by Meg Xuemei X
My treacherous future self made me sick to my stomach.
No, that wasn’t me. I would never be that cruel to Seth.
“You’re my mate, Seth,” I pleaded. “My one and only and forever. I’d rather die than be untrue to you.” I pressed myself against him to make him hear me, but he looked away. He couldn’t feel me.
I flung all my magic at the fire to end its torture, but the future vision kept streaming.
Then it dawned on me that the Forbidden Glory was playing Seth’s fear, as well. His deepest fear was losing me.
She’s your curse, the fire said, but I can undo your doom. I can bend time and space. I’ll rewind time for you. I’ll change the course of history for you, Sky Power. In your alternate timeline, you won’t come to Earth, but head toward a distant galaxy. You’ll become the new Lord of All Angels. Every species will kneel and bow before you. The power of the universe will be at your command.
Seth leaned forward, listening attentively. Who could resist that kind of temptation?
I’ll erase your memories of her, so you won’t feel pain. If you worry about her, I’ll conceal Earth from your father’s sight. You’ll never meet her. Never know her. To add one more benefit-- I’ll lift the curse of your celibacy so that you can enjoy any female in the vast universe.
I felt the fire ramming an ice spear into my heart.
Say the word and this future is yours, the fire said. Your wish; my command.
The Forbidden Glory could bend space and time. The prophecy said the never-dying fire could do impossible things.
I slumped down at Seth’s feet. “Please, Seth,” I begged, but then I stopped myself.
The prince had seen his future self in a glass coffin where I put him. If I were that terrible in the future, I didn’t deserve to live. I didn’t deserve him.
I looked up at Seth, waiting for him to disown me. As he remained silent, I dropped my head into my hands in tears. I couldn’t bear to watch him ask the angels’ flame to cleave our souls apart.
My planet would be safe, but I would never see him again.
Any future was better than being doomed to live in a glass coffin for eternity.
“Don’t take away my memories of him!” As I yelled at the blue fire, I pulled up my shield and begged Earth Mother to assist me this one last time if she ever called me a daughter.
I alone would bear the bitter knowledge that I had once loved an angel only to lose him forever.
Seth looked at the blue fire coldly and asked, “Where is my mate?”
The sentient fire stuttered, But... but you’ve seen how she—
“Return her to me now,” Seth said. “Harm her, and I’ll find a way to unmake you in the pit of the Death Valley Galaxy.”
PRINCE SETH
I despised the future the Forbidden Glory showed me. But even seeing myself in that coffin of transparent metal would not diminish my love for my mate. Her possible betrayal wouldn’t change a damn thing. I would choose her a thousand times over for a mere moment with her. I would willingly lose a thousand pairs of wings for her.
But I wouldn’t allow an alternate future where I never met her or held her in my arms.
“Return her to me now,” I commanded the Forbidden Glory that had been with me for eons. I would find a way to strip off its essence if it singed a hair on Rose’s head.
As you wish, High Prince, the fire said quietly.
I was back inside the ward of the Tree House, the river of fire still separating Rose from me. She screamed, trying to cross the fire.
“Stay there!” I howled. “I’m coming for you.”
I leapt up—not to across the fire this time, but toward one of the flaming swords that spun at a blinding speed around the ward. I matched its speed and snatched one of the twins.
With the sword, I flew through the river of fire toward her. Nothing could stand between us. Halfway across, the wave of fire receded as if it had never been there, and Rose sprang toward me. When I landed in front of her, she threw herself into my arms, clinging to me as if holding on for dear life.
My arm wrapped around her waist possessively; my other hand gripping the flaming sword.
With her soft body against mine, I was instantly hard for her. I wanted to take her away and lie with her, but at that moment, we had a war to fight, and I had a sacred duty to protect what was mine.
The Forbidden Glory’s ring of fire now guarded us as thick Earth magic whipped the air.
