‘I wouldn’t do that to you, Izzy. Not unless you were dying. I’d never take you away from your mate. I just… we want to help you. Both of you.’
It was clear, however, that my sister wouldn’t be swayed, and neither of us could reach Gall to see what he was thinking. Eventually, we had no choice but to head back. We’d need to be ready to meet Jann when he returned, and pray he had information about where Gall and Istral would be.
As my link with my sister wavered, then flickered, I wept.
The last of the visions she sent was herself and Gall, circled by the ecstatic Advisors—including an apparently smug Jann—all watching beyond the curtain as Lucifer stalked the stage, egging on the Neph to cheer and howl for theirmiraculousking and queen, the most powerful Nephilim ever to rule… except Lucifer himself.
16. New Plan
SOUNDTRACK:Angel Song (feat. David Draiman)by NOTHING MORE
~ MELEK ~
Sleep eluded me that night. Every time I sank towards it, I was back in the moment when Gall slumped, bloodied and unbreathing on that stage, and my body, flooded with panic, roared awake again.
Thank God Yilan was able to sleep. She lay curled into my side. We’d returned to my chamber—a hassle because we were forced to remain silent—but neither of us wanted to be far. We needed to hear from Jann, make sure Diadre was safe, and be accessible if a chance to take Gall and Istral away made itself available. Because we hadn’t even had to talk about that. If we could steal them away, we would. Neither of us understood what Lucifer had done tonight, or how, but it was clear what he believed he’d proven.
The Nephilim weren’t following Gall, they were following the Fallen, who had set up Gall like a puppet on his knee. Now it appeared he wanted Istral there too. Figureheads. To what purpose, we didn’t know, but we both agreed, we needed to get them out of here. Even against their will. Finding the space to getbothof them—because Yilan was utterly clear on that point—was the impossible part of this. Gall was so rarely alone, and Istral refused to leave him…
I was both warmed and appalled by that.
Yet, there was nothing we could do until we heard more from Jann about what had happened behind the scenes.
And so, here we were. Me, staring at the ceiling and praying for my son’s life, my mate exhausted from crying and laying against my side, buried in the blankets.
When the door to thelockedsitting room opened from the corridor, Yilan leaped like a cat, whipped out of the bed, and her feet hit the carpet at its side a blink behind mine. Both of us smoothly retrieved the weapons we secreted every night, before the door had clicked closed.
Half crouched, I raised a hand towards her, cautioning her to remain behind me, as I stalked for the bedroom door. Both of us slept in our clothes, and kept the door well-oiled and cracked open for precisely this moment.
I was halfway across the floor, when a deep voice hissed in the other room.
“Melek! It’s me!”
Jann.
I shuddered to a halt, and Yilan visibly relaxed—but then we caught eyes in the dark, and both tensed again.
He wasn’t supposed to come here. Ever.
Signaling to her to remain at my back, I tip-toed to the door and leaned across that gap until I could see through with oneeye, and made out Jann’s hulking form standing in the center of the room, with his hands up to show that he held no weapons.
Shaking my head, I opened the door silently and stepped into the gap. If he was here personally, it had to be bad.
“What the fuck, Jann?” I breathed.
“I’m sorry, but this couldn’t wait, and I couldn’t trust it to a message,” he whispered. “Almost everyone is still in the city, celebrating. The risk is… minimal.”
I scowled at him, but Yilan pushed forward. “Thank you. For coming yourself. I wouldn’t have trusted anyone else’s word.”
Jann’s brows rose. I looked at my mate with surprise as well, but I wouldn’t discourage her trust, so I just turned back to Jann. “Tell us.”
Giving me the second surprise in as many moments, Jann slumped into one of the chairs and dropped his face in his hands, clawing back and forth and into his hair like he was trying to rub the memories from his eyes.
“We were told not to protect him from himself,” he muttered finally. “I believe the words were,give him enough rope to hang himself.”
Pure, undefiled rage coursed through me. Jann lifted his head and met my eyes in the dim light. “Lucifer knew he would fail. Whatever he’s been doing for Gall, whatever he’s done that makes Gall confident and clearheaded, he didn’t do it tonight. That was the Gall we know on that stage. Floundering.”
“I know.”
