Raz turned and set his hand on my shoulder, easing the tension. “Someone must go after him,” he said. “Who shall we send?”

  “You.” Zoe pointed to me, pulling her hand from mine. “You did this, you fix it.”

  “I’ll go.” Elijah volunteered as he appeared from of a bridge wind. “He’s my son, and I need to be his father. For once in his life.”

  Zoe nodded and gestured toward the door, ushering Elijah out after Micah.

  “What do we do, Raz? How can he be matched with a Fallen?” Zoe sat on the couch and leaned on her knees.

  “I don’t know. Nothing about this rebirth has been predictable or gone smoothly. We’re at an impasse.”

  A moment later, Zoe’s phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and inspected the screen. Holding it out, she answered the call.

  “Sam, it’s good to hear from you so soon. What can I do for you?” She put one hand over her other ear, then turned and left the room.

  “Have you spoken to Zoe about Sam yet?” Raz asked. “Does she think he’s Samael?”

  “I don’t know.” I took a breath to settle my nerves. “We haven’t had a chance to discuss it.”

  “It’s him,” Phoebe said as she walked into the room, Remie in tow. “He looks terrible. I could tell he’s exhausted. I felt his heartache deep in my chest. He has a desolate soul.”

  “You’re right, child,” Raz said. “He needs his Gemini.”

  “And you’re sure it’s Lilith?”

  “Yes. They were matched many millennia ago. His soul has roamed the earth searching for her, but she’s hidden herself. After Zoe stabbed her, whatever cloaking Lilith had is no more. Sam’s Origin is waking to the memories of Lilith, and he needs her back.”

  “That’s so sad.” Phoebe sat on the sofa.

  “Do not pity her.” I folded my arms across my chest. “Lilith made her bed long ago.”

  “Yes, but she’s possibly paid for it many times over.” Raz interjected.

  “Has she?” I sent Raz an exacerbated glare, and he sent one right back.

  “Perhaps Zoe was right when she began this. Maybe all Lilith really needs is the love she’s searched for but denies her own heart.”

  “Perhaps,” I scoffed. “But you don’t know her like I do.”

  “People have a tendency of changing after more than five thousand years, brother.”

  “I did.” Zoe walked into the room. “So Sam offered me a demo deal. I’m recording in a couple weeks. This’ll give me a chance to get to know him, see what I can find out before we break the news. He needs to trust me first. I asked if he knew anything about Lucci, but he denies it, so my digging hasn’t gotten me any closer to figuring him out. I wonder if Lilith killed Lucci after she failed to get her what she wanted.”

  “That’s possible,” Raz said. “I can have the Firstborns trail Lilith, see if they can find anything out about her. In addition, we need to know what this Fallen’s story is. If she’s a threat to us. To Micah falling prey to her.”

  “So we can all agree, this whole thing just got a hundred times worse.” Zoe exhaled. Holding her hips, she stared at the floor.

  “It certainly did,” Raz said. “But at least now we know what we’re dealing with. You believe Sam is Samael?”

  “Yeah, it’s him. He looks awful. Exhausted. Not like before. Something’s changed, and I bet it’s Lilith.” Zoe sighed. “So what’s next? And how do we handle Micah? We can’t lose him.”

  “I know,” Raz said. “Perhaps we just need to have faith he’ll find his way.”

  “I needed my family. My Gemini.” Zoe stood. “Micah doesn’t feel part of Genesis. Or anything. He needs someone. Maybe if this Fallen got her wings…”

  “Absolutely not.” Raz shook his head.

  “Why was she denied so many times?”

  “She broke the rules. Aravot has a zero tolerance policy.”

  “So Micah’s right. We’re supposed to just expect him to be alone for Eternity?” She scoffed. “No, that’s not gonna happen.” She held her hips. “He’s my brother. My kid, even. I can’t sacrifice my family for this.” She clenched her fists. “I won’t.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Zoe

  Five past midnight, Cade came into the bedroom. He slipped into bed and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me beside him.

