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He wanted someone like her: older, prettier, shinier. Another Protector who might someday be able to go back into the Celestial Realm with him. I would never be able to do that, not without being unmade entirely.
He was probably with her right now. Laughing. Dancing. Maybe even merging.
I wanted to burn her face off. Unmake her so completely that even the Maker of All wouldn’t be able to bring her back. And I thought I might even have enough rage inside to do that.
But I hid that thought deep down, with all the other evil thoughts I’d had, and unworthy emotions.
One final, hot tear slid down my face. I wasn’t anything like my parents. They were generous, good, even heroic. I would never be able to live up to their examples, no matter how hard they tried.
Perception would never want me, love me.
Spark! Come play.
The only being other than Shadow who accepted me just as I was called once more. Even though I knew it was against all the rules, even though I’d sworn not to leave, I stood and pulled on my glitter-stained overalls. What was one more broken promise at this point?
I set a hand to the wall, dipped into my well of power, and used an angelic word—with a tiny demonic inflection on the last syllable—to melt a hole just large enough for me to slip through.
An overjoyed Shadow licked my face, circled around my ankles, then ran beneath me as I flew to the Limen’s edge to see my friend.“Your imaginary friend,” Tata Sunny had called him since I was a toddler. But just because she couldn’t see or hear him, or at least never had, didn’t mean he wasn’t real.
Spark?Void Boy’s voice rumbled through my mind. When I was young, when I’d named him, it had been a child’s voice who called me to the edge of the Limen. But now it was deeper, richer, though his body hadn’t changed from what I could tell. Although, I wasn’t sure if you could call a feather-shaped scrap of the void a body, exactly.
I flew up into the void, not too far, but close enough that I could feel the invisible wind brush against my wet face.I’m here.
Spark, who hurt you? I will unmake them for you.Each word seemed to tear into the void around him, as if he was cutting himself freeto descend on the Limen and crush my enemies.
Would you crush my enemies for me, Void Boy?I teased, wiping my face and reaching out to take the edge of one tendril of his darkness in my hand. My hand went dead instantly, as it always did when I was brave enough to touch him. When I hurt enough to want to numb the pain, no matter what.
I would crush the universe for you, Little Devil,he replied. His next thought was muffled, as if he didn’t want me to hear it.In fact, I plan to.
I ignored his threat, knowing he couldn’t do it, any more than I could really kill Adoration, or force Perception to love me back. All I could do was run away for a while, and try to stopfeeling.
I hummed a few notes of my favorite song from the musical library Gavriel had loaned me—the one titled “Imriel’s Waltz”—and put out my other hand, gasping when the void wrapped itself around me so gently, the numbness didn’t even hurt.
Dance, Little Devil?
I smiled into the darkness.I would love to.
CHAPTER12
Seraphiel
All will be well, I sent to Mikhail as he lay with our mate, praying that saying it might make it so.
Because what was happening before me filled me with an uncertainty I’d experienced long before, when I first flew into the void, filled with pride and hubris, determined to redeem it. To rebalance all the realms.
My daughter had flown out into the void, and as far as I could tell, was dancing with it.
Dancing with pure evil, laughing as it wrapped dark tendrils around her glittering wings. As I watched, hidden by a cloud formation, she did graceful turns and spins, the slick, deep charcoal segment of the void moving like a villainous partner around her. Seducing her.
Drawing her farther away from the Limen.
My heart raced. If she went much deeper into the void, it might be able to enfold her entirely and take her from us.
I had just opened my wings to fly over the cloud hill and after her, drawing a breath to shout, when she did a swift somersault mid-air and spun back toward the edge of our realm. “Void Boy, you’re going to get me in trouble,” she called out, her voice more filled with humor and light than I’d heard in years, though the tendrils kept catching at her feet and arms like tentacles. “Let me go. I promised Shadow I’d stay close.”
I felt a familiar silky head tuck under my hand, and I glared down at the charcoal gray temple dog.I am so disappointed, Shadow,I thought.She’s not safe there.The dog gave a sigh and stared dolefully at Precious, as if he agreed with me. I patted him, folding my wings back.It’s not time for her to go yet, Shadow. Bring her home.
I hid myself as the hound raced out to the edge of the Limen, skidding to a stop at the very edge, his colossal paws hanging over the cloud. He opened his mouth and gave a great, baying howl.
