Faith Heights

Chapter 50

I lurched to grab the closest thing I could use as a weapon- which turned out to be a useless book binder. To my utter relief, Theo stepped through the door, raising his hands in surrender.

"Jackson gave me his key." He explained. "He's fine, but he wanted me to come and check on you."

If Theo knew I was here, then he had to know why. I let out a long, sharp breath and collapsed back onto the bed. The blonde werewolf shut the door, and gently sat at my side, looking down at me with a mixture of pity and anxiety.

I straightened. "What's going on out there? Where is Jackson?"

Theo reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a banana and a wrapped sandwich. "Here, eat some of this first. I don't know how long you're going to have to stay holed up."

I didn't plan on staying holed up for a second longer now that Theo was here with answers, but telling him that wouldn't get me anywhere. When I didn't make a move to touch his offering, he sighed. His light hair was ruffled from sleep, and he had a soft shadow of stubble lining his jaw.

His gaze flickered over to the door before he spoke. "Jackson gave Blexley his version of what happened last night, and the angels showed up not long after. They haven't let Jackson out of their sight ever since." 

He raised a reassuring hand at my widened eyes. "He's fine. They're just questioning him."

"They've been questioning him all night? Where is he?" I repeated.

Theo shrugged an apology. "I honestly don't know. Somewhere on campus. All I know is what Jackson told me on the phone this morning."

"And what did he tell you?" I whispered, tensing. This mess was my fault, and Theo couldn't be happy that I'd pulled one of his friends – one of his pack members – into the middle of it.

He met my stare with a serious edge that I'd never seen on his features before. "There are angelic officials scouring the campus. I don't know what they're endgame is, but they're searching for you, your soulmate, and some demon." Theo frowned, as if he didn't fully believe his own words.

When I nodded in confirmation, Theo's eyebrows disappeared into his hair. A moment later, he continued, "They haven't denied being involved in Leclair's murder, but they haven't admitted to it, either. I don't think the responsibility of it matters in their eyes. Still, they've almost entirely taken control of the school."

I'd feared as much. With our leader dead, the professors wouldn't stand a chance against the angels, no matter how supernaturally strong they were.

I started, "When you say they've taken control..."

"I mean that they've instructed students to stay in their dorms. Professors are advised to stay in the main building, but some aren't exactly eager to take orders from their boss' murderer. Although they don't really have a choice at this point. The campus is all but in chaos." He paused. "The angels have already searched the scholarship wing, so you should be fine to stay here, for now. They'll be looking in town; they won't have expected you to stay on campus."

His eyes darkened as he looked me over, scanning for something but coming up empty. "Lila, I trust you. I don't know why they're after you, but I'm sure it's all just a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding stemming from angels and their idiotic, angelic superiority complexes." 

He reached out for my hand. "But they are angels. Are you sure you need to be hiding from them? I mean, your soulmate is one of them."

No, he wasn't. But I couldn't tell Theo, not when he was just as enamoured by the angels as everyone else was.

"They murdered Leclair. How can you even ask that?" I insisted.