  I was still pissed after everything going on with Micah, but not having seen him in a week, I needed a little consoling.

  “We’ll work it out, love. We won’t lose Micah.”

  “I didn’t appreciate the way you treated me earlier.” I pinched his fingers, squeezing harder than usual.

  “Your protection is my first priority. My responsibility. Nobody will touch you like that, Chayah. I won’t allow it. If protecting you makes you unhappy, so be it.”

  “So you’re not even going to apologize?” I tilted my chin.

  I’d never seen Cade so arrogant. Though part of me appreciated it. It was kind of nice knowing Cade had my back.

  “Apologize for what? For loving you? Keeping you safe?”

  “Stop.” I scoffed.

  He laughed. “When I have something to be sorry for, I apologize. But I will never be sorry for protecting you. Even if I must protect you from yourself.”

  “Whatever.” I buried my head, rolling my eyes and relaxed into his chest. “I missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you too, love.”

  “Distract me. Tell me about your day before rescuing me and Micah.”

  He sighed. “We worked with Remie and Rainah.”

  “How’re she and Julian doing? Any better?”

  “No.” He set his chin on my head.

  “I don’t get it. She likes him. Why’s she being so twitchy?”

  “I’m unsure.”

  “Maybe I should talk to her?”

  “Perhaps.”

  Eternal Mother duty had kind of gone MIA this incarnation. Nobody explained what I was supposed to do. In past incarnations, I had my memories back, so I knew what my role was but this time, it was lost to me.

  Besides matching Gemini, I had no clue what my responsibilities were. Babysitting Newborns, apparently.

  Since I’d been gone fighting to remember Zoe 1.0, my family, the one I just got back together, was falling apart.

  Great leader I’m turning out to be.

  “This is all my fault. I’m a sucky boss.”

  “You cannot control the loss of your memory.”

  “No, but I’m supposed to be holding Genesis together. I can’t do that if I’m not there. Or if I don’t know what I’m doing. Sure, you trained me on my powers, but nobody trained me on my duties. This thing with Julian and Rainah. I should’ve told them about being matched, but I didn’t. I wasn’t there. And look what’s happened.”

  “Perhaps you can make it right now.”

  “I’ll talk to her. Just hope it’s not already too late.”

  This sucked. All of it.

  “I believe Rainah’s ready for missions. She’s strong and trained, but I need you to confirm it with me.”

  “I’ll be home soon. Probably end of the week. Well, depending on how things go with Sam.”

  “About that. What’s the plan?”

  “I’m meeting him Friday to go over songs for the demo. I hope I can do more digging. I tried spying, asking questions. Dropping subtle hints to ignite questioning, but he wasn’t having it. As soon as he saw my mark, he bailed. Speaking of plans. How are soul retrievals going?”

  “We’re training the Firstborns. When a soul is ready, we will Eternalize them.”

  I let out a breath. “I’m exhausted. Can we just lay here now? I don’t want to talk anymore.”

  “Of course,” he said. “How about we try to Converge again?”

  “Really?” I stared into his beautiful blue eyes.

  “Close your eyes,” he said. “Listen to my heartbeat. Let it sync with yours.”

  I let my eyelids fall shut, returning my cheek to his chest and focused on the sound of his heart beating beneath me. The gentle rhythm soothed me, and I let it take me over…

  “Madie.”

  I stare as the little girl transforms into a grown woman before my eyes.

  “Zoe.” She pulls me into a hug. “You came for me. Finally.”

  “Of course.”

  “I’ve been waiting.” Her aura lights up, changing from pure white to a light green. A moment later, another woman appears beside us.

  I stare at them, wrapped in each other’s arms. Their colors merged beyond their bodies, above their heads, sparkling into a million bright lights.

  “Gemini.” I say aloud.

  Madie’s aura comes alive. Her vibrant cocoa skin and brown eyes shimmer, glowing brightly with renewed life.

  I know the other woman’s name immediately. “Sarah?”

  She’s tall and thin. A little on the pale side with lots of adorable freckles. Long, strawberry blonde hair down her back. Green eyes. So pretty and glowing now that her Gemini has been returned to her.

