CHAPTER 60
Arsen
MY BODY FEELS NORMAL again. It’s fully healed by the time the sun begins to rise in the sky. I find the blinding light extremely irritating this morning. All I want to do is find a place to lie low, but I need to find Yuki first. She’s still in the city, but she’s kept away from me, just like I ordered her too. She’s staying at a ritzy hotel. I can sense her on one of the upper floors.
I don’t care if any humans witness my sorry state—if there are even any around. The world feels so quiet as I enter the building and ride the elevator until I’ve reached the sixth floor. Then I walk past door after door until I feel Yuki’s presence on the other side of room 610. Impatiently, I rap my knuckles against the polished wood.
“Yuki,” I say her name so she won’t have any doubts about who’s outside.
The door opens wide a moment later, revealing Yuki and exposing me to the entirety of her slight form. The silky nightgown she wears hides almost nothing. It doesn’t take much to imagine what’s underneath the luxurious fabric, especially since I’ve seen it all more times than I can count.
I walk past her and close the door behind me. I feel her fingers trail across my back.
“That didn’t take long,” she comments. “Your clothes look awful. Are you hurt?”
I turn around and catch her face in my hands. “Do I look hurt?”
She manages a little shake of her head. “It seems you’re as full of life essence as ever, but something’s troubling you.”
She’s as perceptive as always. I bring my hands back down to my sides and sigh.
“There was a team of angels,” I say. “They actually came to save those hunters from the demons tearing apart their base.”
“That’s…”
“Unheard of?”
“Yes. Did you kill them?”
“If I had killed them, I’d have much more life essence than I do now. No. I didn’t kill them. I didn’t kill a single one of them.”
Yuki scowls.
“I’m slipping. My power is fading. My anger is fading,” I confess.
“What are you saying?”
I avoid her gaze, but I don’t say anything else. I can’t say anything else because it doesn’t matter. My beast’s infatuation with Tasia doesn’t matter. Attempting to stay close to her means death, staying away from her means death. If Helena won’t help me, the angels have already won, and part of me feels relieved.
CHAPTER 61
Tasia
EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED LAST night only happened at the Pennsylvania Branch of the EEA. We’re secluded enough that the rest of Philadelphia didn’t learn about anything that transpired here. The flames never spread outside of the EEA’s private property, and they never grew large enough to catch the eye of the fire department. As far as the rest of Philadelphia knows, this area is still just full of a bunch of abandoned warehouses, a part of the city to be overlooked and forgotten about.
The soldiers in silver saved every life they could, and come morning, the crisis is officially over. The soldiers are still around, but none of them have offered up any information about what they’re doing here, or if they are, in fact, angels. They’re elusive. That much I’ve learned. A lot like Rynne. They even feel like Rynne.
I’ve managed to slip out of the lobby where everyone’s been staying. The soldiers haven’t kept us captive exactly, but the hunters haven’t done anything to test them. We’re all too tired and beat to start another fight, but just like me, the others are starting to get restless.
I wander the same hall where Arsen kissed me and where I saw Rynne’s lifeless body. I’ve searched everywhere I can, but I haven’t seen Rynne. I haven’t seen any sign of him at all.
“What are you doing here?”
Reluctantly, I turn around to see a silver soldier. His eyes are vibrant, a glowing orange—I think. In a strange way, his eyes look just like Arsen’s and the other demons’ I’ve met, but I don’t get the same skin-crawling sensation from him.
“I’m looking for Rynne,” I say quietly.
“He isn’t here, but I assure you that he’s safe and being taken care of. Now, please come back to the lobby with me.”
I plant my feet and stare at the ground. “I need answers,” I say.
“That’s why I’m asking you to return to the lobby. Confidant Valor will explain what’s going on.”
“Valor?”
He nods and gestures for me to come with him. I comply, but only because he said they’re going to provide us with answers.
Once I’m back inside the lobby, I take a seat on one of the benches beside Divya. Just as I’ve sat down, the regal woman that chased Arsen away last night stands before us all.
“I know you’ve all faced a terrible ordeal,” she says. Even without a microphone, her voice carries, but it somehow doesn’t sound like she’s shouting. Her voice is as smooth and gentle as it was when she spoke softly to me while carrying me.
She continues, “I’m sorry for your loss. You’ve been doing the world a great service, and while it’s oftentimes a thankless life you lead, know that you have saved many, and you will continue to save many.” She holds out her arms. “We are angels. We’ve fought against demons since the beginning of time. The creatures, these monsters, that you have been fighting tirelessly are a product of demons, cursed humans. That is where it all began.
“Darkness has been enveloping the world slowly, consuming the light. Our hands have been full, and we’ve been fighting this fight alongside you all this time, even when you haven’t seen us. We hoped that we’d be able to prevail from a distance. We hoped we wouldn’t have to disrupt your world and the way it works any more than necessary. But demons continue to grow powerful and they don’t care if they destroy the way your world functions or not. That’s why we are here before you today. We’re here to fight alongside you, to exterminate the demons from your world once and for all so that you might all go back to living the lives that you were meant to live. Lives free of demons. The day of reckoning has come.”
Hushed whispers break out among the hunters in the lobby. I see Blade and Divya a few benches away from me, discussing something with each other. I don’t add to the chorus of whispers. It’s all too much to take in right now. But I’ll get through it. I just need time. I’ve gotten this far. I can go farther, right?
Rynne. I hope you’re okay. They won’t let me see you and that has me worried, but you’re strong. You won’t leave me.
You won’t leave me.
I wipe away a stray tear that falls down my cheek, and I try to be strong.
Find out what happens next in Angel Asylum.
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These Immortal Vows
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Book 2: Angel Asylum
Book 3: Once Soulmates
Novella: Desire
Short Story: Guardian
Short Story: On the Precipice
The Soul Seer Saga
Book 1: The Wandering Empath
Book 2: The Lonely King
Book 3: The Lost Souls
Book 4: The Beautifully Cursed
Short Story: The Lunar Dancer
Standalone
Novel: Blind to Love
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Book 2: Her Fierce Wolf
Book 3: Her Wild Wolf
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Book 5: Her Bad Cat
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Prologue: Phantom Fangs
Book 1: Taken by Werewolves
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Book 3: Queen of Werewolves
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Book 1: Halloween Werewolf
Book 2: Christmas Polar Bear
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Kestra Pingree is a creative who doesn’t know how to stop. They are first and foremost a writer and storyteller with an endless library of books in their head just waiting to be typed. They are also an artist and animator, as well as a singer, songwriter, and voice actor. One day they swear they’re going to make their own video game, too.
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Demon Snare (These Immortal Vows Book 1) Page 37
