My lips twitch. “Oh, I’m white-hot pissed, Coop. You have no idea. And I am very much planning my revenge.”
We head inside as Skyla and Logan usher us to the sofas. Skyla offers us each a cold drink and we politely decline. There’s a candle burning on the coffee table that lets off the scent of peppermint, and layered just beneath that the smell of sex. I’m sure Skyla and Logan were going at it like bunnies just before we arrived. Can’t blame them. I halfway feel like we’re intruding on their honeymoon.
Logan looks as if he’s about to murder both Coop and me.
“Shoot.” He nods to Coop. “Before I pull a gun out of the closet and do just that.”
Coop takes a deep breath as he looks to Laken. “First, I want to apologize to you. When I stumbled upon this information, I didn’t think about doing the right thing. I thought about how it might help land you back in my arms. You see, when the feds took you, and you were rescued only to have your memory wiped—Skyla and I made every effort to be near you as much as possible. We wanted you safe, and I wanted you back.”
“I know.” Laken takes his hand. “I really get that, Coop. I promise. It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere. What happened? What did you stumble upon?”
He dips his chin. “Laken, you opened up the library in the Transfer to Skyla and me. There were a few forbidden texts hidden in the wall. You were kind enough to share them with us. One was in need of translating.”
Skyla gasps. “It was one of the Hallowed Tomes. They outlined what was to be done with the Factions and how to delineate battle orientation. The illustrations were amazing.”
Laken nods. “Written by our Nephilim predecessors. Wesley showed them to me, and I willingly shared them. Cooper, you said you’d have it translated.”
“By Ezrina,” Skyla adds in an accusatory tone.
Coop nods. “And both she and Marshall helped me crack the code. They got me going as far as the translation went, and I was able to read it on my own.”
Logan lands his elbows to his knees. “And you’re sure about what you read?”
Coop takes a breath. “As sure as I’m sitting here.”
“Let them have it, Coop,” I say. “Unleash the genie from the bottle.” My palms start sweating as if I were about to blurt it out myself. “This is big. It’s life-changing,” I say to both Logan and Skyla. “Brace yourself. Nothing will ever be the same.”
Cooper kisses the back of Laken’s hand. “This particular text spoke of the feud between the Fems and the Sectors. It detailed that it began in Ahava. There was a Fem who fell in love with a Caelestis—they had a falling-out. It was hers alone to decide what the role of the Nephilim would be. They were not created by the Master but by angels who took human women for themselves. Fun side note; it was the head Fem that enticed the angels to go after the women. We weren’t even an afterthought. We were brought to life by sheer desire—spurred by a Fem. The Caelestis then had new destinies to form, and she had to find a place for them in the kingdom. She bound Celestra with the Sectors. And she gave the Counts to the very Fem her heart had grown hard toward. Only one of the pairs could rule alongside her in the heavenlies, starting with the millennial reign. The losers take on the role of angels of death, escorting those who pass away—on to their eternal home.
“She allowed the Sectors and Fems to duke it out on Earth—only they can’t actually duke it out themselves.” Cooper pauses for a moment. “Their fate lies in the hands of the Factions they were dealt with. Unless, of course, there’s a fracture within the Faction. So long as the Sector or the Fem had an army of willing Nephilim beneath him, or a designated leader that carried their lineage, they’re still golden. And that’s why she granted them both the gift of breeding with the Nephilim. Not just with any of our kind—she needed to be as close to pure as possible, and through her they would not only create a super breed of Nephilim, they would gain dominion.
“The head Fem in question was and is bent on ruling alongside her,” Coop says as he nods. “He’s not interested in scooping up dead human souls and leading the charge to eternity. That’s not where his heart is. He wants the golden ring, and that ring is directly tied to the Caelestis he’s obsessed with. Not only is she nobility as far as the heavenlies are concerned, but taking on the lesser task would mean having almost zero interaction with her.” He scratches the back of his head. “When the Sectors were at the helm, they were essentially the masters of the Fems. The Fems couldn’t go to the throne room without a Sector escort. In the heavenlies, they were servants to the Sectors’ every whim. Now that the Fems are at the helm, you can reverse the curse.”
“Wow.” Skyla holds up a hand. “And are you suggesting that my mother and Demetri…?”
“I don’t know.” Coop pumps his shoulders. “But I do know what I read next. The Caelestis offered the Sector a lineage, one that would begin in the seventeenth century.”
Logan tips his head with amusement and Coop nods. That’s precisely where Dudley began his lineage thus resulting in the two of them.
“The Fem asked for a lineage and received permission to create one as well. But apparently, the Fem felt as if he needed a leg up in the game. He felt the Caelestis was showing favoritism to the Sector. It sounds as if he was right. The Caelestis agreed and asked the Fem to name his price. The Fem said he wanted the gift of creating a grand delusion.”
“Oh my God.” Skyla grips Logan by the arm. “Gage knew that if he pledged to the Fems he would be subject to a grand delusion—that his heart would skew toward wickedness. We knew that years ago. Coop, is that what this is about?”