  Sarah’s aura lights up, and their combined glow takes up the whole of the otherwise empty space.

  I’d never matched two people of the same gender before. Or two…?

  “Wait. You’re not an Angel,” I say to Sarah, then turn, pointing to Madie. Neither are you. What’s going on?”

  “Madie was an Angel once. She gave up her wings to become human.”

  “Wait. They can do that?”

  Sarah laughs. “Yes, anything is possible if our Origins allow.”

  “And you’re both…”

  “Madie was the Angel Mathew before he chose to become human. To incarnate for this mission. He happened to be born female, not by choice, but by circumstance. Mathew chose to remain in this form, to honor the beauty and mystery of his Origin, despite having been given the option to return to his previous state. Gender is a human designation, but love is love. I will love Madie as I have loved Mathew. She’s my Gemini. Her heart and soul are the same, regardless of the shell in which her soul is housed.”

  “That’s beautiful.” A tear slid down my cheek. Couldn’t stop it if I tried.

  “Lead with love.” Madie smiled. “And thank you. For returning me to my Gemini.” Madie pulls up Sarah’s hand and kisses her knuckles.

  A moment later, their lights merge, and they both disappear into the air…

  My eyes pop open, and I suck in a breath.

  “Who was it?”

  “That was strange.” I settled back into his arms.

  “You matched another Genesis. A soul retrieval.”

  I turned my head toward him. “How did you know?”

  “Your color. It changed. Was it someone you know?”

  “It was. Madie, the little girl from the hospital. Only she wasn’t a little girl. And Sarah? But I guess Madie used to be Mathew. An Angel?”

  “Angels have chosen to incarnate human for one reason or another throughout time.” Cade chuckled. “And love knows no gender. Love is love.”

  “I get it. I’m glad you’re a guy, though. I’d miss too much about you if you weren’t.” I leaned in, bumping my hip to his. “If you know what I mean.” I wiggled my eyebrows.

  Cade pulled me to him, grinning. “I do wonder why Mathew gave up his wings to become human?”

  “Sarah said it was a mission. His choice, I guess. Madie’s been working with Phoebe, maybe she was here for her? The poor little girl had cancer.”

  “Well, she’s returned to her Gemini now, I’m sure we’ll see her soon.”

  “So she’s an Eternal now?”

  “Yes, especially if she gave up her wings. She’ll be trained and return to her Eternal duties with Sarah to assist us.”

  “Huh.” I tightened my grip on Cade’s arms. “Okay then.”

  “All souls have a choice. Mathew chose to become human, so he could choose where he returned once he passed. They can return to earth to live again, perhaps become Eternal or go on to rest within the Seven.”

  “Seven what?”

  “Planes of the Eternal realm.”

  “Like the levels of the dark realm?”

  “Something like that.” Cade kissed my cheek. “The seven kingdoms of Aravot.”

  “Which are we in?”

  I settled my head into his arm. The heat coming from him gave me warm and fuzzies. I’d missed him desperately. I closed my eyes, inhaling his musky scent, butterflies dancing in my belly.

  Man, did I want him.

  “We’re in the Second. I’m sure you can guess what’s within the First.”

  “Jewel? Joan Osborne? Alanis Morisette?”

  “Um—” He stammered.

  “Music reference.” I smirked. “I forget, modern humor’s lost on you.”

  “Raz says I have no sense of humor. At all.” He sighed.

  “Or I’m just not that funny.” I squeezed his hand. “Anyway. Well at least I got to project, though it wasn’t very relaxing. Can we try again?”

  “Close your eyes, love. When you return, the world will be a much different place.’’

  Cade was right.

  When I finally returned from wherever I went, everything had changed.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Cade

  “Cade, please come speak to me.”

  I glanced at Zoe, lying sound asleep beside me.

  “I’ll be back soon,” I whispered, kissing her forehead. I pulled up from the bed and went to the front room of Phoebe’s home to speak with Raz.

  “What is it?”