A Mysthian messenger rushed toward us, but wisely halted outside the ward of fire. He went down on one knee. “Empress, the battleships are down. One-third of fey warriors have perished. The generals are afraid the walls won’t hold and want you to leave Earth with the civilians…”
The rest of his words were drowned out by thunderous explosions that rolled across the sky.
The Reapers were coming.
Gabriel punched the device on his wrist. “Admiral Adrianna, can you get to Earth? This is the fourth request. Damn you, Adrianna! Answer me!”
Static, then a second later, Adrianna’s voice broke through. “We’re hit… my shield’s down to five percent… I… we…” and then it was all static.
A series of buzzes went off on Gabriel’s communication device, and the voices of many of my captains shouted through. “… our ships are down… hit hard… disabled… surrounded… slaughter… Fallen ships lost…Seven Wraith swallowed them… can’t hold back…”
The other flaming sword flew toward Rose. I blocked it with its twin and shoved my mate behind me. “How dare you!” I scolded the fire.
I'll never harm your mate, the sentient fire said. I recognized her as yours the first time I saw her, before you knew she was yours. I tested her, and she passed. Now I’m hers to command, as well.
The flaming sword hovered in front of Rose and stilled—an offer of surrender.
Rose stepped beside me and grabbed the hilt.
The Glory had sensed the nearness of Seven Wraith. It wanted a fight.
I gazed at my mate, and she nodded. “It’s the only way to end the war between Earth and the heavens.”
“I’m supposed to protect you,” I said, “not bring you to a war.”
“Protecting me also means letting me protect you back,” she said. “I love you and won’t let you fight alone.”
It was the first time she said she loved me. I kissed her, then crushed her against my chest. The Forbidden Glory’s blue fire danced above us. Let’s go, it urged.
The ward burst with mists of light, and the light closed in. The Forbidden Glory and Earth Magic encircled each other, then entwined. As soon as they joined, a melody older than the universe and more beautiful than anything I’d ever heard streamed out and filled the air.
Power vibrated in the air. Everyone, except my mate and me, sank to their knees and covered their ears, groaning in pain. The power was too much for them. A few seconds later, the power toned down.
“Gabriel, get a space suit for my mate,” I ordered, snapping him out of his stupor.
Gabriel blinked, then barked into his device. Racer, the First Officer, flew out of ThunderSong with a suit.
My force field could shield Rose in space, but she wasn’t built like me. I wouldn’t take any risk that might cause her to burn or freeze.
As soon as the nano-space suit touched her, it shielded up and covered her every inch like a second skin.
“Tell our ships to disengage from my father’s force,” I told Gabriel, then turned to Rose. “Are you ready?”
She gazed at me with absolute love and trust.
I shot toward the sky, holding her, and my mate heaved the flaming sword upward like a war goddess. The merged blue fire and white light soared ahead of us.
We broke through Earth’s atmosphere, fire and light shielding us.
Hundreds of battleships blew up around us, creating a hellish landscape in the space.
My surviving ships and the Fallen’s tried to pull away, but the Reapers pu
rsued them with unceasing energy blasts.
“Shield my ships!” I commanded the Forbidden Glory.
The entwined fire and white light expanded until they covered the remnants of my fleet.
But then, Divinity, the Lord of All Angels’ command ship, tore through the ranks toward me. Its head was fashioned after a shadow beast from my home planet. Its hull bore my father’s symbol: two wings carrying an all-seeing, flaming eye. The left wing of swords indicated death; the right wing of ancient angelic runes spelled foul power.
My lord father stood by the view window and stared at us.
“Surrender, son,” his deep, booming voice rippled with formidable power. “Give me the fey empress, and all will be forgiven. I won’t remember that you once rebelled against me. I’ll remember only that you returned to me and brought me the harvest. And then one day, you’ll rule the universe in my place, just as the seer foresaw.”
“Nice try, Father,” I said, “but fuck you.”
I thrust my flaming sword in his direction with a battle cry, and my father unleashed Seven Wraith.
