by Lexi C. Foss
Does that surprise you?
She considered it. No, actually it doesn’t. While her memories still hadn’t fully formed or returned to her, her instincts guided her thought process.
A pair of glass doors was all that separated her from the outside.
She ran for them, bursting outward and ready to take off, when a myriad of alarms went up around her. Caro spun in a circle, then engaged her misting ability, preparing to leave the primary islands.
Only, a familiar sight about a hundred yards away gave her pause.
Gabriel. She started toward him in her angelic state, using her wings to propel her forward. They ached from disuse, her magic triggering again to begin healing and taking away from the work in her mind.
It was all too much. She needed somewhere safe to fully recover. A place where she could sleep off the headache forming behind her eyes.
Her son said something to her about a shirt. She ignored him and said, “Take me to Sethios.” Her voice was surprisingly strong for her lack of use over the last however many years.
“I’d rather him meet us elsewhere,” her son replied as he pulled out a small device from his pocket. He studied the screen, his fingers moving over it in rapid succession before he returned the item to his jeans. “Let’s go.”
Is Gabriel still on our side? she asked Sethios, confused by his behavior.
Unless the council changed his mind in the last few hours, yes.
Council? She knew he meant the High Council of Seraph, but wanted more details.
He received an edict to meet with them. He intended to more or less trick them into freeing you.
But they didn’t free me, she replied. I freed myself. Did that mean she couldn’t trust him? What if—
Fire encircled her, the heat lashing out at her skin and causing her to draw a hiss through her teeth. She misted away from it, only to be engulfed in a fiery net that stirred a scream from her lungs.
Caro! Sethios cried out in her mind. Send me a visual. Show me where you are.
It was a demand that forced her compliance, her eyes opening to capture the buildings around her, all mingled with burning embers that seared her retinas.
The persuasion left her in an instant, her mate immediately sensing the pain he’d caused. He didn’t apologize, his mind whirring through hers as he tried to find a way to reach her, to help, to take down those harming her.
She fell to her knees, her lungs burning with the need to grasp clean air.
But in the next breath, it all disappeared.
The warmth.
The fire.
Everything.
She opened her eyes and blinked at the sight of Gabriel in full warrior mode, taking down a horde of Seraphim in one swipe of his sword.
They bellowed, cries of pain gracing the air, but he was on a warpath, his destructive side engaged. It wasn’t a proper sword that he’d wielded, but a weapon made of power. He’d called it to him using the talents from his paternal side.
Awe swept over Caro at watching her son annihilate the others without a single misstep. I created him, she thought, her eyebrows lifting. The Fates mandated this.
Most Seraphim were over five hundred before their bodies were considered viable for procreation. Caro had been significantly younger when the call came for her to mate with Adriel. She’d followed through on the edict because it was the expected response.
Never once did she question the purpose, but seeing him in all his battling glory now, on the heels of her new talent awakening inside her, she began to wonder if the Fates had orchestrated all of this for a reason. Some purpose beyond the council.
“Enough,” a deep voice bellowed as Adriel appeared, his red wings splayed around him in a cape of pure energy.
The fighting ceased, but Gabriel didn’t lower his sword. Instead, he faced his father with an expression unlike any she’d ever seen from her son before. Fierce emotion radiated from him—a palpable anger that threatened to burn everyone alive.
Father and son stared each other down, their warrior spirits testing each other as they floated in ethereal form.
“Banish us if you have to,” Gabriel said, his tone underlined with authority. “But I will do what is necessary to see the prophecy fulfilled. And right now, I need Caro’s help with Astasiya.”
What’s wrong with Astasiya? Caro demanded through the link.
She’s fine, Sethios promised. Why?
Gabriel just said he needs my help with her to ensure the prophecy is fulfilled.
He’s using that as a reason to convince the council to free you, Sethios replied.
She considered that. Oh. That’s a practical move.
Yes, he agreed.
