by Lexi C. Foss
Stop. If you give up on me, I will kill you myself.
I nearly laughed. How very Xai to threaten me now, in my final moments. I picture you perfectly.
I’m here.
A part of you will always be, yes.
Evangeline!
I love you, Xai… Always… Forever… Remember me.
8
Chaos Lurks within the Shadows
For the first time in my very long existence, my heart stuttered. I could feel Evangeline’s energy slipping from our bond, her life disappearing right before me.
Evangeline!
No reply.
“There!” Tax shouted into the chaotic oblivion of Hell’s realms.
Remy stopped, releasing us into the Shadow realm—a shady world where demons were sent to die. All the beings here thrived on the essence of the living, sucking their prey dry much in the way a Succubus would a human mate.
“I can’t stay here,” Remy said, his breathing already slowing. “Xai…”
“Take Tax. I’ve got this.”
“But you can’t—”
“Go!” I demanded, my wings extending and taking me into the smoggy air. I didn’t need to worry about them when I had Evangeline to find. Her mental voice no longer replied to mine, her life hanging by a thread.
I was going to kill her when I found her.
And hug her for eternity while never letting her go.
Had Kalida left her here to die? After nearly a year of trying to reconnect to Evangeline’s mind and find her, the aura of her ring had finally registered. Tax had relayed the location just as her soul had called to me.
I cut through the eerie clouds, calling to the chaos of this realm to expedite my flight as I scanned the ground for signs of Evangeline.
Where are you, love?
No reply.
Don’t do this to me. Not after everything we’ve been through.
She had to survive. I required it.
Wisps of her soul grasped at mine, her essence struggling to keep her alive by any means necessary. I blasted everything I could through the bond, commanding her to live. I would not lose her. Not like this.
Negative energy spiked at my aura, the shadows trying to pull me down, but I sliced through them with ease, my Archangel bloodline giving me the energy I needed.
There!
A thickening smog descending on the trees.
I cut toward it, my wings simmering in protest from the abrupt turn. I pushed myself harder, sprinting toward the dark mass and splitting through the middle.
Shrieks littered the air, the Shadow demons displeased by my interruption, but my sole focus lay with the stray strands of blonde hair twined in the soil beneath them. A forceful beat of my wings had the creatures backing off, their chatters of annoyance mingling with fear.
“Leave.” One word, underlined with all the power of my heritage. A being of Heaven I might be, but my birthright reigned over this dominion. One flare of my wings sent them all scattering, their terror feeding my energy shields and giving rise to the Archangel within me.
Electricity hummed beneath my fingertips as I waved them over Evangeline’s form, mentally dismantling the vines and shrubbery that had captured her against the Earth. They unfolded under my command, revealing her frail, bloody form beneath, her body so much thinner than it should be.
I lifted her lifeless form into my arms.
“I have you, love,” I murmured, my wings propelling us upward. “I have you.”
She didn’t move.
Didn’t breathe.
Her heart didn’t even beat.
My soul caressed hers, urging her to hold on, to trust me to fix this, to not give up on us yet. Evangeline needed more than this world could give her, more than Earth as well. She required the heavenly essence.
Fire encased our beings, singeing my feathers to ash as I teleported us between the planes. Ascension from Hell to Heaven required the most powerful of souls. Very few could accomplish it, most avoided it due to the energy cost, but we had no other alternative. Evangeline’s light was nearly extinguished, her body too fragile to heal anywhere else.
Raphaela.
I telepathed the name on repeat as we ascended, knowing someone in Heaven would hear me and find the female we needed. Evangeline’s mother—the Angel of Healing.
My back screamed in agony as my wings tore through my skin once again, replacing the ash with bold black feathers that thrived in their rebirth, my soul finally home.
But Evangeline remained limp in my arms, her body too weak to transform to her rightful form. My heart ached with the implication, terrified that I may never see those gorgeous violet plumes in flight again.
