Angelic (Book 2)

Ten

Angel stared at herself in the mirror, absolutely disgusted at the sickly pallor of her skin. Her eyes looked sunken in; the greyish flesh stretched taut over the bones of her body; even her hair hung limp to her shoulders. Too long. She needed to cut it. She didn’t dare look anywhere close to her sister.

            The irony stench of blood from the bathroom, where she recently threw up, filled the space of her room.

            Disgusting.

            “Angel?”

            The voice of Rex preceded the three consecutive knocks to her door. She growled, and then coughed, bracing herself against the vanity until it passed. “Come in,” she croaked.

            He entered, face pinching as the stench slammed into his face. Rex didn’t make a comment, though, standing at attention. Angel appreciated this. “What do you want?” she snapped.

            “I’m back from Denver,” he replied, hands clasping behind his back. “Ellie Armstrong is quite deadly, Miss Angel. She killed roughly a hundred of your people.”

            Even through the pain, this caused her to smile. “Excellent.”

            “She also shows signs of sickness.”

            “I figured.” Angel moved to her bed, flopping down on the mattress. “Bring me a cloth and some of the serum, Rex.”

            He hesitated. “But, miss, it inhibits you.”

            “Yes, but also takes away the pain, so bring it to me. Along with some soup, I’m hungry.”

            Rex bowed his head. “Yes, ma’am.”

            The door shut behind him, and Angel cast her eyes to the ceiling, imagining her sister’s face to stimulate the anger. That was what kept her going, after all. Anger at her sister, at the world, at everything. And this stupid side-effect she hadn’t accounted for, a consequence she long since forgot. Listening to the things those scientists said wasn’t a habit she practiced. Now she had to work to recall what they said.

            Always side-effects with these kinds of things.

            Can never be too sure with experiments of any kind, especially with people.

            Just pay close attention and watch for if it happens.

            She cursed. Well, it was happening. The only comfort she had was how clueless her twin was of the ordeal, but that wouldn’t work in her favor. Not forever.

            Grumbling to herself, she grabbed the remote on her end table and switched on the TV. A news article flashed across the screen, framed by the bright red Breaking News banner. A reporter was in Denver, covering the “mysterious” building explosion. Five people injured, one in critical condition. None of them Ellie, she bet. What did it take to kill that girl off?

            Though, to be honest, Angel wanted to be the one sinking the knife in her twin’s chest, right up to the hilt. The mere thought curled her toes.

            Rex returned with her bidding, leaving promptly when she barked out another order. He shut the door and she lay back, setting the cloth on her head, listening to the news, waiting for the soup to cool. Her eyelids drooped, and she would have nodded off for a moment had her door not burst open.