She stopped. White-hot rage burst inside her, inflaming her heavenly body, enlarging her as she hovered over him. Delilah's huge white wings brushed the walls while her hair fanned out in a sea of red. She punched the air. An invisible force slammed Conner against the wall. He collapsed to the floor, then rolled to his feet. He yanked a dagger from under his pant leg. Its silver blade gleamed with a blue electric current coursing from tip to hilt.
Delilah's hollow laugh echoed in the den. "I'm not afraid of your demon blade." She returned to her earthly size, glowing with ethereal beauty while she stepped toward him. "Besides, you won't kill me. You're bound to protect angels, not to destroy them."
Conner's body shook, his breathing harsh as he fought for control. "Leave my family alone." Conner raised the blade. "I'll break my vow to protect them."
"You put your family in danger when you returned. You broke your vow to me. And I swore to you that if you ever came back, you'd leave me no choice but to share your secret. You should have chosen to love me instead of them." She took another step closer, daring him to make a move. "But that's done now. You've chosen your path, and now I'm choosing mine!" She spat at him.
As her fateful words spilled out, Delilah embraced the power and control pulsating within her, shedding the final layer of her past self. This was what she wanted... her true ambition.
"You can't do this, Delilah! You're risking everything... everyone!" Conner fell forward on his knees. His eyes begged her to understand. "For what?" His hand struck his chest. "You can't still want me? We can never be together."
Delilah stared at him, seized by a cold loathing and something new.
Revulsion.
This handsome, dynamic man, whom she'd once loved so desperately, she'd been willing to give up divinity. Now, he was powerless, so human, groveling at her feet, begging for her mercy.
"You're right." She cocked her head, examining him through this fresh, enlightened lens. "I don't want you anymore. I want something far better than you. Freedom and power, the likes of which you will never understand. And I'll destroy you with it." Delilah's vengeful promise hung in the air like a thick, stagnant fog. Her hand circled in front of her as she prepared to leave. "Goodbye, Conner."
His gut-wrenching NO boomed as he launched himself, blade slashing, at Delilah's fading form. A malicious thrill whipped through her, as his pathetic wife stood in the foyer, her face pale and glistening with a thin sheen of sweat. Delilah threw her head back in laughter as Stella fainted, hitting the floor with a thud.
Goodbye, paradise.
Zar
Delilah's tirade unfolded in front of Zar. He secretly watched, mesmerized by her fearless beauty, framed perfectly through the kitchen window. A gamut of emotions coursed through him: fury, confusion and, yes, admiration.
Delilah had missed their last few meetings, leaving him frantic to find her. He drove himself crazy imagining what fantastic secrets she'd tell him. Tantalizing fantasies of holding a dagger to her throat, forcing her to spill her secrets, became too much to ignore. Visions of slashing his demonic blade through her delicate white neck, her cool silver blood cascading over his hands, killing her while her shocked eyes stared back at him. But it was too soon. He couldn't kill her just yet. Zar still needed her, and a deeper, darker part of him wanted her. These conflicting desires entwined into a braided rope, tying a noose around his arrogant neck. Would Delilah strangle him with it, or would he end up hanging himself?
Did it matter?
The goon angels weren't lurking around the house anymore, so Zar took the chance that she might be drawn here like a moth to a flame. And sure enough, he'd found her, glorious in her dark rage, yet malicious in her white purity. Delilah played this human, Conner, like a master puppeteer. Zar tucked away the revelation, realizing he might be next if he wasn't careful.
Secrets.
Love.
Hate.
Revenge.
Death.
They sang to his dark soul like the screams of the damned.
Zar feasted his eyes on Conner leaping at Delilah, his blade swinging down, striking nothing but her faded body. The raw, desperate hate of the moment was like giving water to a dying man. It quenched Zar's thirst but left him aching for more. That Delilah was the one inflicting this chaotic pain shifted something in him. Something profound. Something he didn't know he still possessed.
The desire for her to be only his.
And he'd crush the man she'd once loved.