“You choose the prophecy over your loyalty to me? To your home? To your council?” Adriel asked, seemingly unbothered by the power his son wielded before him in the form of a vicious sword.
“It’s my loyalty as a Seraphim that drives me toward this decision. It’s the only path for me to take, Adriel. Even if it means that I need to go through you.” Gabriel shifted his grip, his stance boldly hostile. “Decide.”
“I could have you stripped of your wings.”
“You could try,” Gabriel countered. “And you would lose.”
“I’m the original warrior, Son. You can’t dethrone me.”
“It’s not my goal to dethrone you, Father. I merely wish to see this prophecy through. Is that not why the Fates created me?”
So he senses it, too, Caro thought. He senses that the Fates are playing the council.
What do you mean? Sethios asked.
It’s all too coincidental. I gave birth twice in a century—something that shouldn’t be possible with Seraphim only being able to procreate every five hundred years or so. I also created two of the most powerful progeny in existence today. But I, too, was birthed with a purpose. It’s all aligned, only I don’t think the Fates told the council the real reason for our existence.
I’m still not following, angel, he whispered into her mind. Are you suggesting the Fates have tricked the council somehow? That you all weren’t created to take down my father?
I don’t know. But there was something nagging at her mind, some puzzle she hadn’t quite pieced together yet. However, she sensed she was on the right trail to a bigger revelation.
The council thought they were all destined to destroy Osiris.
But what if that wasn’t the purpose at all? What was the prophecy again? she asked, trying to remember and coming up blank. What are we destined to do?
Astasiya is prophesied to be the one to destroy us all, meaning the Ichorians and Hydraians because it was Skye who voiced it.
Caro frowned. Something about that feels… We’re missing something.
A flash of energy yanked her out of her thoughts, drawing her back to where Gabriel squared off with Adriel about ten feet off the ground. Several other Seraphim had joined the lead warrior Seraphim’s side, but her son didn’t appear fazed. If anything, he looked impatient.
“I’ve fought my way up to second-in-command, Adriel. I’m more than capable of doing it again.” He twirled the sword as another appeared in his opposite hand, the dueling blades blazing with angelfire.
Power oozed off of Gabriel, his birthright showing in the smoldering green of his irises. He wouldn’t back down. And in this state, only Adriel would be able to defeat him.
Unless the other older Seraphim arrived, which Caro suspected might be the point in this delay.
She quietly tested her ability to mist and found it fully intact once more, her body having healed automatically from the ropes of fire that had threatened to bind her to the earth.
“The council has not yet reached a verdict,” Adriel replied. “Until that point, Caro should return to reformation.”
Gabriel shook his head. “Your decision is the one that matters. So deliver your verdict, Adriel. To do otherwise is just a waste of time, of which I have little to give. Things with Osiris are escala
ting, and I’ve left Astasiya unprotected. She may be able to take care of herself, but she still requires my guidance. And that of her mother, too.”
He’s magnificent, Caro thought, pride flourishing inside her at the sight of her son refusing to give his father an inch. He was still so young, and yet he appeared positively ancient in that moment.
If Adriel felt similarly, he didn’t show it. Instead, he took his son’s measure, his mint-colored irises flaring with knowledge and power. “You will convince Astasiya to answer our edict,” he said. “Once that happens, we will discuss your future with the Seraphim.”
“You’re not exiling him?” a feminine voice demanded as Silvia appeared in a flurry of soft yellow feathers that were a stark contrast to her darker complexion.
“Not yet. He has four weeks to comply with my edict. If Astasiya does not appear before the council by that point, then we will reconvene to discuss our verdict.”
“And Caro?” she pressed.
Adriel glanced down at the woman in question, his expressionless face giving nothing away. “She will accompany him in an effort to guide the infant Seraphim appropriately. We’ll discuss her fate in four weeks as well.”
Gabriel nodded, his swords dissolving into the air. “Then we had better get started.” He misted to Caro’s side, his hand grabbing hers. “I’ll deliver an update in four weeks’ time, either with Astasiya or alone.”
