mutter. “Can’t even let a man swear properly.”
“You are not a man, Champion.” The cutting edge in the Angel’s tone is unmistakable. “Remove your hood at once.”
I jerk my hood down impatiently and give the proper bow. No concealing oneself in Her realm. “I need to see Va’halzoret.”
Lanzere’s silver eyes flash with a bright, white light. “You forget yourself, Champion,” he snaps. “The Goddess laid the Ak’tar upon your chest.” He jerks a nod at the medallion, the symbol on it identical to the one on his helm. “She lifted you up from the lowest of the low and knighted you under Her sword. You will show Her the proper respect.”
I sigh. He’s right. She believed in me when no one else did, bestowed an honor on me no demon should ever receive. She gave me purpose I can hold my head high and be proud of.
I bow my head in fealty. “My apologies, Archangel. I seek an audience with the Goddess.”
The light in his eyes fades, but a hint of a glow still sparks there. His anger isn’t about my lack of decorum at all.
“Archangel Lanzere, about Barrik. If there is a way to bring him back, I will see it done—”
“Ask your question, Champion.”
Heaviness lodges in my chest. After what I did to him, I can’t blame him for wanting me out of his sight. Goddess, it must kill him that he’s assigned as my Guardian Angel.
“Something has gone wrong. I—”
“You wish to know if she is your Gidan.”
I swallow. “Yes.”
“She is. Or she will be fully yours once you mate with her.”
My heart gives a jolt. Cassidy Morgan is mine. She’s really mine…
“Hazuldar Bonded us. I should have known he’d do this. Let me apologize to the Goddess for what he has done. I will make him undo it. And then I will throw him into the deepest pit of Hellinon for this. So help me, I will see him torn apart by his own ravaging horde.”
“The Goddess will not see you.”
I sigh. “She is angry for telling Cassidy what I am.”
Lanzere folds his hands in front of him, his face expressionless. “Why do you believe the Lord of Darkness has bound you and this woman together?”
“Why else? He knows the damage it would do to Her cause.”
Lanzere shakes his head. “Hazuldar did not do this.”
“Then who? There is no one else who can choose a demon’s mate…”
“Can you think of no one else who possesses such power?”
“Va’halzoret? Why? The Champion must always be alone. Why would she do that?”
“You dare question the Goddess?” he booms. “You dare presume to think you can govern the whole of the universe better than She?”
“But a demon and a human…” I shake my head. The ramifications are too dangerous to consider.
“Have you forgotten you are half human? That changes things.”
“Why would she do this? Does she not see what she has done?”
“Watch yourself, Arcayos. Even the Champion is not beyond the Goddess’ wrath.”
I lift my chin. If she has made this grave a mistake, I will not apologize for calling her out on it. “This can’t be allowed to happen. I cannot have a mate.”
“Ah, yes.” He spreads his hands. “How terrible for you. How terrible a burden it must be to have someone to spend the rest of your life with.”
His face is slate, but the pain behind his eyes guts me.
“This is not about me,” I snap. “It’s about her. It’s about the safety of everyone on Earth. Archangel, I didn’t mean to come here. I was supposed to end up in Hollow Park. I couldn’t even open the Gate at first. Do you understand what that could mean?”
His frowns, his brow furrowed with concern. “You couldn’t open the Gate?”
“No. The Champion is the last line of defense against Hazuldar’s forces. As long as the Goddess remains trapped here, I cannot afford to make those kinds of mistakes. People could die.”
The Angel’s frown deepens. He cocks his head. “You do care about them, don’t you?”
“Yes. The Champion must always be alone. Why would she doom Cassidy this way? Why would she put the world at risk?”
“I am sorry, Arcayos.” He claps his hands behind his back, shoulders squaring, features turning to slate again. “It is not your place to question the wisdom of the Goddess. Nor is it my place to answer for her.”
I close my eyes, drawing in a calming breath, then open them again. “I must see the Goddess.”
“It would not do any good.”
“So that’s it?