“Xai!” My father’s voice came from afar as I landed roughly on Heaven’s surface, the dense grass cushioning our fall.
I rolled to my back, cradling Evangeline tight against my chest.
Wind whooshed through the air as several angels landed around us, the leader one with dark brown wings with a span that rivaled my own. “What happened?” my father demanded.
“Shadow realm.”
“How long?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. Hours, maybe days?” Time in Hell withheld reason, and who knew what Evangeline had endured before Kalida dropped her in the wastelands.
Another ruffling of feathers sounded as Raphaela landed beside my father, her gray eyes on her daughter. She gracefully sank to her knees, her hands going to Evangeline’s face, her shoulders, her arms, and rearranging her so her back was against my chest, her head resting just below my chin. My hands fell to her hips, holding her against me, refusing to let go, refusing to lose her.
Come back to me, love, my heart whispered. Please.
Anguish discolored Raphaela’s features, her lips trembling as she lowered her forehead to Evangeline’s blood-coated chest.
“So much pain,” she hissed. “So much to heal.” The words were a rasp in the warm air, everyone silent as the only angel capable of healing Evangeline focused on her task.
Don’t you dare let go, my soul growled. You know I’ll follow you, Evangeline. I’ve always followed you.
A spark trickled through our connection—there and gone in a blink, but definitely there.
I closed my eyes and touched my head to hers. Are you hearing me, Evangeline? You will not give up. You will fight. Or I will come after you and kill you again.
Another tingle of awareness.
My hands fisted against her hips, my heart in my throat. More, Evangeline. I need you to give me more.
“Keep talking to her,” Raphaela said softly. “I feel her responding to it.”
You’ll respond to your mother but not to me? I’m offended, love. I thought we were mates.
A mental sound that resembled a snort rolled through my mind, caressing my spirit.
You’ll need to do better than that, darling. I realize you’re out of practice, being retired and all, but my expectations for you have always been high. Now stop fucking about and come back to me before you really piss me off.
Annoyance filtered through the bond, whether real or not, I pursued it, taunting my angel in a way I knew would rouse a reaction.
Is that the best you can do, sweetheart? Because I’m disappointed, truly. What happened to my warrior mate? Have you lost your killing drive as well?
A low growl slipped into my thoughts. You… Her mental voice, so faint, so very real, had me clutching her sides, holding on for dear life.
What about me? My mental voice held a touch of a scoff that didn’t match the flutter taking off in my chest. Do you have something to say? Finally?
Kill… you…
And how do you intend to do that, love? By remaining weak and unconscious? Seems quite doubtful.
… ass…
I smiled. You adore it.
… missed you…
All amusement at her resurfacing died, replaced by the deep ache I’d spent nearly a year trying to hide. I missed you too, Evangeline. So fuc
king much. Please come back to me.
A pause had me holding my breath. Keep begging. It’s nice.
I laughed out loud, my lips in her hair. You cheeky minx.
Mmm… adore it.
My lips twitched at her parroting my words back at me. I do, love. Don’t leave me.
Never.
Because I’ll follow you, I promised her. You’ll never escape me.
I know.
Good. I kissed the crown of her head, relaxing. I’m never letting you go again, Evangeline.
Okay, she whispered, her soul mingling with mine. I love you, too.
I sighed, my cheek resting against her matted hair. While her voice was stronger now, her body remained frail and broken against mine, a sign of a long healing to come.
“She’s going to be all right,” Raphaela murmured, confirming what my heart already knew. “Just keep lending your strength, Xai. Your bond is what’s keeping her alive.”
“No,” I said softly, my arms wrapping around Evangeline’s waist. “Her warrior soul is what’s keeping her alive. I’m just her anchor.”
I gently brushed the strands away from Evangeline’s forehead. I’m here.
She hadn’t responded or moved in three days, not even when I bathed and clothed her. Raphaela predicted it would take at least a week before Evangeline’s spirit fully healed—the Shadows had clearly enjoyed feasting on her angelic light.