Dark grime poured out of Divinity, forming a vast serpent with seven heads and thousands of steel claws extending from its scaled body. Its smoke blotted out the battlefield and the sight of stars and Earth.
I tasted its foulness and vileness that was beyond words. It hungered for Rose and me, and it coveted the power of the Forbidden Glory.
The serpent raced toward us at blinding speed.
Our remaining ships fired at it the moment their sensors pinpointed its location, but all of their energy beams bounced off its skin. Not even the angels’ most potent weapons could scratch it.
Our attack only made Seven Wraith madder.
The creature knew I was its true target, and that once it eliminated me, it could devour all that belonged to me. The foul thing swiped its head toward Rose, recognizing her as my vulnerability.
I threw the flaming sword at the most ancient serpent from the deepest, darkest pit in the universe, roaring in rage.
One of the serpent’s heads shrank back, but my flaming sword stayed true and sliced it in half. Another head lurched forward and bit into the sword, trapping the blade between its jagged iron teeth.
Rose roared as well. She didn’t fling her sword as I had done, but drove it in the direction of the serpent, guiding by the fire from our blade. A rising storm of flames burst out of her and crashed into the being.
With the aid of her flaming sword, her Earth magic had come to play, even if she was far from the planet.
Seven Wraith swayed at the assault of the fire storm. Five of its heads twisted around to swallow the Earth fire. It was an unholy, chilling sight made worse as three heads spun to spew a rush of smut at us.
My lightning and white light met it in the middle. Rose’s magic joined mine and rammed the smut back into Seven Wraith.
The serpent’s heads stretched to great length and reached our defensive line. Its mammoth, red mouths opened and bit and chewed our light and fire; its claws of blade tore at our shield. Dark grime seeped through the breach the serpent rent open.
A dark force tore into us, trying to snatch my mate away. My lord father had launched a second attack while we focused on his beast. The Forbidden Glory, busy finding Seven Wraith’s weakness, had let my father’s power slip past.
Holding my mate tightly, I swirled around to keep her from facing the heinous power. Then I felt a sharp pain on my left wing, a foul smell gagging me. Seven Wraith’s scaled, bladed tail had pierced my defenses and punctured my wing ridge.
“Seth!” Rose screamed, tossing her magic at the serpent again and again. “Earth Mother,” she cried, “defend us! It’s your only chance to guard your home planet!”
I shouted for the Forbidden Glory.
Light and fire and metal wrestled the tail away from me and slammed onto the ancient serpent. Lightning and storm also joined the attack, battling our enemy’s smoke and claws and teeth.
The shockwave from the blunt force threw us back.
I shielded Rose with my Sky Power. A second later, I felt a sudden, horrible draining.
The serpent was eating up our powers. Rose jerked in my arms as her magic rapidly leaked from her. I pushed Sky Power through as pain and despair filled me.
When the serpent’s tail pierced me, its poison had entered my bloodstream.
Bring it down, I told the Forbidden Glory, and you’ll preserve my mate at any cost!
The cost is you, said the Forbidden Glory. I need your life source. All of it, Sky Power. Your sacrifice is the last ingredient the Earth Goddess and I need to vanquish the unholy being. We’ve been waiting for you to offer since your free will—
Shut up and take it! I snarled. Bring my mate to Earth safely.
No! Rose screamed. Don’t touch him!
The last bit of energy ripped from me. The pain was worse than Agro cleaving my wings. I pressed my lips on my mate’s forehead. I love you, eroma. I’ll always be with you.
Rose roared in fury.
My consciousness lingered, though my life force faded.
With my Sky Power fueling the Glory, the blended light and fire intensified like a star going supernova. Our power sank into Seven Wraith, and the serpent screamed. It was the most unholy sound I’d ever heard.
Light exploded from inside the serpent’s belly and fire burned through it while its tail thrashed frantically.
The fabric of the galaxy trembled in a labor pain. It was the agony of ultimate destruction.
