My voice comes out low and dreamy. “I’m the Scala Heir.” At those words, an igni materializes before my palm: a single small bolt of white light that shimmers with beauty and strength. Part of me knows I should be terrified at the sight. Instead, I’m calmed as more and more igni appear by my hand, and then swim around my palm like a school of fish.
Around me, the world fades into a dreamy haze as the igni multiply, soaring and diving around each other in their dance around my fingertips. Their many songs unify into one voice, taking on clear words and meaning. They sing of souls soaring to a Heavenly afterlife that’s beyond even the angels. They soothe me with calm words, helping me to accept their power and light. And they warn me: ‘now you must discover how and why your powers hidden for so long. Your next step will then be clear.’
After that, they all disappear.
I lower my hand, staggering backwards until I lean against the living room wall. My breathing is ragged and tight. I can’t seem to suck in enough air. My body turns numb with shock. Did that really happen? I force in slow breaths until my mind clears. The living room comes back into focus. Mom and Walker sit side by side on the couch, neither one moving.
Minutes pass until Walker bows his head, his voice solemn and low. “The Scala Heir.”
Mom grips her hands at her waist, her eyes wild with panic. “It’s not too late, Myla. Maxon Bane has lived almost a thousand years; he may live a thousand more. You always had the potential to become the Scala Heir, but you did not need to be awakened, let alone angelbound. Now that it’s happened, you can still hide. Go anywhere. Run. Now. No one will know that you’ve changed.”
I stare into her red-rimmed eyes, emotions battling inside me. There’s frustration that she’s still treating me like a child. Anger at having been lied to for a lifetime. Pity for everything she went through with the war and Xavier. Fear at what will happen now that I’ve changed into the Scala Heir. Tension crawls up my body. One thing is for certain: no matter what path the future takes, I’m in for a long fight.
At that realization, my mouth rounds with the smallest of smiles. A fight like that? Sounds like a challenge. And I’m always up for a challenge.
Mom leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “Did you hear me Myla? You have to hide. Anywhere.”
Stepping away from the wall, I move to stand before Mom and Walker. My voice comes out low and strong. “That’s not your decision anymore, Mom. From now on, I make the choices about my future. And to do that, I need some answers.” I remember what the igni told me: I must understand why and how all this happened.
Mom slumps further into the couch; her eyes lock on the floor.
I kneel before her, taking her hand in mine. “How long have you known I was the Scala Heir?”
Mom looks away, biting her bottom lip. My eyes narrow. I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer this time.
I give her hand a squeeze. “I understand what happened with Xavier and Armageddon. Verus showed me in a dreamscape last night. I know you’re frightened about losing me the way you lost my father. But I need you to be strong now, like you were as a Senator. I need you to answer my questions. How long have you known I was the Scala Heir?”
Mom’s lower lip trembles. “After Armageddon took Xavier, I never saw your father again. Three months later you were born.”
“Three months?” I wince. “That can’t be right.”
Mom inhales a shaky breath. “The Scala Heir develops faster than other children until age three. It’s the earliest they can transfer souls. I knew you were the Heir before you were born.” I imagine Mom in a post-war world, pregnant and alone. I let out a long sigh. At least she had Walker. I turn to him.
“Did you also know I was the Scala Heir?”
“Yes. Your mother told me.” He sets a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I’d sworn to your father to protect her and follow her orders in all things.”
I nod softly. Walker probably took some kind of sacred angelic oath. Those are unbreakable. I swing my attention back to Mom. “And that’s when you decided to hide me?” She must have been terrified that my true identity would be revealed. No end to the list of nasties that would want to control me. Or in Armageddon’s case, kill me.
“I tried to conceal you.” She smiles. “But from the time you were little, it was clear you had your father’s nature. Battle-ready. Fearless. Drawn to demon fighting like steel to a magnet. You were always sneaking into Arena matches, keeping notes on different types of demons and how best to kill them.” Her brown eyes brighten with pride. “Your father cast the last demons from Heaven, you know.”
I smile. “Yes, I learned that in a dreamscape.”
Crouching back on my heels, I try letting the truth soak in: my father’s an archangel. That’s a mind blower. I would’ve been thrilled to meet an archangel in my lifetime, let alone be related to one. And now I’m the only child that Xavier has fathered in all of eternity. Whoa. Mom starts to speak, interrupting my thoughts.