“Exactly that.” Coop offers a short-lived smiled. “The grand delusion is as follows. The Fem would make his offspring believe that he and every Fem along with him would spend eternity as a guardian in the pit of Hell if they weren’t victorious in dominating Celestra. Hell bound. No exit. No hope of ever seeing your loved ones again for all eternity.”
Laken’s head jerks in my direction. “Wes?”
I give the hint of a nod. “I couldn’t live an eternity without you, Laken. It wasn’t even on the table.”
She lets go of Coop’s hand and takes up mine. “And you turned yourself and everything inside out to ensure that wouldn’t happen.”
Skyla closes her eyes and lets out an injured moan. “And so has Gage.”
16
The Grand Delusion
Candace
The air in Ahava is especially sweet as I lose myself with thoughts of my most precious daughter. She’ll need a father, of course—a fine man—handsome, Celestra, noble, and loyal. He will love me fiercely and I him. Nothing will be spared in my search for this man, nor in the search for my daughter’s suitor. I’ll rearrange both destinies and timelines of the living if need be to accommodate this spectacular feat.
Now what to name her… Andora? Aurora? Aurora Borealis, child of the light. Now that would be fitting.
I lean against the Boulder of Contemplation, gazing upon the Falls as I think of my beautiful daughter.
The neighing of a horse catches my attention, and I turn to see Demetri riding up on his stately steed.
“Shaddai,” I say the beast’s name as I walk over and run my fingers through his flowing silver mane.
Demetri hops down with a grunt. “My gift to you for your earthly adventure.”
“Thank you.” I crook a brow his way. “I accept. Is this how you plan to kill me? Bucking me off a horse that I love?”
His lips curve into a smile. “There are worse ways to die.”
“Come now, you know the only way to truly rid me off the planet is by fire. You’re no fool.” I glower at him. “I take that back. You are very much a fool.”
His expression grows serious. “That I am. I allowed you to slip through my fingers, and now look where we are. Warring for people neither of us cares for.”
“I care for them,” I quickly correct. “They belong to me. God has his armies, and now I have charges of my own. It’s a
privilege to serve the Master, and with an entire league at my fingertips.”
He nods, his expression still uncharacteristically somber. “Those in the celestial high seat will govern the land, and I with you as their celestial cohort.”
I frown over at him. “We both know it will be Sector Marshall by my side.”
Demetri kicks a stone into the crystal lake. “What is this fascination you have with Dudley? I can no more stand to hear his name than I can to see you groveling for his affection.”
A sharp laugh bites from me. “Oh my dear Demetri. I am not groveling for anyone’s affection. Perhaps you’re conveying your own actions as of late.” My lips curve deep into my cheeks. “Nonetheless, he is a specimen. And that is precisely why I shall gift him to my sweet daughter.” The words trill from me. “I know I shall.” That sly grin of mine only widens. “My daughter shall bear children with a near perfect Celestra. And, when the time is right, with a perfect Sector as well. She will create a new form of Nephilim, a sublime creation that will surpass the powers, the authority gifted to that unwarranted breed.”
Demetri’s chest trembles with a laugh. “Then perhaps I shall arrange a Fem for her to have children with as well? Someone handsome, irresistible, the very one I choose to rule over my people. They shall be a mirror of our love.”
A surge of anger rises in me. “Demetri.” I close my eyes just to shield him from my sight. “We’ve fallen so far so fast, and it’s all your wicked doing.”
His fingers caress my cheek. “We could have it all back. Just say the word and we will end this futile game right now. I will rule with you—side by side, you and I.”
I bear my eyes into his and look into the darkest corner of his mind.
A sigh draws from me. “Your great deception won’t work.”
“Of course, it will. It will work so well, it will deceive your child as well.” He studies me with a mesmerizing appreciation. “We will be family, bonded by our grandchildren. How very wonderful it will be. Perhaps the granddaughter we share will become the next in line after your own daughter? Her powers will know no limit—her strength only magnified because of your own.”
A laugh catches in my throat. “That fabled granddaughter won’t see the light of day should you forge her into existence. Nothing or no one will stand in the formation of my daughter’s pure lineage—nor the lineage she shall hand down. My child will have a daughter herself. And that child will be the fruit of a pure union. There will be no seed of wickedness in her—much like the Garden of Eden prior to the moment you cast a shadow in it.”
He tilts his head away from me. “You’ve planned this, haven’t you?” His left eye comes shy of winking. “You planted the seed in my soul to usher the angels to the daughters of men so that you could form a new people, one that will work under you for all eternity. Your own underlings—your own people. That would make you akin to the Master, now wouldn’t it?”
“How grandiose your own delusions are. You caused the plague. I simply channeled it where I needed it to go, tempered it. I was gifted authority over the fates of humans and these beasts are no different.”
“Ah, but they must be. After all, you’re hand-selecting them for your private service—the inner circle of which will be those born of your own bloodline. You have plans for these people, these beasts as you call them. They will be your treasured possessions.”
“Yes.” Any trace of joy bleeds from my face. “And your delusion—how very cruel to cause your own child to believe he should be a gatekeeper in Hell.”
