Angel Burn (Book 1 Of Angel Trilogy)

Chapter 46| Urano Metria

Chapter 46| Urano Metria

Lucy's POV

My head jerked up as I gaped across at him, my concentration shattered. No. Focus. I tore my attention away and stared back at the wall, my pulse slamming at my temples.

There was a shifting a few girls down from me— a puzzled, sideways look. And then a quick intake of breath. "Oh, blessed angels," I heard Lisanna whisper. "That's Lucy!"

I heard a shuffling noise as nearby girls glanced at her and then at me. I knelt rigidly, looking straight ahead.

"That's Lucy," said Lisanna, louder. Her voice rose to a panicked shout; I heard it picked up by the sound system. "Somebody, do something! That's Lucy Heartfilia! She's here, she's here! Somebody stop her!"

Oh, my God; oh, my God. I crouched there trembling, unable to move. I saw Jude stride forward, frowning; the girls around me gaped. And suddenly there was a faint swirling in the air, like water stirred gently with a hand. Don't think. Just move. Do it!

I contacted my angel and ran, scrambling up from the line and hurtling myself forward. I lifted up out of myself. I was flying, I was running. Swooping downward on my wings, I stroked the angelica's energy with my own and felt it start pulsing in my hands.

Normal POV

About halfway through the field, the cars had started parking in the access lane so that Natsu had to slow down to maneuver around them, his blood hammering in an agony of frustration. Finally, he reached the end of it. As he'd hoped, the field backed onto the road, separated by a wide ditch. It took a matter of seconds to wheel the bike across, and then he was on it again and roaring down the road, his back tire slipping slightly as he leaned into a turn. The Church of Angels lay just ahead. From this angle, the massive building looked like the sports stadium it had once been— a plain, curved exterior rising up from the ground in a solid white wall. As he got closer, he could see that the road led to a small parking lot beside the service entrance.

Natsu skidded to a stop. He flipped down the kickstand, then tore off his helmet and ran for the door. A guard in a brown uniform stood outside it. Natsu hardly noticed him. There was a latch on the door; he turned it and shoved, throwing his weight against it.

"Hey!" said the guy, grabbing his arm as the door started to open. "You can't go in there!"

Natsu jerked away from him and lunged inside. He was in a long, gleaming white corridor. He had only gone a few steps before the guard was on him, gripping his arm again. "Get out right now, sir," he panted. "You're trespassing."

All Natsu could see were the double doors, far away at the end of the corridor. Lucy was in there; he knew it. Red exploded through him. He slammed the guy off him, heard the startled gasp as he hit the wall, and then he was running again, his footsteps echoing against the polished floor.

As he neared the doors, he heard frantic shouts, amplified through the cathedral sound system: "Somebody do something! That's Lucy Heartfilia! She's here, she's here! Somebody stop her!"

Lucy's POV

I had nearly reached the gate, the air swirling in front of me like a whirlpool— and then in my angel form above, I balked as another angel swooped under me in a harsh flurry of wings. My connection with the angelica flickered and vanished; in my human hands, I felt the stone's pulsing cease, like a dying heart. No! I stopped in despair, staring upward.

It was Jude. My father.

Dimly, I was aware of someone bellowing, "Let go of me!" and of Silver's voice shouting, "It's all right! Everybody stay back— keep away from the barrier. The angels are handling this!" In my angel form, I darted this way and that, my wings beating desperately as I tried to dodge Jude, to get past and touch the stone again. He cut in front of me at every move, his powerful wings glinting a bright, pure white. I could see the gate's ripples growing stronger. Any moment and it would burst wide open.