Slowly, she dropped her gaze, trying to keep her heart steady.
The center of the room held the entrances to the realms themselves. They were two swirling portals that stood side by side. One was filled with a pure white light so bright it hurt her eyes, and the other was a black more pure than any on Earth.
The angel realm. And the demon realm.
Beyond both of them, almost concealed by the dark cloud of magic, was the thing that made her sick to look upon. The Soul Destroyer. A place seldom used, to destroy souls found too dangerous to be allowed an afterlife.
“Surcy.” Caine’s voice swept over her. Through her. Dark, dangerous, and threatening. “You have disappointed me.”
Everything I’ve risked, it’s all been for this moment.
I hope my demons were wrong.
Instinct forced her down until she knelt prostate before him, head bowed. “And I have come when called. To explain myself. And for judgment."
Silence snaked through the room.
What will he say? What will he decide?
“You have destroyed your perfection by awakening the humanity within you. You have fallen in love with demons. And you have betrayed me. And for these things, you must be punished.”
And here goes nothing…
“On the surface, everything you’ve said is true, but my intentions are also just as true." She took a deep breath, knowing her own life—her very soul—could very well hang in the balance. "Time has changed you, my Lord. I have met many, many innocent demons, which can only mean that you're sending humans to the demon-realm who don’t deserve it."” She took a deep breath, hating that her entire body shook. “It must be difficult to be the judge of all of humanity, but something has gone wrong. You need to hear these things, so that you can fix the wrongs and return to your former glory.”
After another long moment of silence, his voice came again. “You will be stripped of your wings and returned to Earth.”
Her heart pounded. I’ll lose my wings? It’s a cruel fate, but at least I’ll be with my demons once more. Yet, he didn’t respond to my words.
“But what of the changes I spoke of?”
He continued as if he hadn’t heard her. “But that is not enough, is it? For you have already turned your back on what it means to be an angel." His words were barely louder than a whisper, and yet, they carried through the room like a crack of thunder. “I could destroy your soul… but what good would that do me?”
Her breathing filled her ears. This is not good. If I ran, could I escape?
Not the fortress. Nor the army of angels that circle the skies above me.
“There is a war coming, Surcy, and your demons will play a part. There is only one thing I can do that will both punish you and help me.”
“Please, Caine, please, My Lord…”
Her limbs shook. Her muscles tensing. She had to run, at least try, no matter the odds against her.
“I will give you what you want. I will return you to your demons. I will take every ounce of the humanity you have stolen over the years, and I will return to them a cold angel. You will have no memories of them. Without your confusing human emotions to drag you down, you will gain their trust once more, and you will betray them. For me.”
She rose, shaking her head. “I will not.”
His cold laugh came, so harsh it wrapped itself around her throat. “That’s the thing, my dear. You don’t have a choice.”
Racing to the doors, she pulled on the handles, but they were sealed shut. Calling her soul-blade to herself, she held it out before her. Ready to fight. Ready to take on the most powerful being in all the realms.
Anything to keep my demons safe.
His voice came, so close she could feel his breath on her ear. “Do you really think I care who is guilty or innocent?”
She spun, holding her sword out in front her and scanning the darkness surrounding her. Where is he? Where is he? She could see nothing.
She tried again. “But that’s the job of The Judge.”
Speak. Show yourself.
He laughed, a cruel, awful sound that came from everywhere but nowhere. “Not this judge.”
He’s mad! My demons were right. He must be overthrown.
Spreading out her wings, she leapt into the air, heading for the escape in the ceiling. Pushing herself faster and faster, she glanced back to see the swirling darkness barreling after her. She clenched her teeth. No. No! She wouldn’t let him reach her.
Shooting forward, her eyes widened. The hole in the ceiling—it was gone. She slammed into the space it had once been. Beating her wings to keep from falling, she clawed at the stone.
I’m trapped.
The darkness enveloped her an instant later, and cold hands grasped her throat. As Caine pried into her mind with his cruel, violating touch, she thought of her demons. Tears slid down her cheeks as she focused on their faces. And then, the memory was snatched away. Lost to her forever.
I failed.
Chapter Three
S urcy woke shivering, so cold she thought she must be dead. She opened her eyes and stared at a dark sky filled with snowflakes swirling toward her.
She began to cry, shaking with a terrible loss that she didn't understand. Tears flowed down her frozen cheeks. It was strange to cry for no reason, and yet, to feel deep inside that she had lost something beautiful and sacred.
But what?
After several long minutes she gathered her wits about her and stood on stiff legs. She found herself naked and alone in a field of pale green grass. Snow drifted lazily from the sky, covering the green grass.
What’s wrong with that picture? Why is the grass so green and new, and yet the snow keeps coming? Behind her, her wings felt strange. They seemed to shiver on her back, as if afraid. She turned to look at them and frowned.
