chill worked its way up my spine, forcing a shudder to race throughout my back. I stiffened, sucking in a deep breath of air while the moment passed. Only it didn’t, not like any other moment. This one persisted, the chill and the way my skin reacted to it lingering far longer than they should’ve.
Carilyss.
I wanted to speak. I wanted to say something to Arael, anything; make any sort of sound, but I couldn’t.
It was him. Okaras. He was using my name.
Get out of my head, you fuck, I said, in my mind, hoping the words would reach him and sting as much as I’d meant them to.
Tsk, tsk. That’s no way to speak to me, my little Hellion.
You can’t compel me. You’re a demon. That’s not how it works.
“Cari?” Arael asked, his eyes narrowing with concern.
I don’t want to compel you, Okaras whispered, his voice sounding like it was coming from directly behind me. I was starting to feel like he had his hand around my neck. I only want to remind you.
Remind me of what?
That I haven’t forgotten you. That I’m coming for you. And that it doesn’t matter how many angels you surround yourself with—you can’t replace me with them.
Replace you?
Okaras released me, and I let out a gasp as if it was the first one I had ever taken.
Arael sat up, fully alarmed. “Cari, are you okay?”
I threw myself at him, wrapped my arms around his neck, and just held him. I couldn’t tell right away, but as the seconds passed, I knew I was trembling. Arael just held me. He didn’t ask questions; he didn’t try to prod or pry. He just held me for as long as I needed to be held.
All through the night, and into the morning.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Dagon
It was said when a Seeker was on a mission, they could move relentlessly toward their target. That was their gift, the ability to get to whatever, or wherever, they needed to be come hell or high water. I was no Seeker and had no such gift. Come nightfall, my body, my wings especially, were already past the point of aching.
Worse, I had no idea where I was going, or in what direction to go. We had seen no buildings, no lights, no signs of life of any kind. Beneath us were only rolling mountains covered in lush, thick, green forest like I had never seen before.
I was quickly starting to lose hope that we were anywhere near Cari, or her destination. Even though we hadn’t found a settlement, or even a road leading to one, I was going to have to put down, or we were both going to fall from the sky like rocks.
My wings drooped, giving Isla a jolt, but I steadied myself.
“You need to rest,” she said.
“Just a little longer,” I said, “Let’s get over that mountain first.”
“You’re no good to either of us if you pass out from exhaustion.”
“And we have no idea what’s down there. I don’t want to set down in that forest one second earlier than I have to.”
“Prince Dagon… are you afraid of creepy crawlies and wildebeests?”
“If I was on my own, there’d be no question, but you’re here and you’re in no condition to fight or fly should something happen.”
“I might be a little drained, and my wings aren’t strong enough to carry me right now, but that doesn’t mean I’m completely crippled. Let me pull my own weight… so to speak.”
“I think I see a clearing at the top of that mountain. Talk to me until we get there.”
“What do you want me to say?”
“Tell me about your unit. Tell me what happened.”
Isla fell silent for a moment. I thought she wasn’t going to speak again, but after a moment, she drew in a breath. “I let them down,” she said. “I was supposed to keep them safe, and I let them down.”
“How?”
“We were sent out to study the Wretched. Sabriel didn’t know enough about them at the time. They were the monsters in the clouds, that was all we knew. At first, we thought they were demons, but then one of my people spotted the silvery marks on their hides… they were angels. That changed everything.”
“Your team was responsible for that discovery?”
“Yeah. Once we learned that, we were told to go find one and follow it, watch its behavior… maybe even try to figure out who it had been before it,” she paused, “Turned.”
“What happened?”
“Finding the Wretched wasn’t difficult. They’re everywhere. The problem