He’d lied for her. It wasn’t that Nile wasn’t accustomed to lying. His whole life was a lie. But it still made his insides twist to sin, no matter the reason. That was the burden of a Hallowed with such a strong connection to the Divine. Yet, he’d done it, if only to please her.

He’d expected that Valeria would have been happy. That was all he wanted for her. He’d been so heartbroken when their child had been taken that he hadn’t stopped to see the Darkness starting to eat her up from the inside. He’d do anything to stem the flow of pain and keep her with one foot in the Light.

But the gaze he saw from her now was filled with schemes and plans. She crossed her arms and watched their child playing with the songbirds in the courtyard that teemed with life and magic. The boy looked like any other child in that moment, full of joy and innocence as he ran and tried to catch the birds that played with him. They dodged in and out of his grasp and tweeted triumphant shouts when they flitted away.

If it weren’t for the songbirds, Nile would have thought Valeria lost to the Darkness for good. He’d learned by now that the tiny creatures were an extension of her and mirrored her inner battling emotions. She wanted to be a mother to this child. It came naturally to her and she wanted joy and happiness, but they weren’t there yet. She looked up, as if sensing the danger that lurked on the horizon.

“I have to get to them before they come to us,” she said.

The angels. He resisted the urge to reach out and touch her. She was so cold and even if she tried to hide it, she was afraid. “But they protected us,” he said.

She shook her head. “Anark protected us. Gabriel is the head of a legion commanded by some other force up there,” she pointed, “and whatever it is, he doesn’t like what I am.” Her hand fell and her gaze shifted to the half-finished Onyx spire that speared like a dagger into the horizon. “If the demons can fight amongst themselves, then so can the angels. They are just two sides of the same coin.” She bit her lip and looked up again into the swirling clouds. “They’ll be coming for us, for our child. The only way to make sure he’s safe is to go for them, first.”

Nile frowned. “But how are we going to get up there?” The Coterie was the most powerful force on the ground, and even they had never found a means to reach the angel city. The Onyx spire was proof that even the demons found it a challenge.

Her gaze landed on the child again and her features grew somber. “He’ll know how.”

* * *

Eventually the child who they still hadn’t named curled at the base of the tree and fell fast asleep. Songbirds settled into the folds of his wings and curled up into tiny little balls and closed their eyes. The image was so precious that Nile couldn’t bear to wake him, and when he looked to Valeria, she was still leaning against the windowsill, watching. The schemes had left her eyes and now all that remained was a forlorn sadness.

He sensed his Hallowed master’s return before he heard the scuffle of sandals on the tile floors. He turned and waited until a familiar silhouette glowed in the shadows. Manor Saffron had lost its luster, but the Light was slowly returning as if drawn by the small boy that slept in the courtyard.

“Ferdinand,” Valeria remarked, not turning for her post. “What news do you bring us?”

The Hallowed frowned, and for the first time wrinkles marred his face and the fine, blond threads of his hair intertwined with the silver touch of age. “The Coterie is dead.” Nile’s heart skipped at the news, but he wasn’t sure if the surge of adrenaline was one of relief or dread.

Ferdinand held out an orb of the purest black that gleamed with power. “I’ve found what the demons were after. Leocivat is safe, for now. I’ve settled the last of my power to protect them, but it won’t last forever.”

Valeria turned and frowned at the object he presented. “And you thought it a good idea to bring that here?”

Ferdinand shrugged. “The Coterie didn’t know how to use this properly, but I figured if anyone would have the ability, it would be you.” He appraised the walls slowly returning to their former glory. “And it seems magic has lost its foothold in this place long enough for us to decide what we’re going to do.”

Valeria raised an eyebrow. “Does that mean you trust me now?”

Ferdinand smiled. “Hardly. But I know pure intentions when I see them.” He patted Nile on the back. “My apprentice wouldn’t have fallen so hard for you if you were evil.”

Nile blushed and pushed his master’s hand aside, not liking how leathery his skin felt. “There’s something we need to show you,” he said, glancing at Valeria for approval before guiding his master to the window. “We have a way to get to the angel city, and with this power you’ve brought us, we might just stand a chance of surviving the battle to come.”