The way she’d looked at me...Sorrow and betrayal coated my mouth, the taste bitter, acrid, and dead.
I am truly Fallen now.
Power, all-consuming and deadly, flowed through my veins and filled me to bursting, creating an almost uncontrollable violent need to pound through me, from each cell in my burning blood to the tips of my fingers. I forced myself to overcome its destructive seduction and gritted my teeth, using the newfound gift of wings and demonic power to rip a tear in the dimensions as I entered the plane of Earth.
Even though Lucian had transformed me into his kind, I still felt like myself, still human.
No, that’s not quite right. I’ve never been human. I am Nephilim.
If I’d have known the truth all this time, would things have been different? I did not know, and this thought, more than any others, frightened me. Would being shunned by Adam for my brother’s death have hurt so badly if I’d known he wasn’t my real father?
Yes, my mind reasoned,because isn’t that what everyone wants, to be accepted, to be loved, to be part of something bigger than themselves?And I’d never been a true member of the family. On some level, hadn’t I even felt my otherness?
Abel had always been a thorn in my side, but he’d become more aggressive a few days before the incident.
I tore through the clouds, soaring ever onward and shielding myself from the cold stratosphere. The sharp smell of ozone filled my nostrils.
Had Abel known he and I didn’t share the same father? Is it why he attacked, why I’d been forced to defend myself?He must have. But why hadn’t he told father? Correction—hisfather.
Maybe he did.This thought chafed, becoming a scratchy rope sliding around my neck. And Adam, believing I’d killed his favorite son, shunned me and refused listen to what I had to say, choosing instead to punish me for eternity. If he’d known about my mother, Eve, and who my true father was, it would’ve made his decision much easier. Of course, he hadn’t wanted to believe in my innocence.
It’s easier to believe a convenient lie than to face the ugly truth.
The scorching anger I’d always held on to turned into something cold, something brittle.If Adam knew who and what I was, then he’s as guilty—maybe even more so.His enablement had allowed things to escalate between me and my brother when he could’ve tried to come to terms with Mother’s mistake.
I’d been young and naïve, and Abel had been hotheaded and eager to prove himself.
Dark power sang through my mind, as if the cold rage spreading throughout my veins strengthened the ether fueling every fiber of my being.
This sensation is akin to nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I feel so alive, so free. I wish I could share it with Phoebe.
This thought pulled the reins on my joy. I needed to fight the seductive call of my true father’s gift if I wanted to succeed at retribution.
Her sacrifice won’t go unappreciated.
Like pieces of sand grating in the eye, the guilt of leaving her alone at the hands of psychos rubbed my heart in discomfort. Tightening the muscles of my body, I pulled more dark power from inside and sent it farther out to cut a path toward the exosphere.
Soaring through the clouds, I followed the subtle pull of light beckoning me toward Heaven. At the curve where the atmosphere met black space, my wings cut through the dimensional constraints. The black funnel I’d summoned shot outward, hiding the distant stars until nothing shown.
I slowed, focusing my attention on the darkness, looking for...something. Since this was the first—and only time—I’d be able to sneak into Heaven, I couldn’t be sure what I needed to find to enter its—
There. An undulating glow.
I urged the black energy flowing through my blood to move faster, knowing I needed to make this one attempt count. Once I slammed through the protective veil, my presence would be detected, recorded, and I’d be barred forevermore.
Samael, Brother, if you can hear me, I am in dire need of your help. Lucian changed up the timeline.The memory of Samael rescuing Phoebe from Malachi’s grasp re-surfaced, and my gut clenched.
What kind of torture is she enduring right now?Sweat broke out over my forehead, the worrying thoughts jolting me from the slipstream my wings created.
Stars in different stages of birth and death flared past my vision. Nebulae of various colors, from scarlet to deep verdant swirled in the spaces between galaxies, and dark matter webbed it all, binding the universe like intricate pieces of spun glass held together by gossamer threads.
Can’t think about her,mustn’tthink about her.Because to think about Phoebe Blutengel meant failure.
Anticipating resistance, I drew my wings in closer as I approached a shimmering bubble of light in the dark void. Out of reflex, I shut my eyes and lowered my head, holding my fists outward, hoping the realm of Heaven didn’t shatter my bones.
I careened through the skin of its surface, the dark energy shield surrounding my body absorbing the pressure. My movement immediately slowed, and it felt as if I’d slid through cool water, nothing more.
Opening my eyes, I soared above an island, dotted with crème- and teal-colored structures with spiraling spires shooting into the sky. Neat, empty streets nestled between the buildings, and a frozen lake circled the edge of the city.