A whisper of air preceded my father’s landing beside me on the balcony, his black-and-brown wings high on his back to avoid touching the marble patio. His penchant for elegance defied our chaotic heritage, which was likely why he did it.
I rose, my own feathers brushing the marble ground as I stood before him in a pair of black jeans and nothing else. Had I known we were expecting company, I might have dressed for the occasion. Then again, probably not. “Father.”
“I just spoke to Azrael.” No greeting. No inquiry about Evangeline’s well-being. Just a formal statement and right to work. Typical Mietek. “No news on Kalida’s or Grant’s locations, confirming they are likely hiding in Hell somewhere. Of course, Ashmedai hasn’t reported any updates on his progress.”
“He hasn’t determined who betrayed him yet?” How many years had passed in Hell since Kalida’s escape? Over a thousand, maybe? I’d lost track of time going between Earth, Hell, and Heaven, and fuck if I wanted to do math now.
“If he’s discovered the culprit, he hasn’t deigned to comment. For all we know, he’s already caught Kalida and just forgot to tell the rest of us.”
“Doubtful.” I drew my knuckles down Evangeline’s warm cheek to her neck. “Ashmedai would wish to make an example of her, which requires an audience. We would know if he’d caught her.”
“I agree.” The low response floated on the wind as flames erupted in the air. Ashmedai stepped onto the balcony as though walking through a door, his wings only slightly singed from the teleport. Trudy followed him, her hair slightly windswept, her hazel eyes no longer holding the youth I once knew.
I was about to ask how long she’d been in Hell when my father snapped his wings out menacingly and took a step toward Ashmedai.
“Bringing a Nephilim into Heaven?” he growled. “Have you lost your mind?”
Ashmedai cocked his head to the side. “Don’t like to have your dalliances on Earth flaunted about before you, Mietek?”
My father’s dark gaze narrowed. “She’s not mine.” He spoke the words as if they tasted bitter.
“Oh, I’m aware,” Ashmedai replied. “It’s quite clear to me where her bloodline stems from.” His lips twitched with a secret as he sighed, “Alas, that’s not why we’re here. I believe you were just discussing my inability to find Kalida?”
Of course he was listening. How, I had no idea. The Archdemon continued to defy the normal realm of power, confirming a suspicion I had several decades ago about the shift of energy in the underworld. Zebulon, too, had gained additional abilities.
“Yes, care to elaborate?” My father sounded bored, but the tension in his legs told me he was very much on guard. Archdemons didn’t visit this plane unless they possessed a devious purpose, and Ashmedai proved himself more of a threat every time I saw him.
“She’s not my primary concern at the moment,” Ashmedai replied. “We’ll find her, but there are far more pressing matters for us to discuss. Tru, would you care to elaborate since you demanded we make this trip?”
I startled, surprised that he would defer to a being so much younger than him. But as she eyed Evangeline’s prone form, her expression devoid of emotion, I caught the air of age coming from her being.
“She’s not recovered yet?” she asked, her voice holding a sultry note that spoke of confidence and experience. “I had hoped to talk to her too.”
She sighed, her arms folding as she braced herself near the edge of what I knew to be a fifteen-story drop. Not a smart place for a being without wings, yet not an ounce of fear colored her features. No, she appeared hardened to it, as if she frequently found herself in difficult situations. Just as there hadn’t been any sign of hesitation when she stepped through that portal behind Ashmedai.
That could only mean…
“You never allowed her to leave,” I said, meeting the Archdemon’s violet gaze. “Trudy’s been in Hell this entire time?” For how many hundreds of years?
His lips twitched. “We have an arrangement.”
“Tru,” she corrected. “And it’s not important. Will Eve be all right?”
“She’ll survive,” I replied, my attention still on the Archdemon. “You haven’t figured out who betrayed you, and you haven’t found Kalida. Why? Because you craved a reason to hold on to a Nephilim as one would a pet?”
