Epilogue
Silas
Three months later
The wind blew through my shirt and ruffled my hair. Zen, Tobias, and Chaos were out on patrol. I had been as well, but I’d told them I’d catch up because something strong had drawn me up here. I breathed the cool air deep into my lungs as I looked down at the city below, all lit up.
We’d finally heard from Felditch about Lucifer’s complaint.
We’d hoped the angels would be disqualified, but they weren’t.
Disqualifying them would require Felditch to admit he’d conspired with them.
That wasn’t going to happen. Instead, he’d admitted that in my and Ursula’s case, there was an error in the execution of the event, and ignored the rest of the complaints from the other teams completely.
As recompense, the angels would be given a penalty, one that would come into effect for the next tournament.
Which was bullshit. He’d also refused to strip them of their prize.
They still got their favor, and after experiencing the demigod’s power for myself, I was seriously concerned, especially with Uriel’s power grab.
The archangel had wanted that prize badly, and had sent angels to compete who were willing to do anything to get it.
Uriel was determined to set the forgotten prophecy in motion, and he was going to use Felditch and his favor, to help him do it.
We had no way of knowing what it would be, or when it was coming.
That wasn’t the only thing playing on my mind, though.
The fates had played a part in all of this, they’d seen this coming.
There was a reason they’d given me the condition they had when I’d gone to them about Zenon to ask for help.
Their stipulation had prevented me from killing Nathaniel, and because of that, had cost us the tournament.
Nothing was random. Every action had a reaction.
What if it wasn’t Uriel who had set this all in motion, what if it was me?
What if changing Zenon’s path had set us on the course towards the forgotten prophecy?
Even if that were true, I had to believe we had time, that there was always another path. We could fix this. We had to.
I shoved those thoughts down deep, and letting my eyes drift closed, I imagined I was flying through the night sky.
That ache never left. I was created with wings on my back, and living without them wasn’t something I would ever get used to.
It helped that I was insanely happy, that I would do it all again if the end result was Ursula and me.
She made my world right. She made living without that vital part of myself possible because she was more vital than anything. I could live without wings—I couldn’t live without her.
I turned in a slow circle, searching the shadows.
I’d come to this rooftop many times in my life.
This was where Zenon and I would meet when I’d been the only one who knew his secrets.
Something else had called me here tonight, though.
No, I couldn’t see what was coming, but something was coming, and this rooftop was where I was meant to be.
“I wondered if you’d show.”
I turned as Lucifer strode around an air-conditioning unit.
“You? I’m here because of you?” I asked, frowning. Lucifer rarely left Hell, and I’d literally seen him this morning. “What can you have to say to me here that you couldn’t while we were in Hell?”
Lucifer slid his hands in his pockets and stopped beside me, looking down at the city below us. “Well, Si, that’s what you’re about to find out.”
“I’m confused.”
“Of course you are,” he said. “I like to do mysterious shit, but all is about to be revealed.”
“You planning on throwing me off the roof so you can have Urs all to yourself?” I said, only half joking.
His eyes sparkled and he chuckled, and it was dark and a little unhinged. “Oh, Si, if only. But no, my handmaid’s happiness is all that matters to me, well, that and my grandson and his family, which is why we’re here.”
“Is something wrong? Are Zen and Mia okay…” Cold washed through me. “Oh fuck, is something wrong with Zeph?” When he said nothing, only stared at me, my heart smashed inside my chest. “What the fuck is going on?”
He shook his head. “See? That, right there, is why I can’t hate you.
You’re a good male, Si. You love my Urs, and my grandson and his family.
I’m a selfish fuck, I hate sharing, but I can’t deny them the love you have for them.
I did that once with Rox and have suffered the consequences for that selfishness. ”
“So everyone’s okay?” I said, finding it hard to focus on anything other than that.
He chuckled again. “Yeah, brother, they’re all good. Thriving in fact. A big part of that is down to you. And as much as I’m loath to give credit where credit’s due, I owe some…okay, a fuck of a lot of it, to you. You sacrificed for Zen and Mia, and you did it again for Urs.”
“They weren’t sacrifices, not to me. I’d die for Urs.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“And no one deserved a life full of love more than Zenon did.” And despite my fears for the future, I would do it all again without a second thought.
“You’re so fucking right.” He looked over at me. “And just so you know, I have been keeping score. By my calculation, I owe you big-time.”
I had no idea where he was going with this. Lucifer never admitted to owing anything to anyone. At least, I’d never heard of him doing it. “What are you saying?”
He shook his head. “Brother, I’ve gassed you up enough for one day, so instead of more sweet-talking from yours truly, I’m just gonna give you what I think is adequate recompense for the sacrifices you’ve made.”
“Like I said, they weren’t sacrifices, not to me—” A gasp burst from me as power surged through my body with such force, my legs trembled. “Fuck,” I choked out.
“Don’t cream in your pants just yet, I’m not quite finished,” Lucifer said. “That was phase one, juicing up your powers. Probably not quite what you were before, but close.”
I leaned forward, gripping the low edge of the building and panting hard. Definitely fucking close.
“Ready for phase two?”
I looked up at Lucifer, my mouth opening and closing, struggling to speak, let alone find words. His dark gaze slid over me and he gritted his teeth and hissed out words in a demonic language that was long forgotten by most.
