Yes, and I was asleep for centuries. Then, suddenly, you were there, trailing bits of your energy through as you went in and out—I’m not sure how you managed that. You came through with others, and they all gave small sparks off as well, and then I could speak. I hadn’t spoken in so long, I was afraid I’d forgotten how.His voice cracked.I was afraid to fall back asleep. I’ve slept forever. I don’t want to sleep any more.
There was so much sadness in his tone, I didn’t know what to do.Revel, I told your mom you missed her.I placed my hand on the gold knob and thought about Her, remembering the awesome power and compassion in Her voice. How She had called me Her daughter. How Imriel had told me I was his sister?—
The knob flared so hot, I snatched my hand away.
You’re my sister?
A thousand voices cried out at once, all echoing,Ewwwww.
I sneered.Thus my disgust at the knob-polishing joke.I rubbed my hand on my thigh, trying to get the knob germs off.Imriel says we’re not actually related. So it’s not technically ince?—
Stop. I don’t care. We never speak of this again,Revel wheezed.Never.
Fine by me. As long as you let me in.
He sighed.I can’t just let you in. I need a boost of power.
I tucked Mike behind my back.Okay, I know we’re not actually brother and sister, in either the legal or genetic-material way of things, but I am not doing that. I’m a mated woman.
That you are, he replied, humor back in his voice.Again and again. Since I woke up, I’ve heard some things. One of your mates is still inside, and you’ll never believe this. Another one of our siblings has woken. She’d been sleeping, too. She was just nagging me about her mission. Let me try to speak to her—it’sridiculously hard to make myself heard on that side, but I’m trying.
He went quiet, and I reached out to try to eavesdrop. I could feel rather than hear the sounds of some great battle happening just inside.
Feather, you need to get in there. I saw Gavriel through my columns, and he’s fading fast.
I have to get in now.I grabbed hold of the doorknob and pulled.Let me in!
I can’t. I have to have a sacrifice. Something as important as a life. And I will not take yours, little one.I was frantic, pulling at the knob. I started hammering at the side of Sanctuary with the dildo, wondering if I could use it to break a hole. But it wasn’t changing into some sort of Celestial blade or light saber. It didn’t matter to anyone but me.
I froze.Take Mr. Oxbig.
What? Who?
I grabbed hold of the doorknob.Take Mike.This is what the Singer of All Songs gave me when I entered the Celestial Realm. It’s the only thing I can give. It’s all I have. Think about it—it must have serious power in it. It’s fully rechargeable. And you’re stuck here, right? Wouldn’t it be less boring with a…I didn’t want to say friend. But sex toy seemed gross. This was my pseudo-brother, after all.Uh, with something to make you smile?
Everything was silent for a moment, and then the knob began to glow again. I really hoped it wasn’t his dick. Who knew which parts of him had transformed into what when he became the gate?
I accept your sacrifice, even though I’m not certain it’ll buy you a wide enough doorway. Move fast, and try anyway. I’m pretty sure they’re praying for a miracle. They’ll laugh so hard when they see it’s you.
They won’t laugh. They may try to squish me like a bug. I thought about the Guides seeing me come through the door as a Celestial Messenger. Not that I had the song anymore. But I still had the Celestial Message Imriel had wrapped in it. I could tell them that.
The thought worked me right up.
Go fast, little sacrifice,Revel shouted as a crack opened up in the side of Sanctuary’s pearly shell. It was nowhere near big enough for me to squeeze through, but I darted for it anyway, pulling at the edges of it with my fingers to widen it. At some point, while I wriggled and scraped my way through, Mike vanished.
But I didn’t care, because when I came tumbling out the other side, scratched up from what had felt like a thousand sharp ends of magical wire, I smacked right into someone.
Eyes that I had never seen, but knew at once, met mine and flew wide. “Sister?”
I knew this woman. Her shape, her form. I’d stared at her for hours, talked to her while she slept, and checked on her when some of the ashholes in this realm had started talking about chopping her up for parts. She wasn’t Dina, my earthly sister. This was Arabella.
But she was somehow a part of me. A twin. The word rang with truth when I repeated it back to her. “Sister?”
There was music everywhere, and the sounds of people dying. Screams, flickering lights, and metal clanging. And memories began flooding my mind, endless… dances? But not exactly. The two of us had been moving, spinning together somewhere, for years and years. Singing, and laughing. I shook my head, trying to remember her name, as the woman grabbed my hands. She was Arabella, the one I’d overheard Imriel talking about. He’d called her something else, I knew that, but thoseeyes—those eyes, and the spirit within them, belonged to the one I’d named… “Beauty?”
She lifted me off the ground in a wild hug. “Feather! I thought I’d never see you again.”
Over her shoulder, I could see a wraithlike shadow prowling toward us. I choked a warning—“Watch out!”—right as it lunged for us.
