The man with black hair stared down at the crawling thing, his expression unreadable. When he spoke, his voice was cold and flat. "This is what happens when you try to call an angel."

Angel?

My mind stumbled over the word. Angels were supposed to be beautiful. Beings of light. Messengers from the heavens in the stories the priests told. They had wings like birds and faces that shone brighter than the sun.

This... this wasn't an angel. This was a nightmare. A mistake. A thing that should have never existed.

But the man said it as he knew. Like he'd seen this before.

What did calling an angel have to do with... with that?

The man looked at the thing, then back at the cat. "Take the kids," he said, his voice hard and cold. "Get them out of the castle. Now."

I looked at the crawling thing—the girl it used to be. She was trying to say something. Trying to ask for something.

I looked up at the man. "You'll help her? You promised."

I hadn't actually made him promise, but the words came out anyway.

He looked down at me for a long moment. "I'll help her. Go."

The cat shook itself. "Everyone, follow the talking cat!" He started moving toward the door, waving his paw. "We should hurry before anyone else comes. Come on, this way!"

The other children grabbed the keys and started unlocking their chains. They moved toward the door, staying as far away from the flesh thing as they could. I was the last one to unlock my chains, my hands shaking so hard I could barely get the key in.

I looked back at the man one more time. He was kneeling next to the thing, his blade in his hand.

"Don't worry," he said quietly, without looking at me. "I'll help her."

I nodded even though he couldn't see it, and then I ran. Ran toward the door where the cat was waiting, where the other children were already leaving. Behind me, I heard the thing speak one more time.

"Kill... m... me..."

And then I was through the door, running down the hallway with the others, the cat's voice calling out, "Did you see my dance? I'll teach you all later!"

I didn't look back.

End of chapter 5