Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 29328 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29328 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
“So many were not,” Horus says and takes a sip of coffee. “Oh, sorry, my thoughts are all over the place. But we can’t save them because, apparently, the Earth still functions the same as it did before, just twisting on its axis and giving everyone air. I mean, until it resets again. Which…that shit gets rough.”
“Resets,” we all say in unison.
Timber sighs and leans back, coffee still in hand—a red cup that says Bite me, which would be amusing if I wasn’t so worried about Tarek and Lilith.
“Okay.” Timber stands. “I can check if they’re in the Underworld, but other than that…” He looks over at me, his jaw clenched. “They’re on their own. And my fear is…”
He doesn’t finish his sentence.
I squeeze my eyes shut.
“Creator,” I whisper. “Please, hear my cry. Hear me now. A friend—a family member—is in danger, and I don’t know what caused it. But we need…” I pause. “We need the stars. We need more power. I can save him, but I can’t go outside the visions I see. Tarek’s will is strong, but he can’t see his future. He can’t see anything…he’s blind. He’s probably being fed from, and I have no way to save him other than to pull a corpse from—”
“Stop,” a voice commands.
I look around, but nothing appears.
The tone is robotic in nature.
“Let,” it whispers.
The entire group looks around. We’re powerful enough to kill most things, but this has no body. It has nothing. And in all my years of existing, I’ve never experienced the power coming from it.
“Let,” it repeats. “Let him fulfill it.”
I shake my head. “He’s only a werewolf. He can’t.”
The voice sounds again. “Dear, sweet angel…he’s so much more than he can possibly know. Older than you. Smarter.” The voice chuckles. “No offense, sweet angel. Thank you for what you do. When the time is right, They’ll let you know.”
“Who are you?” I stand. I’m used to talking to the Heavens, I’m used to immortal creatures, but this is different.
Everything in the air feels hot and cold all at once. Sweat drips down my cheek and falls onto the table.
I raise my hands to freeze the room when a chuckle sounds again. “Oh, Cassius. What a great immortal you have become. I’ve watched for so long. After all, that’s what we do. We watch.” Chills run down my spine. “We watched then, and we watch now. If you need me, please use my name. I am Uriel, angel of repentance, guardian of Eden. They have the apple, but only Tarek can retrieve it and make things right. We do this for Lilith. We do it for humanity. We do it for the first. She’s suffered too long. Her journey has also been long—to find him. So now, we need you to sit and prepare yourselves.”
A chill runs down my spine again. “For?”
“Genesis.”
Chapter Thirteen
Tarek
I’ll kill her. I’ll end her. The number of years I’ve survived on top of the soul I hold from being a son of Enoch, someone who walked with the Creator, someone who knew things he should have never known...
Someone who helped the Fallen Angels before they were sent to the Abyss.
I see it all. I see it clearly.
The Creator locked up the angels. They sent them to the corners of the Earth. And for the select few?
Chained in the Euphrates.
I look at Lilith. I watch her sleep, knowing I’ll soon die, and she’ll remember nothing. And then I wish.
I remember.
Stars.
They chose to fall.
The power of a star could save us—the power of a sacrifice. A tear runs down my cheek. I don’t want to ask. I don’t want to, but then I look at Lilith and know she’s my destiny. I realize I can stop all of this with one wish, one whisper.
I’m no hero.
I’m a son of Enoch, I have his blood. I’m a werewolf prince. I walk this Earth, knowing I was put here for a purpose.
Maybe this is it.
Saving the first.
Saving Lilith.
I’m so weak, I can barely breathe. She lays across me, my blood all over her face, the look in her eyes unreadable.
“Tell me a story,” I rasp.
Her head lolls to the side. “What’s the point? I’ve found the one person I’ve been searching for since he held my hand in Pompeii, only to kill him. Seriously, what’s the point? You’ll die, and I won’t remember this. Danu will take care of that.”
“Then look at me.” I use the last of my strength to reach for her face. “Kiss me goodbye. Make sure to bury me…well, I mean, if you remember.”
“That’s not funny.”
“I’m not laughing. But you’re really pretty. And don’t worry, I don’t need you to be my hero. I don’t need a rescue. Sometimes, the best stories end in sacrifice.”
A tear slides down her cheek, passing by her glorious blue hair that’s sticking to the blood on her skin. It falls to my chest, and I whisper in my head, worth it. It was all worth it because I found the one who held my hand and stood by my side. The one that was there when angels fell, when we were taken advantage of, when the world was destroyed.