A dry laugh rumbles his chest. “You have extracted my deepest thoughts, and, of course, you would be accurate.”
“Demetri, the Master needs no such thing. The agony your child will go through to think he could be eternally separated from the ones he loves is unfathomable.”
“Separated from your daughter—their children. One of which you’ve already all but killed.”
I close my eyes a moment. “Don’t charge me with that. The human body can’t be trusted.”
“No.” He gives Shaddai a pat over the side. “It cannot. Neither can those who reside in them.”
I take in a deep breath and hold the scent of the lilacs inside of me.
A heavy sigh expels from me. “Your deception, though cruel, will be a powerful promoter of your nefarious will. No doubt your son will move celestial mountains to gain eternity with his beloved.” I bow my head his way. “You have proven to be a worthy opponent.”
“Did you ever doubt my love for you?”
“No.” I lift my chin. “I doubted mine for you.”
I stride past him and onto the crystal lake, walking over the waters until I’m seated with my council.
“And now, my brothers”—I shed a sly smile—“we shall lay the destinies of those we preside over. Open up the books. Let us begin.”
17
Skyla
There have been times in my life where I’ve been anxious, and times where I’ve been excited and anxious all at once. But right now, with this nuclear bomb Cooper Flanders just detonated in the living room at Whitehorse, you can add, relief, exhilaration, and molten hot rage to the mix. How dare Demetri. How dare Gage not bother to notice. How dare Logan and I not pick up on this.
I latch onto Logan’s arm, my eyes still glued to Cooper.
“Why?” I shake my head. “What gave you the right to hold back this information?”
Logan leans in hard. “When exactly did you transcribe the book?”
Coop takes a full breath as he looks from Laken to Wes.
“Late last winter.” He closes his eyes briefly. “And I selfishly used this to gain access to Gage.”
“What?” I growl over at him. “Fill in the blanks, and fast.”
Cooper glances to Wes. “Gage isn’t aware of anything I just told you—not the important parts. He doesn’t realize that a lie is what’s driving him to tear apart his world—”
“The entire world,” Logan interjects.
“The entire world,” Coop corrects. “Gage doesn’t know it’s a lie.” His voice is low and thick with remorse. “I told him that I knew what he was up against—regarding the fact he would be Hell bound if he didn’t retain the seat of victory over Celestra. I let him know that if he didn’t help me get closer to Laken—physical proximity—that I would report what I knew to the two of you.” He nods, tears pooling in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Skyla. I used Gage. I used his pain. He would have done anything to protect you from the truth as he knew it.”
My throat swells as I struggle to speak.
Logan pulls me in. “Gage didn’t want us to know that if he lost he could potentially be sentenced to rot in Hell. He knew we wouldn’t put up a fight where Celestra is concerned. That we would focus all our energy on trying to help him.”
I close my eyes and feel the hot tears sear down my cheeks.
“Gage knew I would sell out my people in a heartbeat to have him with me,” I say the words just beneath my breath. “He wanted a fair fight.” I take a breath and look to Wes. “He wanted a worthy opponent, but his intention was never to let me win.”
Wes shakes his head. “He couldn’t.” He glances to Laken. “I wouldn’t.” He reaches over and takes up her hand and she voluntarily scoots toward him. Cooper’s eyes monitor the way her body glided right over to Wes and he purses his lips.
Wes continues, “And when Coop told me”—Wesley’s chest bucks and he closes his eyes, wiping away any trace of tears—“I was relieved. When you left me, Laken, I made the decision to plunge my way into Hell so long as you respected me for what little time we had left on Earth. I wanted to vindicate myself in your eyes once I saw you were never coming back.” He pulls Laken’s hand over and kisses it before looking back my way. “I found out a few days ago. We thought we’d wait until after your wedding. There’s a gift for you.” He glowers over at us. “Now run.”
Logan and I exchange a glance.
He takes an unsteady breath. “H
ow are we going to do this?”
“I think we should find him now. We can’t waste a minute. This is it.” Tears stream down my face, hot and steady. “This is the holy grail. It’s what we wanted.” I look to the others in the room. “Let’s keep this to ourselves. I don’t want Demetri catching wind that we know just yet.”
Logan and I grab our jackets and head out the door.
It’s time to find Gage and remove the gauze that Demetri has so tightly wrapped around his eyes.
This is the day we’ve waited for, wished for, wanted, and we are seizing the hell out of it.
We take Logan’s truck and ride through a torrential downpour all the way to the estates. Logan parks high up on the driveway. It’s early evening, already as dark as midnight. The porch light is on, and Gage has replaced the red door I tore off the hinges with another one just like it. Only this time I don’t think of it as angry. In fact, it looks as if it was dipped in Gage Oliver’s blood while he poured out his love for me.
My heart thumps wildly as I hop out into the rain and run all the way to the porch with Logan on my heels.
The door is locked, and I butt my shoulder into it reflexively.
“Let’s try the old-fashioned way first.” Logan pounds on the door. “Gage,” he bellows. “Open up.”
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