Then the blue fire flooded space, turning my father’s fleet the Reapers to dust. Divinity also disintegrated. Yet, my consciousness sensed my father’s essence.
He alone had escaped.
The last light in me winked out. I was no more.
Rose lived.
And I had loved.
EMPRESS ROSE FAYLINN
I saw the light dulling in Seth’s eyes.
I wouldn’t accept this fate for us.
“You won’t take him from me!” I screamed at the Glory, but it had made its deal with Seth and wouldn't renege now.
Seth plunged toward Earth while the blue fire sustained me. I broke its grip and dove after him.
I would never let him fall.
I caught him, but his weight dragged me down. We both free-fell, spinning out of control in space. I didn’t let him go. I would never let him go.
Then suddenly, we weren’t falling. White light held us, a song of making in my ears.
I kissed Seth, breathing into him again and again.
Share my life-source, I urged him. Don’t abandon me. We’re bonded as one. I won’t suffer eternity alone. If you love me, return to me.
I kept pouring my magic, my light, my fire, my storm, my love—everything I had into him. He always protected me above all things. If he knew I would give up living when he was gone, he would come back to me. He had to. He would fight for me even when his last breath went out.
Then I felt the slightest pulse in him.
My mate gasped and opened his eyes, and I sobbed with joy. He immediately grabbed me to keep me secure, his wings instinctively spreading and flapping to keep us afloat. The white light and blue fire twirled around us to shield us.
Seth kissed me. “You brought me back, eroma.”
Did he still call me the thorn in his side?
“So you can service me in bed when we return to Earth, angel,” I said.
Earth. That reminded me. The battle still raged on my planet.
My mate read my thoughts.
“Hold me tightly, love,” he ordered. Like I needed him to remind me of that.
Seth dove like a shooting star, his battleships regrouping to follow us.
With the blue fire, white light, and two flaming swords fueling us, we approached the ground faster than a comet. From the sky, I watched angel hordes charge into my army’s ranks, brutally cutting down my troops.
My warriors’ blood flowed freely.
My wrath rained down like acid, and my storm lashed out.
“Easy, love,” my mate said.
The one-winged angel king slashed his long blade left and right at my soldiers. General Goodwin and Bhaltair charged toward him.
“Where’s the fey whore?” he yelled. “I’ll cut her to pieces.”
Seth and I landed right before him on the battlefield.
“Looking for me, ugly?” I cocked my head to the side, a chakram in my hand.
PRINCE SETH
I landed in a crouch, my fist planting on the blood-slicked ground, my mate in my arms.
The battlefield froze at our spectacular entrance—a ring of light and fire hovered above my mate and me and two flaming swords spun around us.
I spread my wings to full length, and my enemies—once my kind—gasped harshly. They had watched me being dragged along the bridge to be beheaded. They had seen my bloody stumps where my wings had been cleaved.
As their blood frenzy dissipated, their fear rose.
Everyone felt the Forbidden Glory’s immense, menacing power and Earth magic’s stormy temperament. Every angel knew that once I stabbed a flaming sword into the ground, they would be reduced to ashes.
My mate left my knee, rose to her feet, and stretched out her hand.
A flaming sword came at her summon. She grabbed its hilt, power and fury pouring out of her in a stream of light.
A great beauty, yet terrifying to her enemies.
“Looking for me, ugly?” Rose fixed her cold, radiant eyes on the King of Angels.
I stood beside her as her solid backup, but she placed a hand on my arm. My Rose didn’t want me to use the Forbidden Glory to end the battle yet.
She wanted to avenge me first, and I would deny her nothing. My chest swelled with pride as my mate sought to protect me. In every way, she was my equal. I needed to get used to that instead of being an overprotective jackass.
Agro’s dark blue eyes bulged and darted between Rose and me, hatred, fear, and disbelief warring in them and turning his iris obsidian. “Impossible,” he cried. “I tore out your wings myself!”
