My head tilts.
I’m not sure I agree.
Fear breeds hate, but both are treacherous.
Zephyr is much older than I am. He also has more experience with how his kind treats my kind.
My parents have always beaten it into my head that my species should be guarded at all costs. I’ve honored their request to the best of my ability, but I’ve always assumed they were overreacting. All parents are like that, I would guess. They’d rather be safe than sorry when it comes to their offspring.
I’ve just never been too concerned. My monster has always been more than capable of protecting us.
I’ve never gone up against a legion from Heaven before, though. And I already know how that would go down.
My family would immediately come to my aid. Wraith and Knight would likely be okay, but Echo and Ridge would have no chance against angels.
Putting myself in harm’s way is one thing. Dragging my family into my mess is another entirely, and I know them well enough to understand that they would join the fight even knowing it would lead to their demise.
I won’t allow that to come to pass.
I just can’t understand why the universe created me to be feared and hated by everyone.
When the powers that be need something done, they don’t care about the reality of what befalls the being called to do their dirty work.
Fate is truly a cruel mistress.
“They can’t know that you exist,” Zephyr says firmly. “You have to step back over to where you were when you froze time and let things play out without interfering. I’ve always known it would come to this, and I have a plan. I just need you to trust me.”
My heart feels torn in two.
I have no guarantee that I would be able to save Annex and Zephyr, but my pride tells me that my monster is our best chance at getting out of this alive.
What kind of life would that be, though? Always being hunted…
“You’ve gotta put a little trust in your mate some time. Right, baby doll?” Annex says from behind me.
I should punch him in the testicle for that comment. It basically guarantees that I have to let Zephyr handle this.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Zephyr
The pleading look on my face must do the job. Hazel sighs, siphoning back to her original location.
“Before you release time, I just want to say, we both know you would have kicked their asses,” Annex says like a total suck up. “Totally destroyed them in your rubber ducky pajamas.”
It’s difficult to tell, considering Hazel is in demon form, but I believe she rolls her eyes. She transforms back into human form, and I have so many questions. All of those will have to wait.
The time bubble pops, and I immediately focus on Nathaniel. “You’ve wanted Oathkeeper since long before it was bound to me. I was going to go before the council to formally release my angelic ties, and I still will if you choose to make this difficult.” My eyes flick to Rowan. He holds his blade pointed at Annex’s heart.
“What are you offering?” Nathaniel asks, sounding more intrigued.
This is a shit show, but I got lucky with him being the one they sent to retrieve me.
Nathaniel had his eye on Oathkeeper long before the weapon chose me, but it’s bound to me for as long as I live…
Or until I fall.
“I assume they granted you approval to bring me in by any means necessary?” I ask.
