“Mmm,” I moan. “Of course, you do. What is it you want?”
“The gift of delusion.”
Delusion. I let the horror swill in my mind a moment. It occurs to me he could usurp my authority on the matter if I deny him. He could go to the Father, and once my favoritism toward the Sectors is revealed, I would be forced to submit. This I know is true.
“Fine.” I don’t hesitate granting his wish. And by doing so, my power remains with me. “Just one delusion. Choose wisely. Any other deception you’d like to pull off will have to be crafted and held together entirely from your wicked wit.”
“Thank you. Now tell us”—Demetri feasts his gaze on mine—“what is the end game of this Nephilim nightmare you’ve pulled us into? What is the real prize? What is the truth?”
He draws a slow nod from me.
“I will tell you exactly that—the truth.”
12
Skyla
In an odd turn of events, Chloe’s memories have slowly grafted themselves to my mine as if they were my own.
Is it happening to her as well? I’m not asking, and she’s not telling. But I can see her past, understand her story as efficiently as reading a book. All of her memories, good and bad, are uploading to the hard drive of my mind. Inescapable is the verbal abuse her mother put her through, while her passive father looks on. Glendora Bishop is a peach that makes Emma look as if she’s ready for sainthood.
Chloe isn’t an angel either, not in the traditional sense. She’s the mean girl in just about every scenario, destined to be the bad seed regardless of her upbringing. But a mother like my own, Lizbeth, might have tempered her. She might have spared Chloe from walking down a very dark path, but Glendora nurtured it. She all but narrowed the road for Chloe. And my heart breaks for her.
Chloe Bishop never stood a chance. And as for Gage, she loved him. Her affection for him was as real as my own. It was palpable. You could dig your teeth into it. She wanted to warm herself under his affection. She could have thrived there. The light of his love would have untwisted her psyche and made her whole again. But that’s not how it played out.
“What do you think?” Rory gives a spin, right here in the Landon family room in front of Mom, Tad, Brielle, Drake, Ethan, Emily Morgan, myself as I play the part of Chloe Bishop, every Landon and Oliver toddler in the universe, and Logan Oliver himself.
Drake and Ethan are glued to the television set—to the news of all things, where reports of that awful virus that’s sweeping across all of Europe is lighting up the screen. And now, ten cases of what they’re calling the Kingdom Virus have appeared right here in the United States. Three cases in California. One in Washington. Six on the East Coast. It’s terrifying. Over seven hundred people have died to date in Europe, and thousands of others are hospitalized. Entire cities are being quarantined. Food for those on lockdown is scarce. I would be lying if it didn’t shake me to my core.
Rory spins like a ballerina in a catastrophe of a wedding dress that looks as if she ripped it out of Brides R Us circa 1980. It has a high frilly turtleneck, puffy shoulders that ensure the fact she could drive a ball down a football field with no trouble from the opposing team, glitter, sequins, beading, and dear God, are those actual feathers around her torso?
Tomorrow is the big day. My wedding to Logan is set to transpire with or without me, and it’s enough to make me want to cause a wedding day slaughter just like the one that occurred on Mia’s wedding day to Gabe. That bloody catastrophe served as a harbinger for their less than stellar marriage.
“Oh, it’s awful,” I grunt. And I don’t mind at all that I said it out loud because I’m positive Chloe Bishop herself would have said the same thing.
Wrong,Chloe is quick to correct me.I would have said,My God, it’s so very you, Skyla. Oh, how I hope you’ll let me borrow it one day when I get married to my Prince Charming.Then I would have stuck my finger down my throat and vomited on your glass slippers.
You always did know how to one-up me,I tell her.
Rory squints over at me. “What did you say?”
Mom is quick to wave me off while she rocks a sleeping Jaxson in her arms.
“Don’t mind Chloe. Skyla, you are a beautiful bride.” Her lips quiver as if she might be sick—sick from the lie she just spewed. “I think what Chloe meant was, isn’t it bad luck to show the groom your dress before the big reveal?”
“What?” Rory looks both irritated and affronted. “I don’t believe in luck.”
“Ha!” Tad balks. “What do you think keeps landing me right back in the safety of my own home time and time again? I’m telling you, the other guys down at the jailhouse are starting to call me Teflon Tad.”
Rory rolls her eyes. “Aren’t you going away for a very long time on fraud charges? That doesn’t sound very lucky to me.”
“I’m more than just lucky.” He lifts the pant leg on his left side, revealing an ankle bracelet. “Look at the bling I get to lug around with me. That right there says I’m a pretty important guy.”
Bree bops her way over and picks up both of Rory’s hands. “Who the hell cares? My best friend is getting married!Again, but that’s a teeny tiny Oliver detail. What do you think of your bride, Logan?”
“He’s speechless.” Rory lifts her chin with pride. That mop on her head looks permanently matted. I really will have to shave my scalp clean once I take possession of my body again. When Logan brought it up to me, I thought he was being sarcastic.
“He’s speechless, all right.” I scowl over at my old self, and it’s a genuine reaction to this new, unimproved version of myself.
