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CHAPTER4
Angels—whether they were Fallen or at home in the celestial cities of Heaven—had certain abilities. Micah thought he knew most of them, but once he first imprinted on Phoenix, he discovered that it was also true that his kind could track their soulmates across all of the realms: Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory.
That was how he knew when his soulmate died. From the moment he met her, he could find her anywhere. It was like there was a tie between them, and if he followed it, he’d always discover her at the end of it.
Until the day she was just… gone.
He expected her to rise up from the ashes. It was in her name, after all. She controlled the fire. It wasn’t supposed to hurt her. No matter what, she would still be standing.
Micah never knew exactly what happened. Feeling the pain of her loss, he went to her former coven one time, and when they confirmed his worst fears, he never questioned it again. His brother was a former angel of death. If there was some sign that she survived, Sam would’ve known.
Of course, when Sam and Polly came to Micah’s room last night, his brother admitted that while he couldn’t tell that Phoenix was alive, it didn’t seem like she was dead, either. Usually, that meant a life in Purgatory—not alive, not dead usually meant ghost—but Micah couldn’t sense her anywhere.
He couldn’t find the other half of his soul, and for a long time, it was as if he had died instead.
And then came Raze. His eldest brother, with a stoic expression and a hard look in his steely blue eyes, reminded Micah that there were more important things in life. House of Sin, for one, and the possibility of a return to Heaven. A soulmate would only hold Micah back.
Forget a return to the celestial cities. Micah would’ve gladly Fallen further if it meant he had Phoenix by his side once more. It seemed impossible, though, and he threw himself into supporting his brothers so that it was easier to deal with his own loss.
He refused to reach for the bond that existed between him and Phoenix. For forty years, it was there; the clean slice had developed a jagged edge, but it was there. He slowly weathered the pain, content to do so.
It was Sam who asked him to try. After admitting that he recognized the signature in the magic spell that hit him after the crow took their talisman, Sam suggested Micah see if the bond was whole again. If Phoenix had returned, the bond should’ve, too.
And it did.
That was how Micah found her and Crow in the rundown cabin on the outskirts of Las Vegas. It was a weak thread, nowhere near as strong as it had been before it was snapped, but it was there. He could follow it to her.
When he set out earlier, he’d hoped to find Phoenix waiting for him. If the last forty years could just fall away, he wouldn’t have cared if he could just see her again.
She looked the same. It was definitely her. Only… she was Cinder now, not Phoenix, and she had no idea who he was.
The bond lingered. Still as weak, but Micah was able to use it to chase after his witch again. Already he could tell that she’d left the cabin where he first found her, and he spent his entire flight wondering where she was going now—and who she might be with.
Soaring as low as he dared, he began his descent when he saw her from a short distance. She was wearing the same purple tank top and black jeans as before, her wavy hair cascading past her shoulders, as she tapped her boot impatiently against the dirt. Hanging from one finger, she held a velvet bag that made Micah even morecurious.
Angling his body, he dropped down in front of her, curving his wings around her to shield her from the debris drifting up as he landed.
Once it settled, he snapped his wings back in time to see her glaring over at him.
“What are you doing here?”
Good question.
“I had to talk to you again.” Was the annoyed look in her pretty purple eyes worse than the blankness from before? No, Micah decided. He liked her angry. “I couldn’t wait.”
“So you followed me?”
He cocked his head in her direction. “You had your familiar follow me.” Micah waited for her to deny it. When she didn’t, he told her earnestly, “I couldn’t just walk away.”
“Fly,” she interjected. “What are you anyway? A bird shifter?”
She had to know he wasn’t. “An angel.”
“Great. ‘Cause that’s better.”
“If you remembered me, you’d know that it was.”
Cinder shrugged, then glanced over his shoulder, clearly searching.
