“I wanted you out of the area.” Seren broke her connection with Agone. “Safely away,” he explained. “The safest place for you is with us.”
The contrition in his voice touched her heart. “I would’ve fought you. Wouldn’t’ve done any good, but I would’ve. Then I would’ve hated you. I wanted to be there.”
Seren shook his head. “Your anger wanted you there.”
“My fury,” she admitted, and turned away to face the trees. They were easier to talk to. “I-I wanted the one in charge. The one in the bathroom. I thought he was the one who killed Harry. Thought he would come for me. Thought his arrogance would force him to come for me again.”
Her breaths shortened as the memory took her. A hand dropped on her shoulder, keeping her present. “I was going for him when one of them stepped in the way. He grabbed me. I grabbed him. I can’t remember. But...” The hand squeezed, grounding her. “He saidhekilled Harry. Said his master wanted me for harvesting.” A shudder wracked her body. “Harvesting.” She cranked her head around to see Seren. “What does that mean?”
His white wings flared in aggression. “Your blood. They want what’s in your blood.”
“What’s in my blood?” They’d already told her, but she needed to hear it again.
Seren pushed her on to a fallen log and crouched in front of her. She stared into his cerulean eyes rimmed with gold as he searched her face as if he’d lost something. She wanted to squirm but kept still as a wave of déjà vu made her lightheaded. She’d swear they had been here before. Her on a log, him on his knees, their gazes locked. But she was different, while Seren was the same. Unchanged. Immortal.
“In your blood is the grace from one of the Council of Seraphim, Iaiél. She’s one of the strongest seraphs. She can see the future. That’s why she gifted you with her grace. You and the others like you are important. One drop of her grace is more precious than... anything on this planet.” She couldn’t miss the reverence in his voice, which dipped with his next sentence. “Also, you carry a drop of demon ichor from Belial.”
“Belial. A Prince of Hell.” Agone filled in. “Belial and Iaiél formed a pact. Together, they combined their blood to give eleven females powers in a future war Iaiél foresaw.”
Not hard to miss Agone wasn’t sold on the Seraph predicting the future. She wasn’t either. However, if anyone could predict the future, wouldn’t it be an angel?
Seren continued, “Most humans cannot survive grace donated from an angel. Never mind a Seraph.”
“Most?” She cut Seren off. “That means some humans have survived. Not the infants that were infected.” She refused to call it a gift. “There were other humans outside of me and the other infants?”
Seren’s lips pressed into a thin line, then he nodded. “There is one. She is formidableandstill coming into her power.”
And he didn’t like that or this unnamed woman.That’s probably why he has an issue with me.“How old is she?”
“Twenty-five.”
Hmm. Five years older than me. Someone turned her first and what? Didn’t like it. Decided to improve on the process with eleven infants? Only one way to find out.“I want to meet her.”
“No.” Adamant, Seren’s tone left no room for argument.
But she wouldn’t quit. “Why not?”
“She’s with the UnHallowed, and right now, she’s off limits.”
She folded her arms. “Says who?”
“The Council of Seraphim.”
“So, you’re their lapdog. You obey without thought.”
He leaned in, a scowl on his face. “Reverse psychology won’t work on me. You’re not meeting her. Ever.”
He’d just guaranteed she’d meet this woman. And she’d bet her paycheck Iaiél got the idea for infecting her and others from the mysterious, superhero chick.
“You have to be special to receive grace. Strong enough. To survive both gifts, you have to be —”
“Bred for it.” She cut Seren off again. “It’s the only explanation for elevenspecialgirls to be born in the same hospital on the same day.” She didn’t have a PhD in genetics, but she wasn’t stupid. “I’m a lab rat.” Neither denied it. She folded her arms and hugged herself. “Okay. What now?”
“We train you. We keep you safe. We find the other females.”
She liked the first two parts of the plan. Not so much the last. She had no reason to be jealous at the prospect of meeting the others. She should be elated. Seren and Agone wanted to save them all. As long as that’s as far as it went because Seren and Agone were hers.Protectors. Her protectors.Nothing else. Nothing more.
“All right. I like this plan.”