Everything around me was a blinding white. There were no dimensions, no anything. When I looked down at where my body should be, again- nothing. It was like I merely existed as an entity, floating in a white space.
I felt nothing. I felt no pain, no emotions, absolutely nothing. I just existed.
I think I should've felt afraid, maybe uncertain, given that I had no body, felt numb, and saw nothing discernible around me, but I didn't. I think the fact that I felt nothing should've concerned me, but it didn't.
I just existed.
But then I began to feel again.
Warmth at my core, radiating outwards like a little pulsating light.
I looked down and saw a body. It was mine, I think. I'm not sure. It felt familiar. It looked familiar.
In the center of my ribcage, there sat a little glowing silver light. It pulsed a few times, like I was seeing a lighthouse through dense fog.
I gingerly brushed my fingers against the light, shivering when I felt the warmth blossom across my body at the contact.
Interesting.
Was this my soul?
It looked... I don't know, wild?
Tendrils of glowing silver flung out from the center, lashing out in all directions. I tilted my head to the side, watching curiously.
Suddenly, a dark hand gripped hold of one of the tendrils, a gasp escaping from my chest. I looked up. God eyed me for a moment, as if waiting to see if I'd fight back.
Should I fight back?
I didn't have time to think on it, as the next second, she had yanked on the tendril, tethering it to her own multicolored glow. Her glow was never just one color like mine was. It swirled with every single color I'd ever seen and some I hadn't even known existed.
When the silvery tendril had latched on to her glow, entwining with it until there was no differentiation between my glow and hers, she looked back up at me.
Her brows furrowed a little and she tugged on the tendril a little more, as if asking for more. However, for some reason, the tendril didn't budge.
"Impossible," she mouthed, the breath barely escaping her lips.
She took a step towards me, looking me dead in the eye. She stood there, watching my eyes for much longer than was comfortable, before clenching her jaw and letting out a sigh.
"Wake up, my child," the voice from her mouth was not the feminine one it had been previously, but rather the genderless, omnipotent one from before.
There was a flash of white light, and then darkness.
***
Air rushed into my lungs as I gasped, springing upright out of bed. My heart was racing. My eyes darted around the room as I tried to figure out where I was.
The room was completely white- everything from the walls and floor to the furniture itself. The bed was also white; queen sized, with a crisp down comforter strewn comfortably across me. A massive set of windows sat across from the bed, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, shivering as my bare feet came into contact with the cold marble floors. I padded over to the window, wrapping my arms around myself as I looked outside.
Before me sat the glowing white city of Heaven, just as I'd remembered it. At least, I think I remembered it. The memory seemed so foggy now, like it had all been a dream.
Glowing translucent figures walked the streets many stories below, shuffling about much like they might back on Earth. Where they were going- that I couldn't fathom. I don't imagine there's jobs up in Heaven. That'd be a sucky afterlife.
Like, 'hey congratulations! You made it to Heaven. Now, what 9-5 career would you like for the next eternity?'
No thank you.
My gaze shifted from the souls down below to the vast wilderness that stretched on and on past Heaven's gates. The Garden of Eden. Mountains so steep they didn't look real stretched up into the clouds, and I could faintly see some waterfalls cascading down their rocky faces. The Garden appeared to contain the only real color up here. Everything else seemed to be white, silver, gold, or some weird combination of all the colors in existence. Never just- I dunno- blue. Heaven was so extra.
Dun dun. Dun. Dun dun.
I spun around on my heel when I heard the heartbeat behind me. He wore all white, with a loose-fitting tunic on top that stretched down his chest into a V neck, exposing a little bit of his marble-like skin beneath. He appeared to glow a little bit in the light, like Heaven had recognized him as its own even though he'd Fallen. His arms were folded sternly across his chest. My eyes slowly rose to meet his.
God, I would never get over how beautiful he was.
Those cerulean eyes swirled with a million different shades of light blue, pupils dilating a little bit as they looked back at me. His midnight hair was disheveled, as per usual, just barely brushing the collar of the shirt. A lock of it fell down across his forehead. He slowly raised one eyebrow, his eyes twinkling a little as if he knew how much his mere presence affected me. The racing heart, heat blossoming in my chest, the unease in my stomach- he just had to look at me and I'd felt it. But it wasn't just a physical reaction. The amount of love, admiration, and desire I felt for him- it was almost suffocating. It was like- like any emotion I'd ever felt prior to him paled in comparison.
A slow smirk curled on his lips as his jaw ticked and he sucked in a little breath.
"Come here," he murmured, his voice beautifully low and melodic.
I didn't hesitate. I walked over to the doorway in which he stood, stopping a foot in front of him and taking him in.
"How are you feeling?" He asked lowly, reaching up and placing the pad of his thumb underneath my chin, tilting it upwards so I had to look him in the eye.
How was I feeling? My muscles ached like I'd fought someone and lost. I felt well rested, though.
