“I didn’t say he loves his son.” Mom sets her palms on her eyes. “He’s plotting something, something big, and he needs Maxon for it.” She lowers her hands until her gaze meets Xavier’s straight on. “Armageddon is dangerous. We’re all at risk.”
Her look of worry sets my stomach churning. I so want to jump to her side, wrap my arm around her shoulder, and tell her that I’ll be with her soon.
Xavier has the same general idea. He leans forward, his blue eyes searching Mom’s face. “I’d never let anything happen to you, Camilla. You have nothing to worry about.”
Mom reaches across the table, wrapping her hand around Xavier’s. “I hope you’re right, Xavier.” Energy flares around them when they touch.
Tim looks just about ready to puke or scream, I can’t tell which. I watch his tortured face and realize one thing: if this ghoul is my father, then he’s definitely the jealous type. His mouth presses into such an angry line, I’m shocked he doesn’t break a tooth. Maybe that’s why he isn’t part of our lives. My heart sinks to my toes. Or maybe Mom lied to me about Tim being my father in the first place. I wag my head from side to side. Not possible. Mom’s a lot of things, but a liar? Not one of them.
Mom gives Xavier’s hand a little shake. “But unfortunately, I have a lot to worry about.” She tilts her head to one side. “First on the list is you, Xavier Cross. I’m doing my job without backing from the angels. We need to be strict with Armageddon right now, and to do that we must stay in lock step–”
Xavier’s eyes gleam bright blue. “No, you don’t need to worry about Armageddon.” He grips her hand more rightly. Tim watches the movement and gasps.
Tim’s not the only one who’s shocked. Why-oh-why isn’t that angelic whatever-he-is not listening to the truth? As Xavier’s eyes glow brighter, Mom’s turn glassy and dead. My body goes on full alert. Xavier’s using angelic influence on her, the dirt bag. I want to jump into the image and kick his ass across the room. Maybe twice.
Mom rubs her forehead with her free hand. “Yes, there’s nothing…” She pauses; then she shakes her head vigorously. Her eyes flare demon-bright. “How dare you try to use angelic influence on me!”
Alright, Mom! Way to shut that move down. I exhale a ragged breath, my alert level returning to something like normal.
Mom rises to her feet. “This is outrageous. I’m placing a formal request for a new angelic Ambassador and for a censure of Armageddon.”
Xavier frowns. “They won’t listen to you like I do, Camilla. You’ll be committing career suicide. Your ideas will sound insane.”
“That may be, but my paperwork will be filed by week’s end.” She storms from the room with Tim behind her. Xavier watches her go, his face turning white with worry. The look on his face is so loving and gentle, I want to give him a hug, even though he is a bit of a nut job.
Before me, Xavier’s body transforms into sand once more. With a low hiss, the entire scene melts back into the desert floor. I sit back on the gray sand. My mind runs through every detail of what I’ve just seen. Armageddon’s obsession with Maxon…how the first of the Oligarchy was controlled by Armageddon…And Mom’s battle to get the threat taken seriously. Sulphur sears my lungs, wind pelts my body, but none of it seems to matter.
I wake to the sound of scraping metal. I open my eyes, seeing gray sky outside my window. I yawn, slip out of bed, and walk into the kitchen. Mom stands before the table, holding a flat block of wood with a long metal arm: a fabric slicer. She pulls the razor-sharp arm up and down, making long cuts on black cloth.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Good morning, Myla.” I examine her face. Mom’s skin is creased with lines. Her hair is coarse and streaked with gray. Her once-vibrant smile is now a look of constant worry.
What did the war do to her?
Mom makes another cut with the slicer. “I hope I didn’t wake you up. It’s faster to cut hoods this way.”
I lean against the chipped countertop. “It’s fine.”
“How’d you sleep?” The way Mom asks the question, I think what she already knows the answer.
“Not so good. Verus sent me another dreamscape. I saw you in some Senate committee meetings. Did you really know Armageddon before the war?”
“That I did. For thousands of years, ghouls and demons had never trusted each other enough to team up. That all changed with Armageddon.”
“I see him at matches sometimes.” I picture the long pointed face, blade-like nose, black stone skin, and fiery eyes. “He’s terrifying.”
“He was always frightening, but once Armageddon became a greater demon, he hit a new level of awful.” She shivers. “I’ve heard that now, no human, angel, or ghoul can stand to be near him for more than a few minutes.”
“I’d believe that.”