, I hope he knows how angry I am with him for not believing me and then arresting me. But he remains as still as a gargoyle and only falls into step once Phaedra and I walk out the wards that protect the world from the deadly criminals that supposedly reside inside these walls.
* * *