Conner turned and rushed to his wife, who was lying in a heap. He pulled her onto his lap, pushing her hair from her face. Zar sneered at them, communing with Delilah's laughter, reveling in their agony.
Zar pulled away from the house, determined to find Delilah. He coveted her dark secrets more than ever. They held the key to fulfilling Zar's self-proclaimed destiny of residing inside Lucifer's inner circle. But first, Delilah must divulge her secrets.
And then become his.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Olivia
Olivia relaxed next to her mom on the dusty metal bench at the campsite. She swatted the red dirt off her sneakers, knowing it was a losing battle. The sun warmed her face as she scanned the desolate, wide-open scenery of red sandstone hills dotted with barren desert bushes and scrub trees. Settled at the bottom of the small, rugged mountains lay boulders and jagged fallen rocks tamed by Mother Nature. If Mars had vegetation, this vast red landscape would be its twin.
Distant memories of a time when her family had camped here when she was a little girl haunted her. Olivia closed her eyes, letting the pictures play across her eyelids like fragments of a film. They'd hiked the red trails searching for the perfect souvenir rock while chasing a pale striped lizard before it darted into a hidden crack. Dad gave her a piggyback ride in the afternoon, when she was too worn out to take another step. She remembered the warm scent of his neck as her arms locked tight around him. Mom laughing at Dad as he proudly held up the hot dogs he burned in the open campfire. He'd cut up the shriveled black pieces, feeding them to the ground squirrels loitering around the campsite.
She sighed at a memory so vivid, it caused her mouth to water. Her first gooey s'more had melted against her tongue, to her delight. When night had fallen, Dad lifted her into his arms when she could no longer fight the sleep brought on by the hypnotic campfire flames dancing and kissed her forehead. Her parents’ murmurings and stolen laughter were her lullaby. She hadn't wanted the day to end. Even at a young age, Olivia had known they'd shared something special. She woke up wrapped in her mom's arms. Dad's playful whistle and the smell of bacon had enticed her out into the morning sunlight.
Olivia opened her eyes as the memories shifted into something more painful and familiar.
Dad walking out the door.
Olivia watched him toss split wood from the truck's bed. He moved with efficiency; his muscles worked fluidly under his shirt as another log flew over the side. The hour-long ride this morning had been uneventful while Mom slept. A few errant glances in the rear-view mirror spoke volumes; his blue eyes sent a message of unease mixed with sadness.
Mom nudged Olivia. Her cheeks, rosy from the cool air, spotted her pale face. Olivia squeezed her hand, blessed by her smile.
"Doing okay?"
Mom nodded as her smile stretched across her face. "Feels great to get away from the city and breathe fresh air."
"I guess so, but you should be in bed, not camping." Olivia's brow furrowed as her eyes cut back to her dad. "We're too far away from your doc−"
"Please stop worrying." Mom patted Olivia's bobbing leg. "Relax and enjoy the fresh air."
Mom rested her head on Olivia's shoulder as they both watched Dad jump out of the back of the bed. Red dust puffed around his boots before settling back to the hard soil.
"Need any help?" Olivia called out, feeling antsy. His aviator sunglasses hid his eyes as he looked back over his shoulder.
"Sure. Help me pull this stuff out?" He lifte
d a compartment door on the trailer's side, revealing chairs and supplies.
"Looks like you've done this a few times," Olivia said, coming up beside him. She pulled out a camp chair, leaning it against the trailer.
He stood and slapped the trailer's side, beaming with pride. "This here thirty-footer has been my home for many years."
"Why?" Olivia cocked her head, never having pictured him living in a trailer.
He wiped his forearm across his damp forehead, glancing back at Mom. "Easier to move around in this. I love the outdoors, so I'd fish and camp—"
"And learn things," Olivia said, trying to keep her bitter tone at bay.
"Yeah, I guess I did. Had a lot of time to think about the past and the future." Unspoken words separated them. Olivia yanked out another chair and flung it to the ground at Dad's feet.
"Can I have a glass of water, please?" Mom called out. Dad moved so fast, Olivia wasn't sure he hadn't jumped out of his boots.
