People screamed as dozens of shadowed wings swirled around the ground near the campfire. The dark-haired girls screeched as their mother jumped up. She shoved them behind her, reaching for something inside her jacket.
“It’s okay, everybody. They’re on our side,” Val said, running through the camp trying to calm everyone.
“It’s the Watchers. They’re on our side,” Calder said, as he and Jo rushed to my side. “We’re safe here.”
I nodded, breathing deeply, trying to calm my racing heart. Tristan stood beside me, frowning. He folded his arms across his chest, peering into the dark expectantly.
Tension filled the air as we waited. Many in the camp huddled nervously, unsure whether they should believe Val or not. The young mother tilted her head as if she was listening to something in the distance. Then she nodded, pulling her hand out from beneath her jacket, turning to soothe her girls.
I gazed at her curiously, wondering what she’d heard. All I could hear was the sound of thumping as if something was hitting against the sand.
Finally, the thumping stopped, and Zac emerged from the shadows. Waves of blond hair hung to his shoulders, which were covered with sand. Red streaks of dried blood covered his chest and arms. Fragments of his clothing hung off his powerful body in tatters.
“You made it!” Val sprinted to him, flinging herself into his arms. He winced, catching her.
“We all did.” He looked on proudly as his angel companions staggered into the firelight one by one. Many of them were the casino security guards I’d seen yesterday. They were still in their Revelationz shirts. The others looked like typical college students—young men in t-shirts and polo shirts. They all looked exhausted. Their shirts and jeans were ripped to shreds. Bruises and cuts covered their sculpted bodies. Ian stumbled into the firelight and slumped to the ground, no longer able to walk.
“You’re lucky to be alive,” Tristan grumbled.
With a heavy sigh, Zac gently placed Val down. “It’s my destiny.”
“Your desti—that’s it. I’ve had it.” Exasperated, Tristan jumped to his feet and marched to Zac. “This does not make it your destiny! You have control over it.”
Silence cut through the still air as Tristan jammed his finger at the circlet on Zac’s forehead. Tristan’s jaw jutted out as he glared at Zac.
“What’s going on? I thought they were friends?” I asked Calder.
“Tristan’s mad about Zac’s markings,” he explained in a low voice.
“His tats? What’s wrong with that?” Jo asked.
“It’s not a tattoo. It’s a marking that only appears on angelic royalty,” he replied in a solemn voice.
Angelic royalty? That means the dark-haired warrior Tristan had called Ari was a throne too.
“I had no choice,” Zac said in a calm voice.
“You know perfectly well you do,” Tristan spat. “The markings only appear when you accept your calling. When did it happen?
“Late last night, after Blaze left. I have no regrets.”
“You chose to die? You know this is a death sentence. My father will come after you now. You know he will.”
“Whoa, you actually believe us now?” Val placed herself between Tristan and Zac. “What happened to”—she lowered her voice mimicking Tristan—“Father would never go to war on Earth. He’s an a-hole, but he’s not crazy?”
“I didn’t think he’d . . . whatever. I was wrong, okay? But that doesn’t mean you have to join the battle.”
“Yes, it does. Look at what his army did.” She waved her hands toward the burning remains of Las Vegas. “They won’t stop here, and you know it. They’re moving from city to city and will take down each one until they find the new throne.”
“That stupid prophecy again.” Tristan threw up his arms, walking away from them in exasperation. “It’s not worth risking your life. We don’t even know if it’s real.”
“We all chose to fall because we believe it is real,” Zac said, his voice was amazingly calm. His powerful body moved with a prince-like grace as he followed Tristan. “And even if the prophecy isn’t real, Phanuel will”—he looked over his shoulder at the survivors and lowered his voice—“hand over Earth to Belial. He’ll destroy everything the humans have built and keep only a few to serve him. It will be over for the humans and us. So I made the choice. I’m a throne. It’s who I am.”
“So am I!” Val swept backed her long bangs. On her forehead, a thin band of swirls circled across her flawless skin, making her look even more beautiful.
“I can’t believe you guys. Father will use any excuse to be rid of you, even if the new throne doesn’t exist, and there’s nothing I can do to stop him.” Tristan let out a slew of curses, kicking the sand. “I told you to stay out of it. Let the Ancients deal with it.”
“Like father, like son,” a deep voice echoed from the shadows. An angel stepped into the firelight. His wings were large, spanning several feet. He looked different from the others, more mature. Even though his skin was flawless, with not a wrinkle in sight, he appeared older. He had the same intricate design over his forehead, except his was more elaborate with sharp curves. It covered his entire forehead with the “V” hanging low between his eyebrows.
“Who’s that?” I asked Calder, who was suddenly down on one knee with his head bowed.
“Remiel. He’s an Ancient. His house is, I mean, was House of Remiel until . . . ”
He paused. Slowly his head lifted. He gazed nervously at Tristan. “We call him Remi now.”
Remi? The name sounded familiar.
Ian immediately pulled himself up, knelling on one knee as the royal angel passed. The Watchers followed Ian’s lead. They lowered their heads and pressed their tattooed arms over their chests.