He didn’t wait for confirmation, his power wrapping around her in a protective cloak of energy and forcing her to move with him through time and space.
Caro?
I’m fine, she said. Gabriel is misting me, and I don’t appreciate the sensation.
That I understand, he replied, his words stirring amusement inside her without a source. There was some memory tied to that—a memory she couldn’t yet access. I’m coming to you, angel.
Coming to me, how?
You’ll see, he whispered. Be ready.
“Take me to Caro.” Sethios held out his hand. “Now.”
Vera narrowed her silver eyes at him—eyes that turned blue green as her feathers sprang to life. “I hope this hurts.”
“It will,” he promised. “But it’s worth it.”
Her lips twitched then. “Yes. On that, perhaps, we agree.” She pressed her palm to his, whisking them away from Hydria to the location Ezekiel had texted her moments ago.
For whatever reason, Gabriel wanted them all to meet at Ezekiel’s place, not in Hydria. While Caro and Gabriel had fought the council—or whatever had just happened—Sethios, Vera, and Leela had chatted about how to proceed.
They’d agreed that Astasiya should remain in Hydria with her friend and Issac while Sethios assessed Caro’s mental state.
From what he’d gathered thus far, her memories weren’t fully intact. So while she understood the bond, she didn’t seem all that engaged with it. Almost as though she’d forgotten that she owned his heart.
He would happily remind her of that fact the moment he saw her. And if she put up a fight, he’d enjoy taking her back to the beginning of their relationship with a few carefully crafted commands.
The misting subsided, revealing a black night sky littered with stars. It was similar to the late-night hour in Greece, only his feet were now covered in snow.
He frowned, his stomach beginning to churn as his body caught up with the teleportation effect brought on by his “flight” with the Seraphim. It always left him queasy. “Where are we?” he asked, his voice strained as he fought his body’s need to vomit.
Ugh, he hated how weak this made him feel. One day, he’d master it. Hopefully when he grew his own wings.
“About an hour east of Reykjavík,” Ezekiel replied as he traced to his side in the middle of what appeared to be a field of absolutely nothing.
His best friend waited a beat, then nodded. “Right, we need to go for another hop.” This time he grabbed Sethios and whirled him through space to the final destination—or what he hoped was the final destination. At least Ezekiel’s ability didn’t stir up the need to retch everywhere. Perhaps because the duo had traveled together in this manner for years.
They materialized inside a warm home beside Skye in the kitchen, where she removed a whistling kettle from the stove. “Tea?” she offered without looking at them.
“Yes, please,” Ezekiel said, his voice soft and holding a touch of emotion in it.
A few decades ago, Sethios would have called him on it. Tonight, however, he left the assassin to his unrequited love problem.
It wasn’t necessarily that Skye didn’t love him back so much as she couldn’t return his affection. She just seemed incapable of the emotion, her mind constantly lost to the troubles of the future and unable to remain in the present for long enough periods to feel.
Vera misted into the small dining nook of the kitchen, her eyes narrowed. “Thanks for the directions.”
Ezekiel lifted a shoulder. “Gotta keep you on your game, Seraphim.”
“And if I hadn’t been able to grab that memory fast enough, you would have, what, left me to freeze in the middle of Iceland?”
“Southern Iceland,” he corrected, pulling a beer out of the fridge to toss to her. “And I’m sure you would have found a warmer place to wait for further instructions.”
“Are we still in Iceland?” Sethios wondered out loud. He owned a home here that he hadn’t visited in quite some time. Actually, he possessed several properties. Or used to, anyway. He’d have to look into them later to see what sort of conditions they were in or if they even still existed.
“Yeah, Northern Iceland. I just had to make sure you weren’t being followed by anyone.” Ezekiel opened a cupboard to pull out some sugar and set it on the counter beside the mugs Skye had arranged. She had little tea bags in each, her focus on the water she poured into them.