  “We’ve learned some things about the Fallen. She goes by Lahnie. She’s been Fallen for three millennia and recently began working with Lilith.”

  “Why did she fall?”

  “She was one of the casualties of the Nephelium mess. She refused an order, was called out on it, then eventually the Council stripped her wings.”

  “So she’s not a malicious one. Then why would she be working with Lilith?”

  “I’m unsure. There’s research to be done. If we can determine why she fell, perhaps we can determine why Micah would have been matched with her in the first place. You know as well as I do, nothing happens without cause.”

  I sat beside him. “It seems like bad timing for everything to be falling apart at once.”

  “I don’t disagree.”

  “So what do we do?” Phoebe asked, sitting across from us.

  “For now, continue what you’re doing with Zoe. Have her focus on Sam. On figuring out how to get through to him, if he is who we think he is. We will continue to hold our own through the breaches, training the Firstborns, preparing for the war ahead.”

  “Cade, we need you. Been a major breach at the border of Aravot.”

  I stood at Julian’s call for help in my head.

  “What’s happened?”

  “The cross breed. Hurry.”

  “Go,” Raz said. “We’ll stay here with Zoe.”

  “She’s resting, I’ll return as quickly as I can.” I nodded.

  Raz nodded back.

  “Aperiesque ostium.” I spoke the bridge wind incantation, and a portal opened before me. “Remie? Come along.” I pointed to Raz. “Watch over the girls?”

  Remie gave Phoebe a quick kiss then came to my side.

  We passed through the portal and landed in the fields just outside the gates of Aravot.

  Julian and Rainah, Nate and Matteo, another Firstborn, and Micah were battling at least seven Fallen including the cross breed.

  “Bloody hell.” Julian grunted.

  Brennan and the Fallen girl knocked Julian to the side and grabbed Micah, pulling him through a portal, disappearing into the bridge wind.

  “Damn it.” I rushed over and thrust my blade at the Fallen.

  He chuckled, opening a portal of his own. Grabbing Rainah, he shoved me aside and disappeared through another bridge wind.”

  “Rainah!” Julian called out, then just as quickly, created his own portal and shimmied through it.

  “What in the bloody hell just happened?” My eyes were wide, fists clenched. “Go, get them back.”

  Three Firstborns stood there, staring blankly, out of breath.

  I pointed at the air, barking orders. “Matteo, take Remie. Get Micah and Rainah. Nate, hang back and explain what just happened, then you’ll meet up with them. You two, go. Now!”

  They disappeared into a portal, off to find Rainah and Micah, leaving Nate behind.

  “Explain.”

  “Eli was with Micah. Came back to Aravot and told me and Julian to take Micah. Show him around the borders. So we did. Then out of nowhere, a bridge wind opens up, and we’re ambushed. Like eight demons and Fallen push through. We couldn’t hold them off. We barely kept them out of the gates, that damn cross breed tried.”

  “They know where the Garden is.” I exhaled. “Go, help them.”

  Nate nodded, creating a portal, and disappeared.

  I inspected the invisible barriers around the city, looking for any insecurity. The borders seemed secure.

  But as I was learning lately, nothing was as it seemed.

  “Cade, come see me for a moment. I’m on your terrace.”

  Raz was already on top of things, as usual.

  I jumped a bridge back into Aravot, and Raz was waiting.

  “We must go see Michael and Gabrielle. I fear they’ve taken Micah with the intention of defecting.”

  “Given what’s transpired lately, I won’t be surprised if it works.” I exhaled. “Who’s with Zoe and Phoebe?”

  “They’re all right, brother.” He braced my shoulder. “The house is under a protection spell.”

  “I don’t care.” I grit my teeth. “The Fallen were close to finding us today. Several times. They seem to be a step ahead at every turn. I cannot trust the girls are truly safe on their own, especially with Zoe resting.”

  “I’ll send Sophie. I’m sure Eli and Lailah will want to be present to speak with Michael and Gabrielle.”

  We met Michael and Gabrielle at the Eternal Hall. They were speaking with Elijah and Lailah.