“Did you just refer to me as a pet?” Now Trudy—excuse me, Tru—sounded irritated. What the fuck happened to the little girl who used to adore me?
“Careful,” Ashmedai mused. “She can be scarier than me.”
I shook my head. “Un-fucking-believable. Why didn’t Azrael handle this?” The question was for my father, who had moved to stand near the edge of the railless balcony.
“Azrael tried,” he replied. “Tru refused to leave.”
“We’re not here to talk about me,” she cut in before I could comment on that. “I’ve discovered something we need to discuss.”
I studied the woman I once saved from a human-trafficking ring and found a warrior staring right back at me. Evangeline would approve. Or kill Ashmedai. I wasn’t quite sure.
“She’s here as a favor,” the Archdemon added. “I suggest you listen to her.”
“All right.” My father leaned against the wall, his wings tucked upward primly as he folded his arms over his chest. “Start talking, Nephilim.”
9
Dear Evangeline, Wake. Up. Sincerely, Xai
I stood on the balcony long after Ashmedai and Trudy left, my gaze on the bright blues of the horizon.
“You miss it, don’t you?” Raphaela asked from beside Evangeline. She’d stopped by to deliver her daily dose of healing energy, which was really more an excuse for her to spend time with her daughter.
A flurry of young angels took flight from a school nearby, causing my heart to ache. “I miss it every day,” I admitted softly. “Evangeline does too.”
“I know.” Her mother stood to join me at the edge, her pale white wings a stark contrast to my ebony feathers. “But you’re her real home, Xai. Evangeline would never be happy here without you.”
“Just as I would never be happy here or anywhere without her.” All those millennia spent pushing her away, trying to force her to live a better life here, had been at the detriment to my own soul. I never wanted her to leave me, but I never wanted her to Fall for me either.
Alas, Evangeline always did what she wanted.
Such as sleep for days on end.
I glanced over my shoulder and shook my head. “She needs to wake up.”
“She’s not ready yet.”
&nbs
p; “The Dark Provenance need us.”
Raphaela smiled. “Azrael has them well prepared, Xai. Trust me.”
“You’ve been to see him recently?” I had meant to check in, but I couldn’t leave Evangeline. If she awoke without me by her side… No. I refused to allow that to happen.
I’m never leaving you again, love. Ever.
“Yes, just this morning, actually. They’ll be all right. There’s time.” She patted my arm, an act few would dare do, but I welcomed the comfort. “You and Evangeline have given up so much for everyone else. No one would blame either of you for needing a break.”
I sighed. “Now just isn’t the right time.” Especially with the information Trudy had just divulged.
“I’d say it’s the perfect time,” Raphaela countered. “You’ve handled everything for nearly three thousand Earth years. Let some of the others have some fun upholding the balance. Gives Ezra something to do.”
I snorted. “Pretty sure he has his hands full.” Or that was the rumor, anyway. I hadn’t seen him in a few decades—not since that random meeting in Hell. Oh well, not important.
“Perhaps, but the Divinity exists for a reason, son. Trust in their purpose. ”
Son. I merely smiled at the endearment. There was a time when this woman hated me. She’d never admit it out loud, but I sensed it from her all those years ago when she caught Evangeline and me together for the first time. Raphaela had not approved of her daughter’s infatuation. Not one bit.
“Or better yet, why not let Fate take the reins for a bit?” she added, her light eyes twinkling.
I smiled at the reference to my mother—the Archangel of Destiny. She had stopped by last night with some of Evangeline’s favorite baked goods, saying I’d need them soon. I translated her eerily Delphic statement to mean that my mate would definitely be waking earlier than anticipated. Sometimes it paid to have a mother who could predict the future. If only I’d inherited the same genetics.
However, there was one thing I knew for certain.
“We won’t intervene until Evangeline is completely healed,” I promised Raphaela. “But you know she’ll insist on going to their aid.” Evangeline harbored a soft spot for the Nephilim and all of humanity, something I admired about her, as I did not possess the same emotional inclination.