Sethios frowned as he counted them all—eight cups. Ezekiel, Skye, Vera, me, Caro, Gabriel… “Who else are we expecting?”
“Oh! That reminds me,” Skye replied, moving to the oven to catch the dial right before the timer sounded. She slid on a pair of gloves to pull a pepperoni pizza from the oven. “No one touch that. It’s for Jacque.”
Sethios and Vera shared a look while Ezekiel disappeared without a word.
“Jacque’s in Hydria,” Vera said.
“Is he?” Skye blinked big blue eyes up at the ceiling, then she cocked her head to the side as though listening for something. After a beat, she shook her head. “He’ll be here shortly.”
Sethios shrugged. The woman could see the future. Who was he to argue with her expectation?
“I need to prepare your room,” Skye went on to say, glancing from Sethios to the clock. “And later, I’ll draw Caro a bath.” She left them staring after her from the kitchen.
He arched a brow at Vera after the dark-haired seer disappeared from view. “Why will Caro need a bath?”
“She’s not bathed in several years because of her reformation status, but the Seraphim keep the pods relatively clean. Perhaps Caro and Gabriel had to battle their way out?”
Are you okay? he asked his angel.
She didn’t reply, causing his heart to skip a beat. Caro?
Nothing.
A demand lined up in his mind just as a commotion came from the living room. A familiar scream had him running toward the source, only to come up short at the sight before him.
Not only was she naked, but she also had one of Ezekiel’s knives in her hand—one he recognized because of the trademark handle.
“Angel?” he asked softly, confused by why she had the blade pointed at his best friend.
“You betrayed us!” she accused, only seeing Ezekiel.
Ezekiel had both his palms up in the air in a placating manner. “Darlin’, I did exactly what we planned.”
“That wasn’t the plan. None of this was the plan!” she shouted back at him, making Sethios’s eyebrows draw farther downward.
What do you mean, angel? he asked her men
tally.
But she ignored him. Just like she refused to look at him now.
Gabriel materialized beside her, his shirt torn and decorated in bloodstains that matched his red feathers. They disappeared as he turned corporeal, his focus falling on Caro. “She grabbed Ezekiel’s knife mid-transport.”
“Of course she did,” Sethios replied, both impressed and completely baffled as to why she’d done it. He took a step toward her, only to freeze as she hissed over her shoulder at him. “Caro, it’s me.”
“Lies,” she said, her blue eyes wild with fury. “It’s all lies!”
“What the hell happened?” Sethios demanded.
“Yeah, I’d like to know that, too,” Ezekiel added as he took a step away from Caro. She growled at him in response, causing him to freeze.
At least she seemed physically fit. Every part of her was just as he remembered her—toned legs and arms, flat stomach, beautiful tits, supple waist, long blonde hair to the middle of her back, and a face crafted by God himself.
He wanted to hold her, to kiss her, to tell her how much he’d missed her.
But she seemed completely oblivious to him. As though he meant nothing to her. Like she’d forgotten every key part of their bond.
And all that drove her was a furious need to hurt Ezekiel.
“Why do you think we’re lying?” he asked her, his voice pitched low, his tone meant to soothe.
“You’re not here,” she said through her teeth. “And you gave us up to Osiris.”
Ezekiel’s eyebrows hit his hairline.
“She needs her memories,” a singsong voice informed them from the head of the stairs. “Vera, if you please. Then Sethios will facilitate her bath. Oh, but stand behind her, or else she’ll hit her head on the way down.” Skye skipped off down the hallway at the top, leaving them all glancing at each other.
“My memories,” Caro said, looking around the room and narrowing her gaze at the brunette leaning against the wall. “You.”
“Right.” Vera cleared her throat, pushing upright and starting toward her. “I have a lot to undo.”
“Don’t touch me.”
“Afraid I have to,” Vera said, glancing at Sethios. “A little help here?”