Court of Nightfall (The Nightfall Chronicles #1)(41)

I looked at his blue-black wings and my silver. We were both turned.

He continued. "The two kinds are named after the colors of their wings. Those who are born are said to be Of Sunrise, and those turned to be Of Nightfall."

I moved my wings, letting a few tendrils curl around my hand as I watched them. They could almost look white, in the right light, but I could see the silver hue surrounding them. "So we are both Of Nightfall."

Zorin nodded. "The Angel was of neither. He had wings of gold and purple mixed with white."

I'd been colorblind when I first saw the Angel. I'd relied on Evie, who had focused on the gold, but I hadn't focused on the color of the Angel's wings.

Zorin stirred the fire again, its flames flaring up and sending sparks into the cool night air. "If your plan is to work, you will need a weapon."

I smiled, though it was a bittersweet smile. "I know just where to get one…" With a flap of my wings I was airborne and heading back to Montana.

Zorin caught up quickly, laughter in his voice as he flew by my side. "You are an impulsive one, aren't you?"

"I prefer decisive," I said, picking up speed until we blurred through the sky faster than an airplane.

I thought I'd freeze, but my new body was made for the skies, for flight, for all temperatures, and all I felt was freedom.

I landed just outside my house, a few feet from the entrance to the bunker. I pulled the bunker door open, wondering who had closed it, and Zorin followed me in.

Ignoring the swell of emotion as I remembered my last time here, I went to my mother's case. My genetics were close enough, my dad has said.

I placed my hand in the key and it came to life, revealing gleaming silver armor and a sword.





Chapter 17


Trust Amongst Rebels


I stayed at my house that night again, unwilling to return to Castle V until I was prepared to rescue Jax. Trix, The Shadow of Rome herself, had contacted me and we agreed to meet at the Cathedral at noon. With time on my hands until then, I studied my mother's armor and made some modifications that would help me in my role as N.

After a few hours, I admired my work. The armor gleamed, no longer just silver, but black, like the night. I kept a few subtle silver accents where the tree of life remained carved into the chest plate. At a certain angle, the silver reflected the moonlight, like tiny stars at midnight.

The leggings and chest plate had been imbued with Angel technology that gave them the flexibility of fabric but more impenetrability than steel. It fit like it had been made for me.

I modified the half-mask, which covered the top of my face, connecting it with my e-Glass so that I could keep my identity secret, but still stay in communication.

My final plan involved sending Zorin out for an Easy-Dye kit.

"You want a what?" he asked, his face a comic display of dismay.

"An Easy-Dye kit. They're relatively new and they allow people to instantly change their hair color with the touch of a small button you wear behind your ear. I need one to disguise myself when I meet with the rebels. They can't know who I am, especially if I ever need to return to Castle V as Scarlett."

He paced my living room, filling it like a god of old. "And why can't you get this yourself?"

"One, because I have no money and they are ridiculously expensive. And two, because I have to finish getting ready for my meeting."

He glared at me. "So now I'm to be your errand boy?"

I grinned. "It will make you useful."

He mumbled a few choice words before flying out the door. It didn't take him long to return, bag in hand with my new hair kit.

"Thank you. Want to see the magic?"

He rolled his eyes. "Sure."

I installed the tiny metal sphere into my e-Glass and put it on, then tapped it twice as per the directions. Instantly my hair turned black. "Voila!"

His eyes widened. "That is actually impressive. And while I prefer your pale hair, you look very nice this way as well."

His words made me a little giddy. "Thanks."

I admired myself in the mirror when Evie beeped at me. "You have just enough time to get to your appointment, Scarlett," she said in my ear.

"It's show time," I told Zorin as I pulled on my mother's armor and became someone else.

***

Zorin and I arrived first. We kept our wings hidden and wore black cloaks with hoods. We claimed a spot in the dusty belly of the Cathedral on old pews that hadn't been completely ruined by the war. "If we're going to use this as our base, we need to clean it up," I told him.

He wiped away an inch of dust from the wooden bench before sitting down. "Agreed," he said. Zorin didn't wear full armor like me, but he did wear a mask to disguise his face. Better we weren't easily identified at this point in the trust game.

Trix arrived with T.R. We'd both agreed to only bring one other with us.

She looked around, her cropped red hair flipping against her cheek as she spun her head. "Classy. Did the maid quit?"

I laughed. "Good help is so hard to find," I said with the same light tone as her.

T.R. just grunted. I'd only seen him once, briefly in the crowd with a hoodie on. Now I could see all of his features, his light hair shorn high and tight, his blue eyes that glared at me with mistrust. "Can we get this meeting started?"