Forgiven
Page 29
Rael only nods in reply. We run to the top of the ridge and look down. The ground drops steeply into a deep ravine.
“Grace,” I whisper. “Hang on.”
We jump over the edge.
I’ve done this before, a hundred times. Jumping is my freedom, my release. For a moment I am airborne, Grace on my back, soaring as if I really do have wings. Rael is not so aerodynamic. He lands halfway down and tumbles the rest of the way. I land on the slope and jump again, leaping toward the a stream bed at the bottom. Rael comes to rest beside me a moment later.
“What just happened?” Grace’s groggy voice cheers my soul.
“You don’t want to know.”
I run through the stream to a rock ledge and duck under it, letting her down from my back gently. Rael joins me, though his bulk is still largely exposed. I wait, but I don’t see any drones overhead. Nor do I see any of Speer’s men on the ridge.
“Maybe we lost them,” I say. “We should keep going and get to the other side of the next ridge. Just to make sure.”
Rael says nothing. I wonder if Speer took his tongue as well.
“What did he do to you?”
He takes a long time before he speaks. “He tried to…fix me.”
“So he lied to you too, didn’t he?”
Rael looks away. “He fears what he has done. To himself.”
“What’s he saying?” Grace murmurs.
I kneel beside her. “Nothing. Are you okay?”
“You say that way too much.”
“I know.”
“Are you okay?” She touches my stomach and my side. The bullet wounds that are now barely visible. “Would you look at that.” She smiles.
“Thank you for coming for me.”
“Wait ’til you hear how that went down.”
“Do you still have it? What I gave you?”
“Yes.” She reaches into her waistband and retrieves the strip of fabric. It’s soaked but the blood stains are still there. “What is it?”
“It’s Speer’s.”
Her brow knits as she stares at the fabric. Then she takes a breath, understanding.
“That’s why you attacked him.”
I nod.
“You almost died.”
“Make sure Bradford gets it. When you get home.”
She shakes her head and tucks the fabric away again. “When we get home.”
“Can you walk?”
“I’d rather not.”
“Then get on my back.”
We start up the next mountain, Grace on my back and Rael leading the way. The terrain is steep and rocky and there are few trees, but no one follows us anymore. We’re alone.
Eventually, we reach a sheer rock face and start to climb, scaling the nearly vertical cliff. Grace clutches my neck and her breath rasps in my ear. Rael gets to the top first and reaches down to pull us up. Grace slides down my body and lies flat on the rock shelf, closing her eyes.
“That wasn’t…fun.”
We’re on the summit of a mountain under a perfect blue sky. The wind is soft and chill. It’s quiet. I look around, searching for a town, a farm, a chalet, something. I see nothing.
We need to get to a phone and call Ralph. The thought of him comforts me. Ralph. The Hobbit Hole…home.
I leave Grace where she is and climb a little farther up, to the very top. It’s windier here. I realize I’m not the first person to do this. Before me is a large mound of rocks, and at the very top, a wooden cross.
I smile. It seems fitting, to find this cross at the end of this journey.
I drop to my knees and fold my hands. A prayer touches my lips, a simple prayer, but the first I’ve ever prayed.
Thank you.
Suddenly, the air seems to shatter, shot through with sound. A massive boom like a hundred trains colliding, a thousand earthquakes, the earth itself falling out of orbit and crashing into a void. The mountain under my feet trembles so violently, I’m knocked off my knees. The cross on the rock pile shivers and tumbles. And then, I see it.
A blade of pure light rising like a golden spear into the sky.
56: Descent
Angel
The massive energy breach breaks the collider open and sends waves of nuclear heat soaring like a blade of light into the sky. But most of the explosion goes underground. It tears through the earth like a meteor, melting solid rock, obliterating everything in its rush to the core.
This was not a surprise to Elohim.
It is time for the princes to gather the armies. To assemble on the mountain of the Lord and face the consequences of the folly of men. For the heaven has fallen away, and the earth is sinking into the void. The Dark ascends.
THE PLAYLIST
All the chapter titles in this novel are song titles from the Forgiven novel playlist, available on Spotify and iTunes. Music plays a big role in the Forlorn series, so I develop a playlist for each book, which guides me through the writing. The Part titles are all names of albums from the band Muse, whose music often evokes the effect of technology on the human condition.