"Sore. But okay. What-?" I began, struggling to find the right words.
He sighed heavily, his eyes drifting over me. "You're Pledged to Heaven now. God successfully tethered your soul."
It worked?
I can't believe it actually worked. We managed to undo what Lucifer had forced me into, and now I could fight for Heaven in the Reckoning. I could help Heaven win the war. I could help save millions and millions of innocent souls.
I should be ecstatic.
So why wasn't I?
"You're not happy," he raised an eyebrow a little.
"No, no, I am. I just- I don't know," I shook my head profusely.
"My Father wants to speak with us in a little bit. I wasn't actually- technically I'm not supposed to be here right now. But I couldn't-," Grey stumbled over his words.
I reached up and wrapped my arms lazily around his neck. "I know. I needed to see you too," I replied softly.
"I won't be able to stay away, you know. I might end up getting us both kicked out of Heaven," he said gruffly, lowering his forehead to mine.
"Why are they trying to keep you away from me? They already know we're-," I began, but Grey finished my sentence.
"Together? Yeah, but as of right now they're under the impression I seduced you and forced you into it because your soul was mine," he replied lowly.
I paused for a moment, savoring the way that sounded on his lips. My soul was his. I wish it still were.
"And did you? Did you seduce me into this, Grey?" I breathed softly, leaning up and pressing my lips to his jawline.
I felt his body tighten underneath my touch, the temperature in the room suddenly rising a few degrees.
"Sometimes I wonder if it was the other way around," he growled out through gritted teeth, one of his hands finding the small of my back, the other entangling in my hair.
"Hmm. I don't know if they'd believe that. How could I have seduced the big bad Fallen angel?" I kissed his neck and felt him shudder beneath my touch.
He tugged on my hair, forcing me to arch my neck back and expose it to him.
"Big bad Fallen angel, hmm?" He trailed his lips up my neck, gently nipping at the skin with his teeth.
I felt a gasp escape my lips, my eyes rolling back in pleasure. "You were something they couldn't control. I doubt they'd believe my newly transitioned self could ever overpower someone like you," I managed to breathe out.
"Overpower me? You still can't, my love. But I'll let you seduce me any day," he murmured lowly, his breath fanning my neck.
"Mmmm, I think I stand a decent chance," I replied softly, shivering as he nipped at my neck.
"Do you now?" He chuckled darkly, pulling back from my neck so I could see the mischievous twinkle in his now fluorescent eyes.
He tugged a little more on my hair so my neck was completely exposed to him. His eyes drifted over the exposed skin, slowly rising until they fell on my lips.
"Unfortunately, Greene, I think I'm the one with the power here," he breathed, slowly lowering his lips to mine.
My world exploded with color the moment his lips touched mine, heat blossoming throughout my body. But I didn't let it distract me. I had a point to prove.
I gently pressed a hand against his chest and then shoved him back against the wall with a loud thud. His eyes flicked open wide in surprise, a crooked grin curling on his lips. I took a step towards him, then reached forward and ripped his shirt straight down the middle.
"I think you've forgotten who you're dealing with, Grey," I murmured, reaching up and gripping his hair.
I pulled his lips down against mine fiercely, as if I were trying to brand his lips as my property. He let out a low growl that rumbled in his chest as he struggled against me, fighting to take control. Normally, I would've let him. But I think he needed to remember who I was.
"You think slamming me against a wall counts as overpowering me?" He growled out between heated kisses.
"No, I just want you to remember. If you overpower me, it's because I let you. Because I like it. Not because you have the power here. I can play big bad angel whenever I want to," I smirked against his lips, reaching down and palming him through his pants.
He hissed in response, his body shuddering underneath my touch. The next second, he'd flipped us around so I was against the wall, his hand gently gripping my throat.
"Enough," he whispered through gritted teeth, his breath fanning my lips.
He silenced me with a bruising kiss as he ripped my shirt open like I had done to him, quickly yanking my pants down to my ankles. He then followed by removing his pants, lifting me up and reminding me over and over again why he gets the power in bed.
***
Grey ran his fingertips lazily across my back as I laid on his chest in my bed. It's funny how even the slightest touch from him makes goosebumps rise on my skin. It's like my body just wants him and only him.
"Do we have to meet with God today?" I murmured gently, resting my chin on his chest and looking up at his eyes.
"Yeah, apparently it's important. He was busy this morning with other stuff, otherwise he would've demanded we meet sooner," Grey looked down at me beneath his thick lashes.
"I'm glad he didn't," I hummed, laying my cheek back against his hard chest.
"Me too," he mumbled lowly, brushing my hair off my back and running his fingertips across my shoulder blades.
I shivered when his fingertips brushed against the raised pink scar on my back where my wings would protrude. For some reason, that spot felt so intimate it almost made me blush.
I heard a man clear his throat and immediately felt Grey yank the covers up over my body. I rolled off his chest and turned to look at the doorway.
