Total pages in book: 148
Estimated words: 139178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
A hug from arms that had given him comfort when he was a small boy—and would do the same for his own child. Jessamy’s heart was as gentle and kind as her mien.
The only remnant of her childhood wing malformation was that, unlike other angels, her wings needed continued exercise and physical therapy to maintain their flight-ready status.
“It feels like stretching any other part of my body,” she’d said during a call. “Galen and I often do the sequence together even though he doesn’t need to do so—and once a year, Nga and I have a week together where she ensures I’m maintaining correct form when I do the exercises she assigns me.”
Raphael had been delighted to see Jessamy land on the Enclave lawn the night before the party, tired from her long flight, but otherwise in excellent form.
As for the other party guests, even Greta had made an appearance.
Sidling over to Raphael, Izzy had whispered, “Greta’s wearing a dress.”
“I thought she just regenerated every night in the same black pantsuit,” Sam had added in another whisper.
Amused, Raphael had decided to terrify the two. “She’s also old enough that she has preternatural hearing.”
Both warriors had looked like they’d seen their own future ghosts.
Missing from the event had been those of their friends outside the city who couldn’t get away from their posts, and of course, Hannah and Elijah, but there would be another celebration in the Refuge in the coming months. Hannah and Elena were even discussing a shared event for after they’d healed from their birthings.
It would most assuredly be the talk of the Refuge.
Today, however, they stood in New York, their eyes searching the horizon for the strange beings who had made their way into their hearts, and who had been gone far too long.
Legion, Raphael said, his reach far longer than Elena’s, we await you.
Aeclari. We come.
“Don’t forget to tell Sam,” Elena reminded him as seven hundred and seventy-seven voices filled their minds.
They are not the enemy, Sameon. They are our Legion. Escort them home with all honor.
Sam’s response was jubilant. The Legion! I never thought I’d get to meet them!
When Raphael alerted Dmitri about the identity of the force on the horizon, he got a mental whistle back. Well, damn. I guess it’s a good news kind of day.
“Do you think it’ll be our Legion?” Elena asked at the same time. “Like how they became?”
“I cannot tell, Elena-mine, but I would hope for it.” The otherworldly beings who had arrived as a fighting force had become part of the city, part of their world. While the Legion had continued to act like living gargoyles in their liking for crouching in strange locations, they’d also begun to develop personalities of their own, no longer gray beings formed of the same template.
The Primary had been the most individual of them by far, but the others had slowly begun to follow his example.
“Why are they coming?” Elena’s hand clenched on his. “I love that they’re back, but the last time was because of a Cascade of Death.”
Raphael’s spine was tense with the same question. “Shall I ask them?”
“No.” Eyes wet, she shook her head. “If they’ve risen by mistake, then I don’t want to give them a reason to turn back. I’ve missed them so much. I want to see them even if only for a few minutes.”
“Such a heart you have, consort of mine.” He hugged her to his side.
“You missed them, too,” she said, poking him in the abdomen.
“Yes, one does become used to living gargoyles.” Despite his light words, Elena was right about his feelings toward the Legion. He’d never forget their sacrifice in the war, or all that they’d done to protect the city prior to it; it had pained him that to save countless lives, he’d had to sacrifice theirs—even if the Legion had been adamant that such was their duty.
This is our purpose. We were created to be the right hand of the aeclari, to rise when darkness rises, and to fall when it is needed. We are content with our destiny. It is…honor.
Elena shifted from foot to foot as they waited, then arched her back against her hand. When he replaced it with his own, she said, “Press harder, so I can really—” A moan that went straight to parts of his body it had no business going.
“Not now, hbeebti. We are in public.”
A snort. “Did I tell you that Harrison just realized I’m pregnant?”
Raphael thought of the vampire as he’d last seen him. Though he looked physically better thanks to the healers’ regimen, his eyes had been all but vacant. It had been clear that the only reason he was cooperating with the healers was so no one could say that he was psychologically imbalanced and unfit to make the decision.
“Did he engage?”