She continued unpacking the supplies until the low rumble of a truck engine cut the silence. She raised her hand, blocking out the bright sun hanging in the cloudless blue sky. Squinting into the horizon, she saw a truck pulling a camper lumbering along the long dirt road, winding through the campground. A red plume of dust trailed behind it, agitating her and the peaceful scenery. She recognized the van, pulling a pop-up trailer, that followed not far behind it. As the rising red dust clouds got closer, she sensed that trouble was brewing. Her brain grappled with what she was looking at and its meaning. She stormed over to her parents, pointing sideways to the approaching vehicles.
It couldn't be....
"What's going on? Why didn't you tell me—" The dirt crunching beneath the tires pulling into the adjacent campsite drowned out her question. A door opened, and a confused face emerged, letting her know she wasn't the only one in the dark.
Olivia raced over, met halfway... by Zach.
He snatched his sunglasses off his face, jolting her with angry green eyes. "What is going on?" Zach demanded.
Olivia shrugged. "No idea."
"Well, the party's complete now, ’cause Sergio's family is pulling up too." Sergio's dad backed the pop-up into the spot next to Zach's. Sergio jumped out of the van before it stopped.
"What−" Sergio asked.
"No idea," Zach and Olivia said in unison.
"But I assume we'll finally get the answers we've been waiting for," Zach said.
"From our parents?" Sergio's voice squeaked.
Zach's mom, Rachel, approached and tossed a water bottle at both of them. "Up for a hike?" She didn't stick around for their reply as she walked by them, heading for the hills. The trio gaped at each other.
Javier, Sergio's dad, nudged his shoulder. "Let's go." He followed Rachel up the trail. Olivia turned to discover her dad waiting behind them. He raised his arm toward the hill, eyes still shielded by his sunglasses.
Olivia bit her tongue, not uttering a word. Instead, she hustled up the trail, hoping answers would be revealed in the red hillsides.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Olivia
The six of them settled into a deep, red-skinned cave nestled in the hillside, carved out from millions of years of unforgiving water and ruthless winds. Its smooth walls lifted to a high ceiling. The dusty cave had little light except for stray sun rays streaking through the arched entrance.
Goosebumps raised on Olivia's arms when she spotted the faint hieroglyphics carved into the sandstone walls. Who had been here before her? Indians writing a tale to their gods, revealing secrets of a dark past and changed futures? A foreboding chill ran up her spine. Would her story be left for others to find?
Olivia, Zach, and Sergio sat across from her dad, Rachel, and Javier. Nobody spoke on the short hike, not even when they stopped at the cave's entrance. By the time Olivia sat on the sandy red ground, a cold sweat had broken out across her brow. Knowing answers were coming filled her with excitement and dread. Her life-changing moment was at hand. Was Olivia ready for the consequences?
Your blessing and your burden.
Dad's deep sigh echoed off the red storyboard walls. Olivia's heart pounded. Her nerves stretched tight in anticipation. The parents’ looks were as intimidating as the watchful carved-out eyes of the ancient figures surrounding them.
"I know you have lots of questions about recent events, and I'll answer many of them today," Dad said. "Others you'll find out for yourselves later. So, I'll give it to you straight and ask that you let me finish before asking questions. Okay?"
The trio nodded. Olivia rubbed her throbbing knee, fighting the sensation of the cave walls pressing upon her.
"It starts with a story you've all heard. A tale from the beginning of time... and the beginning of mankind." His low, deep voice urged Olivia closer, listening intently to his every word. "When God formed the universe, He created a hierarchy of angels to love and serve Him in the heavens. God also devised them to guard and guide another creation. This creation was mankind."
Dad leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"And like mankind, angels were given free will. And like us, God tested them. He showed the angels mankind and their place on Earth, and Jesus, the Incarnation of the Son of God. When God revealed to the angels their role, to serve man and Jesus, Lucifer rebelled. He was the highest angel, of supreme intelligence. But this trial of humility and obedience repulsed Lucifer. He decided he would be subject to no one. So, in his pride, Lucifer rejected God and rebelled against Him. There was an immense and terrifying war among the angels. St. Michael and others fought and won the battle against Lucifer and those who joined him. There was no place in Heaven for this new evil, so they were cast out, never to return. The Fallen's angry cries were heard until they were lost forever in the abyss. After God and the angels cast the Fallen out of Heaven, a huge vortex of darkness, called the Mar of Sin, was left swirling at the edge of Heaven's floor."
