“What?” Chloe barks as if she was just as angry as I am. And I don’t doubt she is.
Logan navigates her out of the closet. “I’ll fill you in.”
“I’ll be down in a minute,” I call after him.
Marshall shuts the door with a bang, entombing us inside this palace of a wardrobe, and soon I’ve changed into the enchanted accouterment, never batting a lash over the fact Marshall gets to see me in my bra and panties. He’s seen me in less, and it seems, that much like Chloe, I’ve lost the ability to blush.
“Ms. Messenger,” he says sternly while riding his eyes up and down over my body. “You slay in enchanted wear.”
“Very funny.” My chest begins to palpitate as the reality of what I’m about to do sinks in. “Marshall, how do I get Gage to see the deceptive light?” I grab him by the arms and give him a little rattle. “You have to tell me what to do or say. My people,your kind, our celestial necks are on the line. The Nephilim will be winnowed out in a week. The government already has my sister.”
His lips curl into his cheeks, and he looks vexingly dangerous. “I have no solutions, only plans.”
“Give me a plan then.” My voice breaks. “Give me something to say to him, because all I have is empty words that I’ve already said. I don’t know how to convince Gage that he’s wrong. He doesn’t want to risk losing out on an eternity with his family. He needs to be positive before he steps away from the dark side.”
“It’s you, Skyla. It’s always been you that he doesn’t want to lose.” Marshall studies me a moment. “Though I’m not at liberty to tell you what to say, I have no words regardless.” His lips twitch with malevolent intent. “However—”
“I’m liking this already.” I latch onto his tie and pull him close. “Spill it, Sector.”
He shakes his head just enough. “No. My lips will not speak the words. But I can show you with the price of a kiss.” His eyes harden over mine, and it’s in this moment that something becomes exceptionally clear. Could it have been all this time that Marshall’s mouthwatering visions, for lack of a better term, were some type of a work-around so that he and my mother could convey vital information to me without breaking the rules to this celestial game? But if that were true, why not give them to me with a touch of the hand? Via a penetrating stare? A pat on the back? Surely none of it was out of the realm of possibility.
Marshall shakes his head. “Much like mortals, we are not held accountable to the places our mind wanders when in the throes of passion.”
Laughter tries to choke its way from my throat, but I’m in far too much awe to initiate it fully.
Brilliant.
“Well then, you delicious beast.” I give his tie a hard yank. “Let’s see how passionate you can get.”
Logan, forgive me. I sigh as I bring Marshall’s lips to mine. But everything hinges on this kiss, all of humanity, all of my people, my sweet, sweet Gage. I just need to right the wrongs, and then we can start over. But for now…
I plunge into Marshall’s mouth as if I were on an exploratory journey to map out the landscape.
Those feel-good vibratronics of his pulse through me at lightning speeds, and soon I’m buzzing with ecstasy in such a way that I never have before. It’s as if this intense energy field realizes this is a final kiss of sorts, a long goodbye until we meet again on the other side of some great extreme, some great expanse of time.
A vision begins to form in my mind—Paragon in all its foggy splendor, a spray of purple stars buoyant in the mist. Rockaway Beach is below me with its sparkling onyx sand as I float into the lavender night sky. I survey the scene for signs of Gage or myself, and neither of us seems to be in the vicinity. Rough waves trample the shoreline, crashing with deafening thunder. The sound of something wicked, something wild, rouses from somewhere above me. Destruction blooms like a cloud on the horizon, like smoke reaching to the heavens.
Marshall’s kisses grow darker, far more commanding. It’s as if he’s trying to work out all of his transgressions—all of his frustrations.
Lightning strikes in my mind’s eye. It lights up the night sky like a fracturing star. Out of the clouds, out of the heavens, emerge two pale horses, dappled with sprays of light. They run with the determination of escaping a fire as they dash their way toward the water, toward the black glassy shore, straight for me, their eyes of burning flames feasted over mine. They’re coming—so fast—right into—
I gasp as I pull away with a start.
“Marshall,” I pant hard, trying to catch my breath. “What was that?”
“That, my love, is for you to determine.”
“Marshall, that vision—it was beautiful, but well... I still don’t know how to convince Gage he’s drowning in lies.”
He grips me over the arms with his strong hands.
“Think, Skyla,” he whispers. “Consider the vision. What could it mean?”
I bear into his crimson eyes and shake my head.
“Those horses…” A thought comes to me. “They remind me of Shaddai. Or those horses Chloe and I rode out of the Transfer on well over a year ago and right into the seventeenth century.” I press my lips tight. “I’m sorry, Marshall. I’m sure I must disappoint you daily. I know I do me.”
His cheek flickers on one side. “You, my love, do me proud every second you take a breath. Go. Do whatever you must. The time has come for him to come home. He belongs to the darkness no more. Bring him back.”