A cold breeze began to stir her feathers, but within moments, the breeze changed into a rustling wind that swirled and clawed at her like a pack of angry birds. The wind whispered of magic and punishment.
Tremors swept through her body. What is this?
In horror, she watched as her black feathers were torn from her wings. Pain came sharp and awful. Each feather was like a nail pulled from her fingertips. She screamed, trying to hold her wings, but the wind continued its assault. Deep red blood ran down her wings, painting her remaining feathers.
Time seemed to slow. Her feathers drifted behind her in a cloud, mixing with the snow, dark smudges against the pure white.
“No!” She sobbed.
But instead of stopping, the wind picked up, harder and faster.
A primal scream tore from her lips. A sound that continued without end, echoing through her. I need to escape!
Blindly, she climbed to her feet and began running through the snow on legs that shook, but the vicious wind was everywhere. A whirlwind without escape. Her feathers were no longer just being pulled free, but plucked out as if by angry hands. The pain was mind-numbing. But just when she thought she couldn’t take another moment of it, her entire wings were torn from her back.
Crumbling to her knees, her mouth opened and closed, but no sounds came out. Pain made every nerve in her body scream. And yet, she couldn’t move. Warm blood ran down her back, soaking her flesh.
Time passed. She had no idea how long. But she remained kneeling, overwhelmed by her suffering.
Eventually, the pain was replaced by a strange numbness. Reaching with fingers that shook, she touched her back. There was nothing left. Nothing but bloody gashes that would soon be no more than pale scars. She reached behind her and traced the wounds with her fingers as hot tears slid down her cheeks.
Why did this happen? What cruel being would punish me so?
Her memories were vacant. Empty. And yet, she knew those wings were hers. A part of her always.
I was an angel. But now… now what am I?
There was movement. Light in the distance. She stared at it. Three shapes started toward her across the
snowy field.
Blinking through her tears, watching as they came closer and the shapes became men. I don’t know whether to be afraid, or hopeful.
When they saw her, they ran toward her, panic in their gazes.
The first one reached her with outstretched hands, but she cowered back.
He froze, his thoughts written clearly across his handsome face. He didn’t expect her to pull away from him.
“What do you want?” She asked, her voice shaking.
He opened his mouth, then closed it. With a hand that visibly shook, he reached up and adjusted his glasses. “Are you… are you alright?”
She wrapped her arms around her body. “No. I have no memory. No name. And my wings…” She couldn’t finish the rest.
The two other men stopped beside him, and she could feel their stares.
The first man knelt down. “You’re cold. Let us take you home. We can help.”
I don’t know these men. But then, I don’t know anyone. She nodded.
He swept her into his arms and carried her from the field. She stared over his shoulder. But there, on his sleeve, was one of her black feathers. A tiny one. She plucked it from his clothing and clutched it in her hand.
At least I have this.
Chapter Four
M ark carried their sweet Surcy in his arms. She shivered uncontrollably, her face ashen, dirty, and tear-stained. He was so grateful they found her. He’d feared they’d lost her forever.
But I couldn’t have imagined that we’d find her, wings and memory gone.
Not that it truly matters.
If she didn’t remember them, they could make her love them again. They would start at the beginning and make her fall in love with them again.
And so what if she wasn't an angel anymore? That made things less complicated. The only real question was what had happened to her.
Everything else can be worked out, as long as we’re together.
He slid into the back seat, with her still in his arms, and settled her in his lap. The amount of blood that coated her back terrified him, feeling cold and sticky against his skin. Immortals could only be killed a couple of different ways, and certainly not from blood loss, but it didn’t make her injuries any less frightening.
He held her tighter, wishing he could take away her wounds. Wishing he had the power to heal both her mind and her body.
But all I can do is hold her. And keep her safe from this moment on.
At least she didn’t try to pull away. He didn't think he could ever let her go again.
Maybe tonight I’ll finally be able to sleep soundly…
His eternal-brothers climbed into the car. Daniel took the front seat while Tristan rode shotgun. As Daniel started the engine, Mark saw him look back at them in the rearview mirror. His dark eyes were filled with anguish.
Daniel’s faith in goodness was always paper-thin. Mark hoped Surcy’s condition wouldn’t completely destroy him. I hope he’s strong enough to fight for love.
Tristan, on the other hand, didn't look back at them, but Mark could feel the tension radiating from him. He doesn’t know what to do with an emotion like this. With this kind of sadness and disappointment. Tristan’s eyes were closed, and his jaw was clenched. He sat unmoving, like a creature carved from stone.
But there’s always so much raging beneath his quiet surface.
That was the thing about eternal-brothers, demons connected together in the afterlife; they always had an inner-sense of each other. Whether they wanted to or not. And his brothers’ misery was so powerful it was nearly suffocating.
Mark wanted to reassure them, but he couldn't. None of them knew what would happen.
