Until Darkness Ascends

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Hey mom,

I know you found my WP and because of this I'm moving and changing my identity because of the embarrassment. Anyway, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER. IDK IF YOU'RE STILL READING THIS BOOK BUT STOP.

In thirty minutes, the males had set up base camp. She had her own tent, which was large enough for her to stand in and walk around. Inside was a cot and some clothing for her with water in case she became too hot in the evening. It was very likely.

Each archangel had been given their own tent we well, which were set up concurrently around hers, but she came to find out that the Earth wielders preferred sleeping on the ground. Altair had his own tent, but from the looks of it would also be sleeping outside.

A few feet in front of her was a bonfire they had started for light. The sun was starting to set, but heat wasn't upon her, not yet at least. She could feel it on the periphery on her skin, though, and that alarmed her.

Something was placed around her shoulders.

"You're shivering. Sit by the fire."

She was hesitant at first.

"I'll sit with you," he added. She bent her knees enough that she could rest her head as she stared at the side. The archangel took a spot next to her. He seemed incredibly fascinated by the fire, his eyes taking on a silent hue of copper.

"You're a fire master." It was a statement, not a question. The way he looked at the flame made her sure.

He didn't move his eyes from the flame as he nodded. "Yes, it was my first element."

"How did you know you were Dominus?"

Looking at her, the flame's shadow contorted against his skin perfectly, allowing her to see his bright eye and corner of his mouth. It was a delicious sight. Her stomach coiled.

"Do you know how I was created?"

"Created?"

He looked back at the flame. "Yes, created." He seemed to sneer the word as if he was insulted by it. "I was birthed and then I was murdered. And then I sprung back from my very own ashes."

She couldn't hide the confusion on her face. He continued.

"Archangels are birthed, not created, except for me. I was the first. The beginning of the line and it was first a curse. I pissed off a Goddess," he explained.

"Which one? What did you do?"

"Athena."

"But" she trailed, "I thought you loved her? I thought she..."

He scoffed in laugher before looking at her. "What did you think?"

"I thought she was your truemate, but you never realized for one reason or another."

"Nay. I did not love her and she most certainly not my truemate."

"But you gave her your heart?"

His expression darkened. "I didn't give her anything. As punishment, she forced me to kill myself by ripping into my own chest and handing it to her."

Her heart rose to her throat. Those stories were all wrong. The love wasn't real. But she loved them so much. She loved the lie and that made her sick.