Essence of the Angels (The Starlight Chronicles #2)

Chapter Eight

Lucy's POV

Jason slung his dirt stained jacket over his shoulder as we left my parents' guest house. We navigated our way through the courtyard until we were back on the street. The temple was easily visible in the distance now.

"At least it's easy enough to find," Jason said, eyeing it alongside me. He stood so close I could feel his body heat. I couldn't help but notice how nice it felt to have him beside me. He glanced over at me and smiled suddenly.

"You look very regal in that," he pointed out, and I could feel myself flush red.

"That wasn't my intention," I grumbled, folding my arms to cover my shirt. "In fact, it was the exact opposite of my intention."

"Well, you are a princess, so it is kind of fitting," he pointed out, his green eyes looking over me. I could have sworn I saw a gentleness in them. What happened to his brooding persona?

"Since when did you become flirty?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"Since when did you become friendly?" he shot back with a smirk, waggling his eyebrows in challenge. That actually made me laugh out loud, much to my shock. Who knew we would ever get along?

"Come on, we're wasting time," I said finally, and gently tugged on his upper arm to lead him along.

When we arrived, I was exhausted from the long walk through the sanctuary's main square. Bustling angels had rushed past us constantly, going about their daily duties. I'd realized that there were many kinds of angels, but I was surprised at just how many. Their wing tips were a tell-tale sign of status. As we walked through sanctuary, I saw dozens of angels flying about, and so many different wing shades that I couldn't keep track.

We reached the High Temple, and to my relief I spotted a familiar face outside.

"Skye!" I exclaimed, and she spotted us with wide eyes.

"Oh, you're here!" she replied, hurrying over to us. "That's good—I was actually just coming to get you, as per the Angel Elite Council's request. Irma told me what happened back on Earth."

"Have you seen Kyra or Andrew?" I asked, and she shook her head.

"No, but the council is gathering everyone now to discuss it. Apparently, this has never happened before, and they don't know what to expect or what kind of side effects Kyra might experience. They're not even certain if a human can withstand an angel transformation—especially when she's only got half of Andrew's essence running through her."

Her words made my blood run cold.

"Okay, let's go," I said firmly. We needed to deal with this right now—there was no time to lose.

Skye led us through a paisley archway, then up a flight of stairs. Orange flowers greeted us on either side, and a transparent curtain was draped at the approaching doorway.

When we stepped through it, the sight before us was stunning.

A giant golden statue of a woman in a long dress, with hair that cascaded down her back to her feet like a waterfall. Golden liquid poured over her hands, falling down to a massive fountain. I didn't know who she was, but she felt important.

I leaned over to Jason. "She looks like a goddess. Do you think it's Titania?"

Jason stared up at it, frowning. I didn't have any memory of Titania— not even a shred of knowledge about her appearance from my past life. But perhaps Jason knew if it was her. I raised an eyebrow at him, but he shook his head.