As they pulled away, Surcy looked up at him, and Mark fell in love all over again. She was their world. Beautiful inside and out. Her long dark hair, usually in waves down her back, lay matted around her. Her eyes, normally a stunning hazel, looked weak and bloodshot. Her skin was so white from the cold, it was eerie. But whatever she’d been through, she was still the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
Our everything.
Mark held her against him, sharing his own body heat. The three demons were always hot, but they blazed the heater, trying desperately to warm her shivering body. Nothing else was more important than her happiness.
And now that we have her back, we’ll do whatever we have to in order to make her happy once more.
After a time, she spoke softly. “Can you tell me—who are you?” And the vacancy of her gaze twisted his heart.
“Mark.”
“Mark.” She said his name, as if tasting it. “Can you tell me… was I once an angel?”
He nodded at her very slowly.
“What happened to me?”
You fell in love with three demons. “I don’t know.”
“Was it a punishment?”
In all likelihood, yes. “I don’t know.”
Tears stung her eyes. “Do you know who I am?”
“Yes.”
Her gaze held his. “Can you tell me my name?”
This, I think she can handle. “Surcy. Your name is Surcy.”
And I’ve dedicated my life to you.
The pendant that was tucked carefully into his shirt seemed to warm, as if reminding him of his other dedication.
As if I could ever forget that the future of the world rests in my hands.
He held Surcy tighter. That was the thing about knowing he would die for their cause, it made moments like these even more important.
Chapter Five
D aniel couldn’t believe that Surcy didn’t remember them. Caine had done this to her, the cruel bastard! This was her punishment for loving them.
At least Caine spared her life and didn’t keep her from them forever. But what should they do now?
It had taken them so long to earn her love. To convince an angel that they shouldn't have been turned into demons. First, she fought for them because it was the right thing to do. Then, she helped them, because she couldn’t bear to see them continue the way they were.
And at last, somehow, they had convinced her to love them.
Which I don’t think I can do again.
He understood how women fell in love with Mark. Even during their first lives, the time before their deaths, he’d heard stories of the many women who loved Mark. But he and Tristan were not so lucky.
His brother, Tristan, for all the years he’d lived, had never fallen in love with a woman until Surcy. It wasn’t that his heart was made of stone; it was simply that his focus had been protecting those that needed him, not on what would make him happy.
But for me? I’m just a straight-up asshole.
Okay, so maybe that was a bit harsh. But he was definitely hard to love. At least according to every woman who gave up on him over the years. Who told him he was incapable of love.
They said he chased danger. That the fire within him was too wicked to control. That he would go down in flames one day for his reckless ways.
And they were right.
Yet, with Surcy? I fell in love with her as unexpectedly as she fell in love with me. I found her innocence frustrating, her constant moral compass annoying, and her belief that she could save the world? Completely ignorant. But God how I loved her.
And eventually, not only did he love her, but the way he saw the world changed. She taught him there was something beautiful about innocence, something admirable about a strong moral compass. When she had saved their world? He realized he’d been a coward for not trying to do the same.
As he gripped the steering wheel and turned onto the freeway, he couldn’t help but look back at her again. The incredible creature, who gave up her safety, and turned her back on her own kind for them, was gone.
We’ve lost her forever.
Chapter Six
T ristan would kill those angel bastards for this. He would tear them from the heavens and shred their wings for what they have done to her. When she left to face Caine,
she was so certain he would treat her fairly. That he would forgive her for loving us.
They begged her to run away with them. To hide.
Unfortunately, at the core of her being, Surcy believed Caine would want to hear her out. She had stubbornly refused to let it go. Her eyes had twinkled with certainty, her chin raised in confidence. All would be well, she had said.
That was a year ago, and until tonight, they hadn't seen her since.
Every day since then, they paid witches to search for her. They bribed vampires and shifters to prowl every dark corner of the world. And they never stopped looking.
Never.
Daniel's history with the witch Summer had finally paid off. She came to them, swearing that she had finally felt Surcy’s presence in a field outside of town. They’d come there, not knowing what they would find. Yet, they’d hoped for a miracle.
When Tristan saw her, he thought all was right with their world once more, that the other part of their souls had been returned to them.
Until he saw that her wings were gone. Being an angel was the most important thing to Surcy. She saw it as her calling, and with her three demons by her side, she spread peace, protecting those who needed it the most.
What will happen now? Without her wings, would everything go back to the way it was? What if she turns away from us?
His stomach twisted. If I were a betting man, I’d put it all on the thing that makes the most sense. Before the week is out, Surcy will leave us.
Chapter Seven
S urcy let her mind drift as she rode through the city in the back seat with the three men who had found her. After the one in the backseat introduced himself and told her her name, none of them spoke, and that was fine with her.
What was there to say? That all she had left to remind her that she was an angel was a black feather and painful scars on her back?
Shuddering, she squeezed her eyes shut for a long minute. She couldn’t think of that now. If she did, she might fall apart again.
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