Olivia waited with bated breath.
What does this have to do with me?
In the fading light, Dad had a faraway look, like he was reliving the moment himself.
"But during the battle, three angels who got caught up in the melee of war realized they didn't want to separate themselves from God. They wanted to adore Him and all He created. Unbeknownst to Lucifer, they fled to God as the battle raged, begging for His forgiveness and vowing to serve Him in any capacity He would allow. In His infinite love, He forgave them, but not without consequence for their initial complete rejection."
The hairs on Olivia's arms rose as she hung on his every word.
"God let the chasm, this evil abyss, stay open in Heaven as a reminder to the angels of their free will. If they chose, any angel could still follow Lucifer through the Mar of Sin. But leaving the portal open was dangerous and kept secret. If Lucifer and his army of Fallen found out about the Mar of Sin and discovered the way through the hidden portal, they could storm Heaven and wage a second war."
"So, He appointed these three angels as guardians of the Mar of Sin... this secret portal between Heaven and Hell. God showed them the secrets of how to find the opening and how to close it forever if Lucifer should discover it. The three angels also became warriors on Earth, protecting the secret at all costs and pursuing and killing any Fallen seeking the soul of man. But this heavenly guardianship came at a huge cost. They, too, would leave Heaven, but must live on Earth. They kept their angelic gifts, but were doomed to live a mortal life in a mortal body, having their wings separated from them."
Dad's last words were a mere whisper as the sheer agony of the moment was absorbed. His eyes were bright, his jaw set as he examined the trio. Blood pounded in Olivia's head as her dad's eyes settled on her.
"The three angels accepted God's command to serve as guardians of the Mar of Sin. They wanted to serve God and protect all from evil."
Dad paused and sat up straight. "You are descendants of these three angels, and now it's your tu
rn to heed the call."
Olivia sat in dazed silence as she tried to comprehend her dad's words. "What call?" Olivia croaked, her mind reeling from the story.
"The guardianship of the Mar of Sin."
Total silence encapsulated the cave as all three of them grappled with this revelation. But when Sergio jumped up, chaos erupted.
"Descendants of angels?" Sergio yelled. "What−"
"How do we guard a chasm in Heaven?" Zach yelled, his arms flying up from his sides.
The boys peppered their parents with questions, their disjointed voices ricocheting around the cave like an errant bullet.
But Olivia didn't speak a word. She rose, her body shaking with each step she took toward her dad. He stood before she stopped in front him. The sharp crack of her slap echoed off the walls, cutting through the turmoil. Olivia's hand stung as the red mark bloomed on her dad's cheek.
"Is this why you left us? So you could play hero for God? Their parents didn't leave; why did you?" Olivia cried. Her voice ached with heartbreak and disbelief. But the horror of slapping her dad didn’t stop her bubbling rage.
Dad's stunned eyes stared into hers, not moving a muscle. "I left because it was the only way to protect you and Mom." His throat convulsed as he formed his next words. "And still guard the Mar of Sin." Olivia shoved his chest, crying out in frustration as she turned to walk away, but strong hands yanked her back.
"Do you think I wanted to leave you and Mom and that I didn't miss you every day? Do you think I asked for this any more than you right now?" He struck his fist against his chest. "But I honored the promise I made to my fellow guardians and God, to give my life to protect Heaven and mankind from evil. This..." Dad pulled off his shirt and pointed at his upper chest. Olivia gasped, recognizing the mark as the same one on her chest. He took her hand and placed it over his mark. "This is bigger than our lives here on Earth, Olivia. We can try to run, hide, blame, or even deny this destiny. But if we do, evil wins. And that can never happen... no matter the cost." Dad's chest heaved.
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