Micah

I pound into her until pleasure rolls over me. Then we lather ourselves up with the shower gel and kiss and laugh and kiss again.

Everything is as it should be at last.

We step out of the shower cabin and I pat her dry with a towel. She borrows my t-shirt and shorts as I slide into my jeans and cut.

“Ready?” I ask.

“No,” she shrieks.

I grab her hand and pull her to the bar. As we enter it, all the family clap and cheer. Kadmiel abducts Talia into his embrace and kisses the top of her head.

Well, it’s not bad. It looks like he can digest it. He frees Talia and steps towards me. A wide grin crosses his face, a grin I know so well. We’ve been in a battle so many times, side by side. Kadmiel always has this grin on his face when he’s going to chop a head off.

I steel myself as he sweeps his arm and punches me in the face. Blood spurts from my nose.

“Kadmiel, I love her,” I say.

The following thrust almost breaks my jaw and I fall down.

“You’d better do,” Kadmiel growls.

Talia

I watch the bruise forming on my husband’s cheek as my dad sweeps his arm and crushes his lower lip. Micah falls on the floor and lies flat as a swear word rolls off his tongue.

“That will do,” Dad says.

“Really?” I stand opposite him.

“What did you expect me to do, huh?” Dad growls.

“I love him,” I say. “He loves me. I expected you to be happy for us.”

Dad grunts. “I am happy.”

Mom flashes him a glance of pity and puts her hands on her hips. “We have four daughters, Kadmiel.”

“So what?” Dad growls as my mom shakes her head.

“They will fall in love and slip out of your dictatorship.” Mom tilts her head, a half-smile playing on her lips.

Dad waves his finger. “We’ll talk later, woman.”

Which means he will fuck that disobedience of hers out of her later.

I roll my eyes, as do my sisters. Yes, living in one house with my parents is sometimes really awkward.

I lean over Micah and help him stand up. Blood marks his face in thin streaks. I stroke his arm then glare at my dad.

“You owe them all,” I say. “You know that, don’t you? You owe them all even if it’s your own daughter to be used as the repayment. They gave up their wings so you could have your wife and your precious little daughters.”

Dad nods. “I know.”

“Let’s celebrate,” Adva says as her lips form a thin line.

We spread around the table as my mom offers Micah a dampened cloth so he can wipe the blood away from his face. The two elves stare at me from across the table with their cold eyes like I’m a piece of art on the exhibition. My eyes fix on Ettrian’s. Suddenly, curiosity floods me and I feel my inner angel like never before. Right. Ghosts are not tormenting me now. I’m free. I’m strong. I’m so fucking eager to taste my own abilities I’ve always had but never had a chance to explore them.

I focus and invade Ettrian’s mind. Images flood me then a gust of energy hits me— earth after rain mingling with pure neutrality and the elf kicks me out of his mind.

All the eyes are locked on me.

“That’s very rude, Talia,” Micah says, but he grins like he’s having fun at my expense.

“She’s very unique,” S’Ylla says. “And nosy. Nosy like a mermaid.”

“Sorry,” I say, the fire of embarrassment blazing in my chest. “I couldn’t stop myself.”

“She’s very rude,” Ettrian says and shoots me a warning glance that makes me shrink into myself.

“Let’s eat,” Adva says.

Images float through my head and I feel dizzy then hot. I can see Theo die at Micah’s hand, his funeral, and my family fall asleep one by one. Then I see archangels ruling the Earth like they’re kings and demons are at their service.

A tiny hand grips my elbow.

“You need fresh air,” Adva says into my ear.

She helps me stand up as white sparks dance inside my head.

“Your first grandchild, Kadmiel,” Adva says. “Can you sense it?”

“Fucking hell,” Dad growls. “You’re right.” He shakes his head. “I’m not that old to be a granddad.”

“You are,” Sabrael says. “But lucky you. There’s a young wife in your bed.”

A wave of laughter wafts through the air.

Adva pulls me behind her as my family’s excited voices fade. The cold air invades my lungs and my head clears.

“Grandma, something bad happened to our family. To everybody. I saw—“

“We were together there in the future,” Adva says in a cold voice, shoving me onto the bench.

“Yes, you and me after we’d fallen asleep.”

“Nobody else remembers. Only you and me. Maybe Micah. The elves fixed that mess.”

“How do you know?”

She takes a sharp breath. “I just know.”

“We have to tell my dad.”

“We shouldn’t mess with the timeline more. Be quiet.”

“But—“

“No buts.” It’s Ettrian’s voice.

I see his tall frame then my glance meets his.

“I don’t understand,” I say.

“Enjoy your baby and your husband,” Ettrian says, “and leave this with me. Something is coming.” He nods. “I can sense it, but we can’t alter the timeline more. We have to be careful, so keep it for yourself until I figure out what’s going on.”

Adva strokes my head. “I’m so happy for you.”

Another figure emerges from the clubhouse and moves towards us. I recognise Micah. He picks up the pace and kneels in front of me.

“Can you sense it?” Micah asks, sheer joy coating his voice.

“I don’t know,” I shriek.

I can’t focus. Emotions flash through me—fear, sadness, relief.

“I can sense it,” Adva says. “You’ll have a boy.”

I know I was pregnant with Theo in my other past, but it feels like someone else’s memory not mine. Like it’s my friend’s pain of loss not mine.

I’m pregnant with Micah and that feels right.

“Let’s put you to bed,” Micah says, leaning over me.

He scoops me up and carries me to our home. His joy pricks my skin like electricity.

I will be quiet as Ettrian has advised me. I don’t want to spoil Micah’s happiness. The guardian inside me also tells me to be careful. The timeline is very fragile. If we alter it too much, the consequences could be disastrous.

A sense of guilt jabs me like a thorn. He’s my husband. We should be honest to each other. We should trust each other. We should be able to talk about everything.

Micah

I enter our bedroom and lay her on the mattress.

“How are you feeling, baby girl?”

“I’m fine.”

“And the baby?”

“Micah,” she says, waving her hand. “It’s too early.” She levers herself up on her elbow. “It’s just its energy, nothing more.”

Right. It’s too early.

“I need to talk to you,” she says, her voice coated with an eerie seriousness.

I perch on the bed. “What is it, Talia?”

She sits on the bed, cross-legged. “How much do you remember? I mean when we all fell asleep?”

My heart stops beating then starts racing. She knows. Maybe she wants a divorce or maybe she wants to smash my face?

“That elven dick knows everything,” she says. “His sister probably too. You?”

“I met them in the past.”

“Wow.”

“You?”

“I was in the Middle Ages and—“

“You’re lying to me.”

She huffs out. “Right. You know me better than I do.” She leans slightly forward. “Adva and I were in the future. It was horrible, Micah. The archangels ruled the world. With the demons as their soldiers.”

“Adva remembers?”

“Yes.”

“We have to keep quiet, Talia.”

“I know. Sometimes one heedless word can alter the timeline.” She clings to me. “Tell me the elves will know what to do.”

“They’re wise, Talia. They’ll know what to do.”