He chuckled. “You’ve never beenonlya human. You’re half angel...and my first son.” Letting go, he flared his wings until they stretched wide and cocooned them around me, blocking out the throne room, Malachi’s shocked face, and Phoebe’s kneeling body.
Only I and he—myfather—filled the black space.
“And now, you will have everything you’ve worked so hard to gain.”
Two lines of searing pain ripped my shoulders, and I screamed. But it wasn’t a yell of pain, but of victory, of retribution, a dream fulfilled.
Chapter 32
Phoebe
Lucian’s humongouswings shielded Cain from sight.
My heart thundered. “No,” I shouted, rising to storm between Lucian and Cain.I can save him—IknowI can.
“Hush.” Malachi twisted around and squeezed my shoulder, his punishing, bruising grip so intense I had no choice but to fall back to the floor.
Pop-pop.
The noise disturbed the deathly quiet and sent a shiver along my nerve endings. Several wet, sucking sounds followed the pop.
Lucian’s great and terrible wings pulled back, revealing Cain on the balls of his feet, bent at the waist with his arms drawn inward, head down and chin touching his chest, reminding me of an unborn fetus.
And really, wasn’t this the transformation he’d craved all this time? A rebirth? Or being reborn not in light, but in darkness?
My soul cried out for Cain’s choice.I should’ve tried harder. How could I have ever thought my affection could compete with Lucian’s seductive power and promise of revenge?
Wings the color of slate, tapering to silver at the bottom, flapped into the air. Cain’s head remained bowed and his arms wrapped around his stomach.
I sucked in a breath. Shimmering like iridescent, precious metal, the feathers were magnificent and terrible—beautiful and harsh.
Slowly, so slowly, Cain uncurled himself, chest heaving, and leveled his stare on Lucian. “It’s...it’s done?”
“You have no idea how proud I am at this moment.” Lucian cupped Cain’s cheeks and nodded. “Yes. It is done.” He patted Cain’s face and stepped backward, rubbing his chin, giving the new wings a critical glance. “The color is interesting. You have the darkness of mine, yet the silver of Heaven. It must come from being Nephilim.” He reached outward and ran a hand along the upper ridge. Cain’s feathers rippled with the light touch. “Fascinating.” Dropping his hand, Lucian inspected Cain’s face. “How do you feel?”
“Amazing. As if nothing can stop me from getting into Heaven.” Cain pulled his wings inward to rest against his shoulders and spine. He stretched out his hands, the muscle and veins popping on his forearms, and formed fists. “Thestrength.” Wonder shone from his eyes as he flexed. “Nothing compares to it.”
