The Unknown // Colby Brock

~~ Chapter Fifteen ~~

"Arianna!" Katrina exclaimed at me, scrambling to find the demon in the crowd again, but he was nowhere to be seen. Neither were the other three. "How could you?! He was trespassing!"

"I'm sorry?"

She huffed and spun away from me, stomping her feet as she walked towards the castle. The angel guard walked up uncomfortably close behind and began to push me towards the steps, too. Only when I walked faster did I lose him in the crowd.

Silence rang out between the two of us, which I certainly wasn't expecting, all the way until we entered the throne room where Sam was moving from angel to angel like a bee hopping between flowers. He was giving out instructions, receiving information, and, by the looks of it, working way too hard.

"Sam!" Katrina yelled as she rushed forwards away from me. Despite the pressing matter that had Sam on his toes, he stopped everything just for her. His hands extended in her direction, which brought her to move faster to take them.

"Everything alright, my queen?" he asked gently, watching her slightly frantic and angry expression.

"No. We saw the demons in the town."

"You- " He glanced at me. "And what happened?"

Oh shit. Here was where I got sent to whatever prison heaven had and suffered the consequences of my actions.

"I tried to stop one of them but they flashed out too fast."

My head snapped in her direction. Did she just... did she just lie for me? The way she gave me a stern look as if to keep my mouth shut told me that, yes, she had just lied to Sam about what really happened on the town to save my ass.

"Well, we really need to have a talk with Colby about his army's habits to enter heaven unannounced," Sam grumbled.

"I know. That can wait, surely?" She begged him with her eyes. I almost felt sick at the sight, so I quietly slipped away. Nobody cared where I went at this point because they all knew that I couldn't escape even if I wanted to - which I did. A lot.

Guards moved out of my way, doors were unlocked, and eyes were diverted. I liked the lack of attention I got now despite being blinded every corner I turned. Not to mention how I had to wear the fucking worst colour in the world. Man, heaven sucked.

By the time I got to my room, I had an uneasy feeling settling in my stomach. Everybody did everything for a reason. Katrina had to, at the very least, want something in return for covering my ass, right? There was no way she would save me like that. No way. That wasn't how anything worked. She wanted something from me. I needed to find out what that thing was.

My curiosity was too strong.

I left my room and stormed my way through the castle with the intention of finding Katrina. It didn't take long. When I opened the door to the throne room, I found her standing with Sam still, arms around his neck as he stared down at her and smiled.

"Katrina!" I called carelessly, attracting her attention from her too-good boyfriend. "Can I talk to you?"

She was hesitant, but she nodded and gave Sam a kiss before walking over to me. I led her into a hallway I knew for a fact didn't have any guards. The second the door closed behind us, I slammed her against the wall. "Why'd you help me?"

"Back up, Arianna," she snapped back at me, trying to push me away. I didn't budge.

"Why did you help me? You obviously want something so what is it?" My arm got tighter on her throat making her choke. She lifted her hand and grabbed me unexpectedly. The pulse of her powers flowing through my body sent me directly into the opposite wall, head spinning.

"Calm yourself. I know you're from hell but jeez." She smoothed down her pastel blue dress and cleared her throat. "I don't want anything from you in particular except your trust."

"That makes no sense."

"Arianna, I just want you to know that I'm not against you! You still have your loyalties to hell for now, I understand. I was a little mad at the time but I know that over time, those loyalties will fade. Trust me, okay? You don't have to be so... aggressive all the time."

"I like being aggressive, Katrina," I growled at her. "I belong down in hell."

"I used to think that too, trust me, I did. But then I met Sam and-"

"If you think I'm going to meet some Prince Charming up here and immediately 'fall into place', then you're seriously mistaken."

She went silent for a moment, staring directly at me. I could see the cogs turning in her head. She really thought that I would meet somebody up here? Follow in her footsteps? Come to think of it, that made a lot of sense. Every story she told me revolved around some sort of sweet guy who had come up to her, and she'd already introduced me to a couple saying, 'It doesn't hurt to meet a few new people'. Katrina had been trying to get me to meet a guy this whole time...

"Listen, it was a long shot, but Sam helped me to understand that I really did belong up here. He showed me the ins and outs, told me about the beautiful views you could see if you go to the right places. Trust me, if you could-"

"I don't want to find anyone, Katrina." My voice carried more sadness than I expected it to. I wanted to say something more along the lines of 'fuck off', but instead that hurt I had felt the moment I'd been pushed towards God had come out. My true feelings that I'd hidden for what had felt like an eternity already.

"You don't know that."

"I do know that," I grumbled in frustration at myself. How pathetic of me. I was actually sad about what had happened... pitiful. "You know what, Katrina, you need to stop living in your perfect little bubble. Heaven's made you think that everything is good and peaceful when it's not, okay? You found Sam, fine. No one is waiting for me up here. No one. You know why? Because I don't belong here."

"And what? Someone's waiting for you in hell?" she snapped at me. Little did she know, there was someone in hell who might have waited for me one day, if he wasn't such an ass who randomly got rid of the girl he'd called his queen.

"Maybe there is, Katrina. Have you thought of that? Maybe I was happy in hell. Happier than you thought."

She went silent.

"Exactly."

She knew nothing. She probably never would.