“Going to Mars” Judah and the Lion
“Where We Come Alive” Ruelle
“God Only Knows” for KING & COUNTRY
“Poison in the Water” Von Grey
“Play With Fire” WAR*HALL
“Dangerous Game” Klergy
“New Born” Muse
“A Beginner’s Guide to Destroying the Moon” Foster the People
“Who Will Save You” Katie Garfield
“Hard Love” NEEDTOBREATHE
“Control” Halsey
“Rescue Me” Thirty Seconds to Mars
“Spiritual War” Emily Brimlow
“Demon in Profile” The Afghan Whigs
“Unstoppable” Sia
“Don’t Dream It’s Over” The Head and the Heart
“Feeling Good” Muse
“Clearly” Grace VanderWaal
“On Fire” Firewood Island
“Giant” Matrimony
“Houdini” Foster the People
“A Demon’s Fate” Within Temptation
“Gold Plated Lie” Scott Mulvahill
“After You” Meghan Trainor
“Conversations” Judah and the Lion
“figure it out” Faith Marie
“Smoke and Mirrors” Imagine Dragons
“Human” Of Monsters and Men
“Starlight” Muse
“War of Hearts” Ruelle
“Great Wide Open” Thirty Seconds to Mars
“Breaking Through” Audrey Assad
“Everywhere I Go” Sleeping at Last
“Battlefield” Svrcina
“Knights of Cydonia” Muse
“Game of Survival” Ruelle
“Lion” Saint Mesa
“Pressure” Muse
“Miracle” CHVRCHES
“Start Again” OneRepublic
“Fighting Furies” Charmaine
“Get up and Fight” Muse
“Brave” Moriah Peters
“Us” James Bay
“Forever On Your Side” NEEDTOBREATHE
“Shadows” The Afters
“Bad Dreams” Faouzia
“Courage” Peter Gabriel
“Algorithm” Muse
“Castle” Halsey
“Mercy” Muse
“Awaken” Klergy
“The Fire (Remains)” The Dear Hunter
“Carry You” Ruelle
“The Light” Disturbed
“Descent” Lawless
SPECIAL THANKS
To publisher Dawn Carrington and everyone at Vinspire for their excellence and support.
To Judah Raines and Delia Latham for expert editing.
To agent Julie Gwinn for opening doors and being a wonderful friend.
To my husband Steve for supporting my writing habit through the years.
To my daughters Danielle, Dominique, and Samantha for explaining to me how teen
agers really talk.
To D.L. Rosensteel, Mark Buzard, T.L. Sherwood, and Mary Akers for reading, commenting, and generally making this book better.
To readers young and old for taking a chance on my books.
And of course, to God, for everything.
This story isn’t over…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gina Detwiler is the co-author of the bestselling The Prince Warriors series in addition to the Forlorn series. She also writes about angels, Nephilim, and other bizarre Bible stuff on her blog at www.ginadetwiler.com.
Follow on Instagram and Facebook @ginadetwilerauthor. She also loves to hear from readers, so write to her at 61 Ponderosa Court, Orchard Park, NY 14127.
TRADEMARK ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author gratefully acknowledges the use of the following trademarks in this work:
Facebook, Inc. CORPORATION DELAWARE 1601 Willow Road Menlo Park CALIFORNIA 94025
Instagram, LLC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY DELAWARE 1601 Willow Road Menlo Park CALIFORNIA 94025
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CADILLAC General Motors LLC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY DELAWARE 300 Renaissance Center Detroit MICHIGAN 482653000
Dungeons and Dragons (REGISTRANT) Wizards of the Coast LLC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY DELAWARE 1027 Newport Avenue Pawtucket RHODE ISLAND 02861
Superman (REGISTRANT) DC COMICS E.C. PUBLICATIONS, INC., a New York corporation and WARNER COMMUNICATIONS INC., a Delaware corporation PARTNERSHIP NEW YORK 1700 Broadway New York NEW YORK 10019
The Sims Electronic Arts Inc, 209 Redwood Shores Pkwy, Redwood City, CA 94065-1175
Dear Reader
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Gina Detwiler
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