A moment later, a heavy weight landed on my back, then dug deep, like roots burrowing down and anchoring tight. Not painful, not at all. Muscles pulled and stretched in a familiar way, my body remembering what to do in an instant. “Oh fuck. How—”
“They’re not the same as you used to have. I can’t give you golden feathers, but hopefully this is the next best thing?”
Wings, Lucifer had given me wings. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe.
Joy filled me, a sense of being whole again lifted my soul and set it alight.
I felt as if sparks were pouring from me, lighting up the night.
I stretched my new wings, moving them slowly, testing their weight and how they caught the breeze.
They felt different, yes, but also—perfect.
I curled one forward, checking it out. “Holy fuck.”
“You like?” Lucifer asked.
They were like Zenon’s wings, leathery like a bat. Only instead of black, mine were a deep gold. “Yeah, brother, I like. Fuck. I don’t know what to say?” I shook my head as I moved them through the air, testing them again. “Thank you for this. Thank you.”
He flashed his teeth and his horns sprouted from his head, curling back, black and shiny, a moment before his own black leathery wings unfurled.
The angels had cut his black-feathered wings from his back once as well, when he’d been thrown out and sent to rule Hell.
He’d obviously worked out how to fix that, for both of us.
“You wanna take them for a spin?” Lucifer asked.
“Fuck, yes,” I said, and I jumped up to the ledge and dove off the side of the building.
Lucifer’s “Yeehaw,” echoed through the night when he followed.
It took me a few seconds to work out the kind of wind efficiency they had. They caught the air in a different way, and I didn’t need to beat them as deeply as my old wings. They were also exceptional gliders.
I spotted Zen, Chaos, and T just below us and, grinning, swooped down, flying by so close it ruffled T’s hair. They tilted their heads back. T whooped when he saw me, and Chaos threw his head back and laughed, the sound one of pure joy. For me.
Zenon was smiling so wide, all I could see were his white teeth.
All three of them snapped out their wings and exploded into the sky, making chase, and catching up with me and Lucifer.
We weaved and ducked and caught each other’s air, and I couldn’t contain the euphoria flowing through me.
We raced for the compound. I needed to see Ursula.
Sharing this with her was the only thing on my mind.
The building came into view and, one by one, we landed on the balcony of the control room and strode in.
Lucifer fist-bumped Zen, who was waiting for me just inside the door, as he walked by. “Nice wings,” Zen said in that rough voice when I reached him.
“I think so.” My voice cracked.
“A definite improvement.” Emotion was there in his yellow gaze.
“Gotta agree with you there, brother.”
“You earned them,” Zen said. “I might not have Mia and Zeph if it wasn’t for you. You fucking earned this and more.”
I cleared my throat, fucking choked up. My family, my brothers were almost as happy for me as I was.
“So no more driving around in the tin can?” T said, fucking beaming.
“Nah, brother.” And thank fuck for that. “I need to find Urs.”
As I headed back into the balcony, Zen said, “Dibs on the car.”
“Fuck you, I was just gonna call that,” T said. “Call Roc, he’s gonna want in on this.”
I laughed as I strode out, pulled my phone from my pocket and texted Urs.
Meet me on the roof.
Then I dove off the side, caught the air and shot upward.
Beating my new wings, I shot up higher, then slowing them down, lowered myself onto the rooftop to wait for my female.
As soon as I tucked them against my back, they vanished, like the knights’ wings did.
I called them forth again, just to reassure myself that they were still there, then tucked them away again.
A short time later, the rooftop door opened and Ursula walked out. Her stunning green gaze slid straight to me and a smile curled her lips as she strode my way. “This is all very mysterious,” she said as she closed the space between us and rested her hands on my chest.
I looked down at her, taking in her beautiful face, and grinned wide. She had pigtails and a load of different-colored barrettes all over her head. I tucked a loose strand of red hair behind her ear. “I like this new look.”
She chuckled. “Astra’s been doing my hair. This is every barrette she owns.”
“I can see that,” I said.
“So why the rooftop meetup?” She slid her arms around my waist. “And just so we’re clear, I’m totally up for anything.”
“Good to know, hellcat, ’cause I have a surprise for you.” My heart was beating faster now.
She stilled, her gaze sliding over my face. “What’s going on? You look…different.” She licked her lips as I felt her look inward. “You feel different.”
My wings snapped out and I curled them around her. Gold catching the moonlight.
Ursula’s eyes widened. “Wings?” She swallowed convulsively. “Is this…is this real?”
My arms curled around her waist, holding her to me, and I shot up into the sky. “Does this feel real to you, baby?”
She wrapped herself around me, and I spun through the night, flying high and dipping low, reveling in the sound of her screams and shrieks and laughter. Finally, I carried her high into the sky and hovered above the city.
Emotion swam in her eyes, and her heart pounded against mine. “How?”
“Lucifer.”
She ran her hand up my back and, sliding her fingers against the base of my wing where it was attached, she caressed my skin, making me shiver, and looked up at me, a soft smile on her lips. “This is all I wanted, for you to have this again.”
“You asked Lucifer to give me this, didn’t you?” I said, struggling with everything I was feeling.
She shook her head. “I wasn’t sure it was possible. This was all him.” A tear slid down her face. “I’m so happy for you, Silas. I know how much you missed this. You’re whole again, and you’re…gods, so beautiful,” she rasped.
I shook my head. “I love my wings, hellcat, they’re fucking awesome, but I could live without them. What made me whole again was you.”
She kissed me hard, and when she finally lifted her head, I shot through the sky, my heart full as her laughter filled the night.
THANK YOU!
Thank you so much for reading