We lost our subjects in the fall of the Pen. We have to make do with what we have.
Good luck, Lemuel.
If I know Felix Darcey like I think I do, he’ll find a way to get to his doctor. And when he does,I’llgethimback. Then all I need is for Dascha to come home, and I’ll have my most special monsters here where they belong.
I really wish the hacker and the arsonist hadn’t gone and drowned themselves in the ocean…
I really thought Lex Luthor was smarter than that… But clearly, love will do that to you.
It makes you fuckingstupid, hence what I’m about to do.
Making my way downstairs and across the foyer, I stalk toward the atrium. Head down, heart thumping harder and faster with each step that brings me closer to him. I’m out in the conservatory in a matter of minutes, crossing the garden bridge and taking the stone path to the back.
In a tunnel of sequestered thought, I’m not concerned with any of that other shit right now. I’m not worried about if we’ll be able to get Dascha or Felix back, I’m not thinking about Russo’s harassing insistence that he needs to come check up on me, and I’m not debating if I couldactuallykill Jonathan, if it came to that.
I’m barely even paying attention to my surroundings.
All I care about is getting into that cage. Getting tohim, and giving him what he deserves.
Reaching into my pocket, I fish out the key from where it’s resting right beside his knife, and I don’t wait. I just unlock the door and step inside.
Angel is sitting on the big squishy chair thing, reading an old copy ofAnimal Farm—one of a handful of books I left in here for him. He immediately looks up when he hears me, eyes rounded, expression baffled.
“What the hell are you doing here?” He huffs, slapping the book shut.
I can’t think of what to say just yet, so I pull the knife out of my pocket.
His green eyes widen as he sits up. They move between me, and the knife in my hand, before something despondent crosses his face and his chin dips.
“Why am I not surprised…” He grumbles, standing up with a tired breath. He pads over to me. “Just… make it quick, okay? I think I’ve suffered enough at the hands of The Ivory.”
My forehead lines. “What—”
“You’re here to kill me,” he growls, getting up in my face. “Sodoit, puta. Kill me in a cage like a bird with broken wings… Since you’re not man enough to—”
“Take it,” I hiss, thrusting the knife at him. “It’s yours. Do with it what you will.”
Angel’s expression shifts to one of more consternation than I’ve ever seen on him. I wish it wasn’t completely adorable, but it is.
He’s justtoobeautiful, unbelievably so. Except that Icanbelieve it.
I always knew he would be the most stunning creature ever, and my greatest undoing.
He glances down at the knife in his hands. Then he peeks up at me.
“I’m… sorry, Angel,” I whisper. “I’m sorry that I don’t know what I’m doing with you, and I’m sorry that I ruined your attempts at revenge. You were right, you deserve a fair fight, baby. I just…” My words jumble up and I rake my fingers through my hair. “I wanted to keep you. I want you here, safe and protected. I wanted to keep you separate from all of the bullshit happening outside of this cage…”
“Don’t act like that’s why you put me in here,” he breathes, not as viciously as I’m sure he wants to be.
“Well, no… Not initially,” I murmur. “The plan was just to keep you…”
“Keepme,” he scoffs, shaking his head. “You keep saying that, and it’s fucking crazy. I’m not a pet, Diablo. I’m not another one of these birds you have flying around in here because they’re pretty to look at…”
“If youstillthink—” I step in closer, gaze narrowing, “—that I’m holding you here as some kind of decoration, little bird, you clearly aren’t paying attention. I am a monster, Angel. We know this. I’ve never professed to be the hero of the story. So when I say I want tokeep you, understand that it is most definitely selfish, rapacious, and possessive in nature. But I can be all of those things and still care about you. Still have… feelings for you.”
I pause to take a breath while he gawks at me, thosesignificantwords hanging in the air. “Your wings are not broken, Angelito. That’s why you’re in here… Because you could so easily fly far away from me, but I’m…desperateto stop you from doing that.”
He’s staring up at me for entirely too long. It’s no more than a few seconds, but it feels like an eternity when I havenoidea what’s going through his mind.
