cacophony, demanding the council answers for what they have done. The room breaks into chaos as I laugh. Amos looks around, his expression shocked and unsure for the first time ever before his eyes zero in on me and turn dark.
“You…you did this. You ruined everything!” he screams, and I see the moment he flings his power at me.
I don’t try to stop it, I wait, hoping I’m strong enough to survive it. But it never hits. I blink and there is Lucy, right in front of me. He stops the power mid-air and tuts. “Oh, Amos, you and your little council are so stupid. Did you think we would never find out? That we would let this stand? You are not above the law, you are to uphold and protect our people. You are just like everyone else. And now you must pay that price.” He flings the power back and it smacks into Amos, making him fall backwards.
A woman on the council tries to flee, and suddenly Lucy is behind her, his hand protruding from her chest. Her mouth opens and closes in shock as she slowly looks down in dawning horror. With a squelch, he pulls his hand back, holding up her heart for everyone to see. He smirks as he sets it on fire, letting it burn until only ashes coat his palm. She tumbles down the steps, her body broken at the bottom as he turns to the other council members. “One blood debt paid. I, Lucifer, the great snake, the eternal flame with the power and authority of the sleeping council, hereby strip you of all titles and responsibilities. You are sentenced to death for your crimes against our people. Do you accept the charges levied against you?” Lucy asks calmly.
“I do not! I am the head of this council! These people are mine, you are nothing but relics!” Amos yells.
Wow, what a drama queen. Can’t he die with dignity?
He turns then, his eyes alighting on me. “And you! I gave you everything, power, opportunity, and what did you do? You threw it all away! Well, I don’t need you! We don’t need you!”
“We who?” I roll my eyes.
Veyo sniggers, and I glare at him as Griffin snarls, “He’s mine, he touched you.”
“We? Oh my, did I not tell you who made you?” Amos cackles, seeming very calm all of a sudden. “No use hiding anymore, why don’t you come out?” he calls.
A door behind the throne opens, but I can’t see the person yet. “You saw his laboratory and work, Dawn, one of many, I assure you. This man has been doing this for years. I, of course, had to hide it and kill a few people who condemned his actions, but I recognised what he was doing for what it was—genius.”
The man steps from behind the thrones and I hear Griffin suck in breath, “Da—Gabriel?” he whispers.
My eyes dart from Griffin back to the man, the angel, waiting there. He looks like Griffin, I can see the resemblance. This is the man behind it all? The very same man who made all the nephilim….and my mate? Who supposedly died for his crimes?
Fuck.
Dad...Gabriel.
He’s alive.
He’s alive…it keeps repeating in my head. All this time, I thought he was dead, killed for his crimes, and here he is. Alive and well, and not only that, but thriving and making more of his experiments, one that includes my mate. He stands tall, proud, and cold. He looks the same, but it all feels so wrong. How did I never notice the utter callousness behind his eyes, the cool way he would watch us, even back then? Because I was a child, wanting my dad’s love. I can see the real him now, but did he ever love me...love us?
God, Mum. He let her die, he let it happen and didn’t even try to stop it! He could have! He could have stopped it, why didn’t he?
“Because she was a means to an end, boy, nothing more,” he retorts, watching me with those golden eyes I used to wish I had.
He never loved us.
“No, you were amusing. I will give you that, and once I felt something akin to kindness towards you and your human mother, but then I realised that sentiment was holding me back. If I wanted to complete my mission, to make the strongest soldiers, I could not afford such luxuries and weaknesses.”
I flinch and he steps forward, his eyes on me, driving each