Pray for the Wicked | ATEEZ

38.

The fourth week was when everything went wrong.

"Dahlia?"

I furrowed my brows, huffing a little as I turned in my sleep. The voices began to subside, growing fainter again, and I felt a momentary flicker of satisfaction only to whine as they returned moments later, clearer this time, louder as they called out my name.

"Dahlia."

The feeling of a hand on my shoulder, warmth seeping through clothes and skin, made my eyes shoot open as I instinctively sat up, suddenly alert, and grabbed whoever was holding me, effectively sending both of us tumbling to the floor in a mess of tangled limbs, yelps, and yells.

A breath of relief escaped my lips as I recognized Jungwon who looked back at me with a mix of surprise and fear in his steely eyes, frozen from his spot underneath me where he lay trapped by my legs and with his hand hanging limply from the wrist I was still holding.

"Good morning," he stammered, and my frown deepened, suddenly confused.

For a moment, I didn't move, but then an awkward sound cut through the silence, and I looked back across my shoulder to see Niki fighting the urge to laugh as he tried not to look at the two of us, not doing a great job at hiding it, and Jake whose face was a mask of seriousness.

"I'm not sure if there's ever an appropriate time to be creepy or disturb people who are sleeping, but if there is, it's most definitely not this early in the morning," I said, letting go of Jungwon's hand which fell to his chest with a dull sound.

The son of Azrael flinched at the sudden movement, clearing his throat as he averted his eyes from me and his ears went red. I rubbed my eyes, taking carefully getting back on my feet.

He stayed there for a moment longer, trying to gather himself, looking positively flustered, before following my example as I turned to the others.

"Hongjoong left weeks ago," I said, "Sunghoon and Heeseung got what they wanted so if this is about Odeion or demons, I'm afraid I can't help you-" but my words trailed off as I watched Niki's face fall at the mention of Hell.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, suddenly nervous as I realized that Jake was still looking rather solemn, serious, which was highly unlike him. The heir to the Court of Kindness was usually cheerful, bright, and not dull like the dim look of ash and clouds that brewed in his eyes like troubled thoughts.

"Jake, you're making me nervous," I said, watching him look down as I took a step closer, worried now, for myself, for him, for the others. "Is it your father? Are you in trouble?" I continued, but no one seemed willing to give me an answer.

I paused. The quick intake of my breath was sharp, audible. "Is it my mother?"

It was Jungwon who, at last, spoke up, dusting himself off, his cheeks still flushed and hair still messy. "She has called for a meeting," was all he said.

"A meeting?" I frowned, "But what does that have to do with-?" My words trailed off.

What did that have to do with us?

What did that have to do with Hell?

What did that have to do with Hongjoong?

"She has requested that all of us attend," he added, and, slowly but surely, my heart sank. "The Archangels-" he caught himself, "The others are already there. We thought it was best not to keep her waiting."

〄

The meeting room was dark and gloomy, unlike the rest of the palace which was illuminated by sunlight that shone and filtered through endless windows, and held an atmosphere of sinister nature and weight.