The royal angel moved with a regal grace. He wore his wavy dark hair swept back from his flawless face. Dark almond-shaped eyes peered at Tristan suspiciously as he spoke.
“Selfish as always. I see the destruction of your beloved stardom hasn’t changed you. I wonder if you’ll join Belial if he offers you a harem of groupies.”
“That’s not what he meant, Remi,” Val argued. “Tell him, Tristan.”
“It’s exactly what I meant,” Tristan snapped, keeping his eyes locked with the royal angel. “I’ve told you this before, and I’ll tell you again. Your war is not our war. Leave us out of it.”
The royal angel closed in on Tristan, wings flapping powerfully. Sand gusted into the air in a thick cloud. He leaned in threateningly, his deep voice emphasizing each word as he spoke. “You were born into this, and no matter what you do, Tatrasiel of the House of Phanuel, your fate has been sealed.”
Tristan’s fist curled. He shook, gritting his teeth. He looked like he was about to explode. “That is not who I am anymore. Nor do I follow House of Remiel. It doesn’t exist. I don’t exist. Remember?”
A shocked murmur swept through the Watchers.
“Tristan!” Val gasped.
“You don’t mean that, Tristan,” Zac said, shocked.
Remi raised his hand, silencing them. “A child’s tantrum. You’ll learn. You’ll all learn, but tonight, we have much work to do. Where’s Blaze?”
“We haven’t heard from him,” Zac said.
Remi turned away from Tristan and headed closer to where the survivors were gathered. “And the Watchers?”
“All accounted for,” Zac replied.
“Very well. You do us proud.” He patted Zac’s shoulder.
Remi stopped at the campfire where Gus and the young mother with her children were huddled. Gus’ eyes widened with awe as they stared up at the royal angel.
“Fear not, dear ones,” Remi’s voice boomed. “We are here to help you. My name is Remi. I’m the owner of REMI Entertainment and the Mystic Casino—or at least the pile of rubble that was once the casino.” He chuckled. The others stared at him terrified, not amused by his joke.
Clearing his throat, he continued. “My apologies. I understand this is a hardship for many of you. Let me explain. As you can see, angels have lived among you for some time. Some of our kind covet what humans have and will kill to have it. Not all angels feel this way. Every angel you see here has volunteered to fall. We are considered fallen to our kind, but we do this because we know what is right. We want to protect you as much as we can. We have a safe place for you, but it is far from here. It is hidden from those of our kind who seek to harm you. It is a long journey, so please rest as much as you can. We leave at dawn.”
I looked to Jo in a panic. They were taking us to some unknown place.
“We can’t,” she whispered.
“We’re not going. We’ll find some way to get back home,” I replied under my breath.
Remi spun around, frowning with disapproval.
He heard us? How could . . . of course he could. Tristan had said angels had superior hearing.
“Was this the favor Blaze asked of you, Tristan?” He tilted his head, dark eyes looking at me curiously.
Favor? I was a favor from some angel? Is this what he meant when he’d said he had to save my life? I glanced over to Tristan.
The way he had looked at me, touched me, I’d thought he . . .
“Yes,” he said, avoiding my questioning gaze. “This is Karenna and her friend, Jo.”
Remi rolled his shoulders, folding his massive wings into his body as he walked toward us. “Tristan and Calder took a great risk to save you, and yet you choose to leave our protection.”
“Look, Mr., uh, Remi,” Jo said. “We appreciate everything you angels have done. But we’re not going anywhere with you.”
Pushing aside thoughts of Tristan, I joined her, twining my arm around hers. My place wasn’t with these angels, so whatever was going on with Tristan and this Blaze person, I didn’t want to know.
“That’s right,” I voiced with resolve. “We’re going back home. We have family we need to get back to.”
Voices rumbled in the camp at my response. Survivors, suddenly emboldened, went to Tristan, Val, and Calder demanding to check in on family located in other cities.
“My mom is in Salt Lake City. Can someone help me contact her?”
“I have a brother in Reno. Did they take down Reno?”
“Does anyone have a cellphone I can use? Mine doesn’t seem to work, and I need to call my son.”
Through the crowd, I watched Tristan’s handsome face fall as he shook his head, apologizing to the people pleading with him.
“I’m sorry. I can’t.” He stepped out of the crowd, his guilt-ridden eyes meeting mine before he flicked his wings out and took to the sky.
“Please, people, you do not understand the gravity of what is going on here,” Remi’s voice boomed through the camp. “The warrior angels have destroyed all means of communication in the area. There is no electricity. Many of your modern technologies no longer work. Most modern cars will not run.” He turned back to look at me. “And in areas that haven’t been affected yet, they will soon be destroyed just as Vegas was.”
“I don’t care!” I blurted out, desperate to silence the growing doubt that I could get back home and find Lucy. “We’ll walk if we have to.”
Remi let out a heavy sigh as he gazed at me with pity.
“There’s nothing left for you to go back to.”