Secret Paradise

Chapter two

Everyone comes over. Touching my hair and hands, even my clothes as if that would give them luck. I don't like it. They're getting too close and there's too many of them, I can feel my heart and breathing speed up. I try to stay calm but they just keep coming. I force myself to smile, they just need to know not to give up, I can be their strength and their hope...

"Blaise!" Kayle shouts alarmed. "What's happening to you?"

I can't speak, my heart is beating so fast I feel that if I open my mouth it'll come out, but I can see the looks on the locals... no my subjects. I'm not a packless Alpha anymore, I'm a queen. Okay, that's a bit bigheaded, Kayle isn't even a king, but I definitely have power now.

"Sweetie, you're glowing."

Oh crap. What is going on now? Don't I have enough to worry about? I see stars and realise that for the whole exchange I've been holding my breath. My head feels light and the room in spinning.

I'm vaguely aware that Kayle is lowering me to the floor gently so I don't hurt my back and then it all goes dark. I hear voices, low and gentle, but can't make out the words. I just know they're meant to be soothing, and it works. I feel relaxed despite everything and in the silence of my mind I can actually start to plan our escape.

We can't leave during the night, the ghosts will be out and the supernaturals that Damillias has bullied and coerced will be at their strongest. Our only chance is to leave during the day but Damillias isn't stupid, he knows we can only leave then so has placed human guards around the town. They all have bright Ice blue eyes to clearly alert us to the fact that they're all but zombies that don't smell and aren't rotting.

They have enough intelligence left to know how to shoot and fire a gun with scary accuracy. When he sees them Kayle's hand goes to his shoulder where his claymore sword rests. I want a sword of my own, but I'm not going to get one.

My shoulder is still weak and I can't use any kind of weapon other than my claws, besides there's no time or anyone able to teach me. I'd end up killing or hurting myself or someone on our side. No, it's best not to give me anything even remotely dangerous for a while. If I do get everyone out of this alive the first thing I'm going to do is learn some self-defense.

"We can't leave ... unless you can fly," the priest says darkly. I don't think he likes Kayle much. "Don't fallen angels have their wings stripped."

Kayle snorts, "I don't want to tell you what to believe but I can fly. My wings are still very much here but flying won't work. I'm strong but not that strong."

Besides, I think darkly. Damillias will be watching the sky. We can't go on the ground or over it...how about under it?

Kayle's eyes widen as I open mine and he nods. The only thing we need to do now is figure out how to build and get everyone out of here without getting caught. There has to be a way to get out, we just need to be very careful and everyone will need to pull their own weight.

"Blaise, this is your turn. You know it better than I do," Kayle says, checking the back of my head for any bumps or cuts.

I wave his hand away, I feel fine and, we have to work to do. I don't have a clue if my town has tunnels, after all we weren't on the German's radar when they started bombing everything in the second world war. We didn't need bunkers but if anyone would know it would be the witches.

They're more fed up with the arrangement than I am, thanks to certain films that shall remain nameless they the werewolves and vampires had a better reveal than the witches. People still don't trust witches, their reputation is still not great and it'll take more than a few cliche teenage movies to get rid of centuries of predjudice – on both sides. I'd say I'm friends with the witches but there's no way they'd trust me enough to tell me their secrets. I don't think there's anyone aside from Kayle that I tell my secrets to, even if I stay quiet about the wolf/shapeshifter breed specifics.