“No, Skyla. If I recall, it is your springtime. Knowledge is your sharpest weapon. I suggest you arm yourself with it. You are the rebel. I suggest you put on your rebellious thinking cap.” She picks up my hand, and the stone on my throne ring electrifies a brilliant shade of cobalt—the exact representation of my husband’s eyes, and I sigh dreamily to myself for a moment. “Who are they going to bring in forquestioning?”
“Forget questioning. That would be merciful compared to what they have planned for my people. They’ll cage us up if they feel we’re a big enough threat—and we are most definitely a big enoughthreat.”
“Cage those precious babes in your arms?” Her voice drips with concern, but there’s something unrelenting in her eyes I can’t quite determine. “Really, Skyla? Would a good mother like you ever let thathappen?”
“Hell no—pardon my French. I’d offer up just about anyone else before I let them lay one finger on my children—on mypeoplefor that matter. But I’m not Wesley. I’m not about to ask which of my people are willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. Besides, once they capture a single one of us, they’ll want every last Nephilim contained. There just isn’t an easy wayout.”
“No, there isn’t, is there?” She bops Holden over his feathered head, and he lets out a screechingyelp.
“Mother.” I lift my foot with an empty threat. “You can’t be cruel to small animals. God forbid Sage ask you to make some poor creature spin until they vomit their guts up. That wasn’t appropriate by the way.” Not that I’m necessarily defending Chloe. No, some might argue she deserves far worse, but Sage should never want to see a personsuffer.
“Sage isn’t here, Skyla. You are.” She bops poor,poorHolden over the head again, this time far more pronounced, and he hops the hell away from her. Can’t say I blamehim.
“Wait a minute…” I scoot up a bit and draw the boys close to me. “You’re not intentionally being cruel to Holden.” I think on this for a minute. “You’re telling me something.” My gaze shifts from one bird to the next. “Holden and Serena. You think I should use these two as a diversion.” I can’t take my eyes off the fidgeting creatures. If I had to guess, I’d say they’ll be the next to vomit. “You think they can provide a solution. The feds are looking to put us in cages. Birds belong incages…”
She gives a quick shake of the head. “Think harder, Skyla. Think outside of the cage. This is your springtime.” She doesn’t bother to hide her sarcasm anymore. I get it. I’ve inadvertently pissed her off with my promise not to listen to heradvice.
“Well, if they’re not in a cage, they’re free and God knows the feds aren’t about to offer burger incentives to a flock of birds…they’d have to be”—dear God, she’s a genius—“human.”
She tips her head back a moment and glares down at me with those lucent blue eyes. “Are the feds interested in humans, Skyla? Dear heavens, not even your own daughter is interested inthat.”
I place the boys back in their shared bassinet and head over to where Holden and Serena jump nervously from desk todesk.
“They can’t be human or Nephilim—unless…” I land my hand gently over Serena’s back. “They’ll have to be reverted back to their original Nephilimstate.”
“And thenwhat?”
“They’ll get arrested,” I flatline as the pure genius of it all hits home. “I really like where this is headed.” Holden lets out a riotous scream as if protesting the idea. “But I’m afraid Wesley has the feds believing there’s an entire infantry out there. I’m not sure the government would be satisfied with just two poor souls.” I thump Holden over the headmyself.
“Too bad there’s not a way to give them more.” She picks up my hand and fondles the ring Chloe gaveme.
“I guess there’s Emerson, but that could realistically only be the start. I’d need to resurrect half the cemetery to appease the government.” The cemetery… “The cemetery?” I look to my mother as the epiphanyhits.
“The cemetery would provide a healthy supply of specialty forces.” She shakes her head as if this were both wonderful andunfortunate.
Of course, it’s unfortunate. Death isn’t exactly a sought-after attribute in this scenario. My mind flexes in a sea of possibilities—all of them ironically impossible at themoment.
“Specialty forces... This is a time of war. Just about all things are permissible during wartime.” I think on this a moment. “But if I could resurrect the dead, I’d want Sage brought backfirst.”
“I see where your daughter gets her demanding demeanor.” She scoffs and flicks her finger in the air just the way I do. It’s funny how you think something is your own—an inflection, a mannerism—then you see your parents do it, and you realize that not only are you a physical carbon copy, but your mannerisms, perhaps even your nefarious thought process is not truly your own. “No. The specialty forces will be subject to government testing, and I can’t have that done to my special littleangel.”
Holden and Serena start in on a squawking spree and do their best to squeeze themselves right out thewindow.
“Oh no, you don’t.” I close that tiny air gap before they can squeeze through it. “Go ahead, Mother. Work that holy and right magic on the two of them.” I hold up a finger in thought. “Only—they can’t stay here. And what’s to stop them fromrunning?”
“They’ll be bound.” She cups her palm over Serena’s back, and the delicate bird shudders. “They’ll also be willing.” She twists both birds around by the tail, jackknifing them until they face her. “Do you, Serena Taylor and Holden Kragger, accept the task of becoming human for a time to do a good work for the Celestrapeople?”
“Sounds like a wedding ceremony,” Iwhisper.
“It is a covenant.” My mother raises her brows. I’ve always marveled at her sharp hook-shaped brows. Honestly, they’re the stuff that Disney villains are madeof.
My mother chuckles as Holden and Serena take a moment to coo between themselves. Really? What’s there to consider? Burgers or worms. It’s not a harddecision.
“What are you laughing at?” I nudge my mother in thearm.
“You. Admiring my Disney villain brows.” She arches one my way with all of the drama she can afford. “Have you looked in the mirror lately—oh Skyla the SpringtimeVillainess?”
“Right.” I glance back at my reflection, and sure enough, there she is, my very own villain staring back at me. “Never mind. The cemetery it is. When can we wake the dead? I’m sure the Olivers are going to love this. As innot. If I’ve ever given Emma a reason to hate me, I have a feeling digging up the graveyard that keeps her financial gravy train running is really going to piss heroff.”
