Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 98961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
“Again,” I go on, and the energy ball grows in size. “Who are you and how did you get inside my house?”
The woman eyes the energy ball and holds her hands up, trying to show that she means no harm. “I’m Alona. I…I thought Julian had mentioned me,” she quickly explains and sets the dagger on the desk beside her.
“Alona?” I repeat. Julian had mentioned her. They worked together a lot, both serving under Michael, my father. Julian thought Alona might be another angel to bring to my cause, along with one of my aunts. I run my eyes up and down her again. “He did mention you, but I didn’t realize you were—”
“—hot?” Eliza interrupts, appearing before me. “Maybe I will get to corrupt an angel after all.” She stands next to me, flashing her fangs. I meet her eye for just half a second and she nods, letting me know she’s here to defend me if need be.
“Okay,” I say, head spinning. Julian thought we might be able to possibly trust this angel at some point, but that doesn’t mean I should right now. I don’t even know how much Julian let on in this situation, but I know Alona was concerned about the lack of involvement from other angels. I need to tread very lightly and be sure I don’t say anything to give myself away. “But again…what are you doing here?”
“The deal,” she starts, and her eyes get misty. “The one Julian made with Osiris.” She sharply inhales. “I wanted to make sure it worked. It did, didn’t it? I can’t sense the Horsemen any longer.”
“You…you know about the deal?”
Alona smiles and nods, making her hoop earrings swing back and forth. “I do.” She inhales and gets a distant look in her eye. “He was set on making sure the Horsemen were taken care of before you had your child.”
I put out the energy ball and bend my head down, kissing the top of Juliet’s head.
“At first, I thought maybe he had fallen in love with you. It’s happened before, you know, with angels and humans. But then I realized it was something else, and we’re not supposed to form such feelings of attachments, but the more time I spent on earth, fighting alongside him…”
“You fell in love with him,” I finish.
“Angels were made to love others, but not be in love with them.” Her brows furrow ever so slightly, confused by her own emotions.
“I’m so sorry,” I start, working to keep my voice steady. In the back of my mind, I hear Lucas reminding me not to let our grief give me a false sense of bonding or trust. Alona is an angel, and she’s in our house. I don’t know if she knows who I am. If she does, she can tell the others. “He was unlike anyone I’ve ever met. Brave and devoted but didn’t blindly follow orders.”
“Julian was true to the meaning of our existence,” she says and I’m not totally sure what she means. “We are meant to serve humanity and to be a balance against the darkness. For millennia we believed the world wouldn’t exist if the darkness took over. But little by little, we watched humans not only create it, but relish in it no matter how much it hurt those around them. There are others—” She pauses and looks up for a second. “—who think humans should clean up their messes. But unlike them, Julian and I saw humans for what they do and let their actions guide our judgment. And you, Callie King, have done much for humanity.”
“I just don’t want the world to go to shit,” I say, feeling like my words are coming out jumbled.
“Your efforts haven’t gone unnoticed,” she replies, and I don’t know if I should take that as a threat or a compliment.
“You really came here just to see if the deal worked?” I questioned.
Alona smiles but her eyes don’t reflect any happiness. “Yes, though I suppose it’s also so I could meet you, the one Julian died to save. He believed in you and I’m struggling to have the same faith. The Horsemen are no longer a threat, but Paimon is. I don’t believe Lucifer to be in Hell with him, and it’s only a matter of time before he tries to escape.”
“I see she’s just as good at motivational speeches as Julian,” Eliza grumbles and turns her head, giving me a look. She’s questioning if Alona is telling the truth about why she came here. Julian said angels are allowed to come to earth and aid humans, unlike archangels, who have too much divinity to be around people for extended periods of time.
“I am sorry,” Alona goes on and steps forward and I can feel the divinity coming off of her in waves. Certainly, she can feel it coming off of me too. I’m only half angel, but since that half is archangel, I out-angel her. “Paimon lost a powerful weapon when the Horsemen were locked in the Underworld. We know he will strike again and I believe attacking now gives us a good chance.”