Reign of Night (Thorne Hill #7) - Emily Goodwin Page 0,33
need to know if anything has been said about Remiel.”
At the mention of his name, I get a flash of being back in the woods, watching the most terrifying fight that led to my father killing my uncle in order to save my life.
“Yes. Michael was able to use the story that he went after Bael on his own. Though now others are wondering if Lucifer was the one who opened the rift, letting Bael out on purpose to cause chaos.”
“Well, shit.”
“Yes,” Julian agrees. “It has made the search for him all the more dire.”
“What happens when an archangel dies?” I ask. “Do they go to Heaven, even though that’s where you guys all hang out already, right?”
“They don’t,” Julian answers. “Angels aren’t meant to die, and we only do when we are killed.”
“What happens then?”
“Nothing. We’re just…gone.”
I park my Jeep in the heated garage and unbuckle my seatbelt. “You have to go, don’t you?” I ask Julian, wishing he could come inside and hang out for a bit before Lucas and I leave for Chicago.
“Yes. While the attention is off you for the time being, we still need to be cautious, Callie. The more talk there is in the underworld about the Nephilim, the more of a risk it is that you will be found.”
“Right. Because being the Queen of Hell and having demons want to kill me, kidnap me, or possess me isn’t enough to worry about. I have murderous family members sharpening their angel-daggers.”
“I’m sorry,” he says with a frown.
“It’s not your fault,” I tell him.
“I know,” he says. “I am sorry you have to deal with it. It’s not right, and I wish the others could meet you and see you the way I see you.”
“It would be pretty nice to be accepted by at least one part of my biological family. Speaking of that, did you know my mother was a Satanist?”
“No, I didn’t.” He tips his head. “Michael told me he was sent to earth to save your mother. I thought he meant save her from an accident or disease. But what if—”
“He was sent to save her from selling her soul,” I finish, and Julian nods.
“How did you find out she was a Satanist?”
“Tabatha told me,” I start. “She said she recognized her from the photo and went back and double-checked, since Callista isn’t a common name. She’d heard of a witch named Callista Lancaster who was excommunicated from her coven for practicing dark magic. Turns out it was my mom, but hey, I know her last name now, and if I wanted to low-key stalk that side of my family, I probably can. Tabatha also said the coven was one of the founding covens in America, and they still reside on the East Coast.”
“Lancaster,” Julian says to himself, brows furrowing as he thinks. “Callie, I think you’re related to Marie Lancaster, the witch who ended the War of Light and Dark.”
Chapter 10
“No way,” I shoot back. “Marie Lancaster is a legend.”
“She is,” Julian agrees. “How much about the war do you know?”
“We learned about it in school.” I push my hair back, sitting up a little straighter. “The vampires raged a war against the witches because they were angry we could walk in the light and the dark. They were jealous of our powers, too, and tried to turn witches into vampires in hopes they would harness our powers for their own use. Overnight, the vampires turned an entire village and doubled their army. All hope seemed lost until Marie was able to summon light—” I cut off, remembering something I overheard Eliza say months ago.
Marie’s power was lent to her by a god, and that’s how she was able to summon something strong and powerful enough to burn all those vampires and sacrifice herself in the process. Being able to summon white light isn’t something most witches should be able to, yet it’s something I’ve always been able to do.
Because I’m not a full witch.
The white light that I summon, which usually burns so hot it takes on a bluish hue, is the same light Michael summons.
“Michael gave the power, didn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“Holy shit.” I lean back against my seat, eyes wide and lips parted in shock. “Why?” I finally ask.
“At that time, many witches were still worshiping Lucifer, thinking they needed him to have their powers. Your father wanted to show that it wasn’t true. He gave Marie the power, but unfortunately, she died in the process before too many others