There stood Michael, a deep frown line creasing above his eyebrows. His eyes flicked back and forth between Grey and I, settling on the prior.
"Really? You couldn't keep it in your pants, even here?" Michael grumbled in annoyance.
"I'd watch your mouth, brother," Grey snarled back fiercely.
"Angels are technically allowed to grace each others beds. I'll have to ask our Father about his position on Fallen Angels, though. And romantic relationships are still forbidden, need I remind you?" Michael narrowed his eyes in judgement.
"Does it look like I give a damn?" Grey retorted.
"No. But she might," Michael's eyes flicked to me and I furrowed my brows in confusion.
"False assumption. Just because I'm Pledged to Heaven doesn't mean I stop loving Grey," I replied coolly.
"We'll see if that remains true after our meeting. He's ready for you, by the way. There's clean clothing in the closet. I'd suggest you wear it," Michael gave Grey one last glare as he turned on his heel and left the room.
"Do you think we might be able to convince God to let us stay together?" I looked up at Grey, who sighed in frustration.
"I don't know," he replied.
I sucked in a breath, preparing myself for what might be to come. If God told us we could no longer be together, what would I do? I can't imagine a life without Grey by my side. Nor do I want to.
Grey and I rolled out of bed and walked over to the wardrobe against the wall, putting on the clean white clothing that had been placed in here. Luckily, the clothes were unisex and came in multiple sizes, so Grey and I both had a shirt and pants to wear. When we were dressed, Grey took my hand firmly in his.
"You ready?" He asked softly, his cerulean eyes twinkling.
"As I'll ever be," I sighed and nodded.
With that, he led me out of the room and down the marble spiral descending staircase that was positioned right outside my door. At the bottom of the stairs, there stood a white door. We opened the door, revealing a long hallway with lined with hundreds of those same doors. Our footsteps were the only noise in the entire hall as we walked down it. After a few minutes, Grey led me through a door to my right, which got us out onto the streets of Heaven's city. Silvery figures flitted past, not paying us any mind. He led me over to the same staircase we'd ascended to reach God the first time, then turned to look at me.
"I'm not climbing all those stairs again. Do you wanna just fly?" Grey mumbled, extending his dark charcoal wings out to either side of him.
I marveled at the sight of them, as I always do, then nodded and unfurled my own. I glanced back at them, relieved to see that even though I had Pledged to Heaven, they were still the same rainy grey color as before. Grey eyed me for a moment, curling his lips in a slight smirk, before shooting up into the sky. I followed his lead, pushing myself higher and higher with every beat of my powerful wings. The light got brighter and brighter around us as we approached the platform I knew sat above us. Finally, with a flash of light, we broke through the clouds and slowly hovered down to the platform.
This time, there weren't any other Archangels present. Michael stood underneath one of the massive white pillars, but it was only him. The massive white light above us slowly lowered down to the platform, shrinking until it became the woman I now recognized as my version of God.
"Welcome, my daughter. I'm pleased to see you are fully recovered. I called you here today to speak on the terms of your Pledge, the training regimen, and I would also like to discuss your role in the Reckoning," she spoke, her silvery eyes glued to my wings. "Azrael, it has come to my attention that your soul, while Pledged to Heaven being of Heavenly origin, might not be joining us on the day of Reckoning?"
"If you want me to fight for Heaven, you must condone our relationship. I fight for her. And only her. I will be there on the Reckoning, but I will be there protecting her," Grey replied fiercely.
There was a moment of silence as God glared at Grey.
"You've never been able to look me in the eyes before today, my son," God spoke, then straightened her back a little.
"I'll never look you in the eye again if you deny my request," Grey retorted coolly.
"And why should I accept? Do you hold yourself in such high esteem as to deem yourself necessary for the success of Heaven?" God folded her arms, her eyes glued to Grey as she took a step towards us.
"If you want Death on your side, Father, then yes. I deem myself necessary. You blessed me with the power of taking life. I'd hate to see it used against you," Grey lowered his tone, a low snarl evident in his voice.
Death? Wait. Grey was Death?
"You dare threaten me?" God spoke in an unnaturally calm voice.
"I'd do anything to be with her," Grey stepped forward, taking my hand firmly in his and running his thumb across my knuckles.
I shivered a little when I felt his wing extend over my body and my wings, curling slightly around me and holding me against him. I looked up at him and he glanced down at me, his eyes narrowing slightly as if to say 'I'll explain later'. Who was this man? Did I ever know him at all? How could he keep something that important from me?
I turned back to look at God, whose glare was now directed at me. Did she know that I didn't know? Did everyone know but me?
Who was Grey?
DUN DUN DUNNNNNN!!!!!! Darn, I left you on a cliffhanger, looks like you'll HAVE to read the next book now. :/
Speaking of.
First chapter is up and ready for your enjoyment.
I love you all so much. Very excited to continue this journey with you all.
-TJ