Fallen Angel Reclaimed: The Complete Series by Lacey Carter Andersen
13
The sanctuary was complete chaos,filled with people talking, laughing, and moving about. Surcy watched as the Immortals they had rescued earlier dunked the new ones into the pool to awaken their memories and their powers.
The God of Sin fucked a druid woman in one corner. None of them could see what was happening, but all of them could hear her shouts of pleasure.
Zagan had winked at Surcy beforehand. “I think she deserves a little happiness after serving us so faithfully,” he said as he led her over behind a tree.
Now, it sounded like he was determined to give it to her. Hard and long.
Which is pretty damn awkward…
The other Immortals seemed to all be doing their own thing, a few practicing their magic. Others ate and relaxed. And some of them needed healing and they were being tended to by the druids, who all seemed happy in their service.
And Surcy? She was sitting on a pedestal carved of stone, staring at it all numbly.
She and her demons had talked about this moment for so long. This was their goal, the thing they imagined might be impossible. Now, they’d actually accomplished it. All the Immortals were safe. They had the ability to destroy Caine and restore the balance of the realms.
But her demons weren’t at her side.
Of all the futures she imagined, this was not one of them. Losing her demons hadn’t felt possible.
The God of Summer, a shifter who could turn into a golden dragon, met her gaze. He moved confidently across the great sanctuary, that was enclosed by a massive dome covered in plants. He wore a simple white shirt and jeans. His skin and hair were both golden, and his eyes were immensely powerful.
Kneeling down in front of her, he cocked his head, and studied her. She was amazed by how strong he appeared, how muscular and healthy. It was almost unimaginable that just a short time ago he was a chained dragon, with grey, lifeless scales and holes in his wings.
They’d saved him. She’d imagined he was powerful beneath all his wounds. But now, she could see what he was meant to be, and it amazed her.
“You’re heartbroken," he said, his voice deep and rough.
It was hard to swallow. “Yes.”
“Then let me ease your fears. If we are restored to power, we should be able to save your demons.”
Every muscle in her body tensed. “What if Caine destroys their souls?”
A guarded look came over his face. “The Soul Destroyer is not what everyone believes.”
She waited.
“It is simply… another realm.”
She slid closer to him, heart racing. “So, they can be saved?”
“If they survive. The Soul Destroyer was not given that name lightly. Within that realm is the darkest, most horrible place in existence. It is filled with souls deemed too dangerous to be reborn. They don’t have to survive just going there. They need to survive within the realm.”
Her chest swelled. “They’re strong. They can do that.”
The slightest smile twisted his lips. “They are. Your demons are unlike any I’ve met before. But then, I’ve never known demons to fall in love with an angel, or an angel to fall in love with them. Caine… he’s created a world of chaos. One which we must fix.”
“Surcy?”
She startled, looking up to meet Mark’s father’s eyes.
“Yes?”
“May I speak with you for just a moment?”
She nodded, then turned back to the dragon-shifter. “Thank you.”
“Any of us would have shared that knowledge with you.”
She smiled. That didn't matter. He was the one who had taken the time to tell her. “Not for the knowledge, for the hope.”
He shrugged. “I was hopeless when you and your demons found me. It seems only fair to give you hope in return."
She smiled and rose. Mark’s father turned and started walking. She followed slowly behind him. When they came to the mantel before the Immortals’ sacred pool, he reached up and took the broken staff from off of it.
Her breath hitched. Mark’s staff.
“I know what you must think of me. Throwing my only child out into the world alone and without his staff.”
“Well, whatever you did didn’t break him. Nothing could break him.”
The old man turned his blue eyes to her and her heart clenched again. Mark and his father had the same eyes. “He is… was something special.”
“You have no idea how much.” Surcy didn't even try to hold back the anger that surged through her.
No matter how she replayed what had led Mark to be tossed from his home, she couldn’t see any justification for it. No matter how hard she tried to see this old man in a different light, she only felt anger towards him for the cruel way he’d treated her Mark.
“I still can’t believe he’s dead.”
She felt her gut clench. “I’m done talking to you about this.”
You don’t deserve to feel sad, or to pity yourself. You closed the door on your child a long time ago.
He sighed. “I actually wanted to talk to you about more than just Mark.”
The sensation of fingers moving down her spine made every hair on her body stand on end. “Then what? Spit it out.”
The old man set the staff back down and turned to her. “I’ve been reading over the ancient texts, including what little we have about the time when Caine took over and the Immortals lost their thrones.”
She held her breath.
“Something is missing.”
No shit, if we knew everything this whole mess wouldn’t be nearly as bad.
“Have you ever heard about demi-gods?”
She raised a brow. “Like half-gods?”
“Yes, the children of the Immortals.”
She shook her head.
“Well, they’re rare, and most of them have little to no power. Their power might be something as small as being particularly lucky, or living abnormally long, or being incredible beautiful. Something small like that couldn't unbalance the Immortals’ power. But—“ he paused. “Then, there is Caine. He's not a vampire, a witch, a merman, a gargoyle… nothing about him makes sense. He lacks the characteristics of any of the paranormal beings.”
“So what does that mean?”
He held her gaze. “I believe he might be something… forbidden, a dark secret that should have never been brought to life.”
That sounds… bad.
Her heart raced. “What?”
“A child of two Immortals.”
She stared. “I don’t understand. I mean, why would that be so forbidden?”
He regarded her as if she were stupid. “Because there has only ever been ten Immortals. For this very reason. It’s too dangerous. It can change the balance. And yet…”
“What?”
“The balance doesn’t feel off.”
She sighed, tired of the old man’s riddles. “And what does that mean?”
“I believe there is a twelfth Immortal.”
Her brows rose. “So we need to find one more?”
“No, you don’t. But what you should know is that Caine is even more dangerous than we ever imagined, and these Immortals may have secrets that could complicate our plans.”
Like we need more complications.“Thank you.”
He nodded. “I wish we druids could offer you our help in the battle, but that is not our way.”
Mark did.“I understand.”
Turning away, she wondered what the significance of twelve Immortals might mean, and how it could impact the war between the two sides. I guess we’ll see.
