"Bring him to me, first," I blurt out, "H-he was fascinated by this place and I promised I'd show him around when he came back.""That can wait, Katie." Zack takes a sip of water, "He can't be away for too long."Dominic reaches for my hand, glancing up at Zack, "Skylar is new to the Realm," his eyes go to Emily, "I think it would be a good idea for Kate to spend a little time with him first."Zack lets out a breath and places his fork down, "Maybe you're right," his elbow goes to the table and he turns to Emily, who's smiling but I can tell she's forcing it."Then it's settled," I interrupt before Zack can change his mind, "Let me know when Gideon brings him back," I take a bite of cake, "I won't keep him long."Emily takes a huge gulp of wine and then slams the glass back down on the table. A wave of red wine splashes down on the white tablecloth, bleeding into the fabric like fresh blood. "Whoa, I'm cutting you off," Zack jokes, reaching for the wine carafe and placing it clo

The second he closes the door I let out a deep breath, watching the steam rise from my mouth. I glance up at Dominic, keeping my eyes away from the sheeted figure on the gurney in the corner. It's her, lying there. Aunt Kelly was our excuse to gain access in this place and once again I'm grateful to her, but I can't do it again. I can't see her face or touch her cool skin-it's just too hard. I have to keep my focus on the task at hand. Emily Mansfield is up to something. Something evil, I could feel it the first time I laid eyes on her. We just have to prove it before we speak to the Seraph Council. "That was almost too easy." I whisper. "Do you know where they keep the medicine?"Dominic nods, glancing past me at the gurney holding Aunt Kelly. I shake my head, wordless, and his hand goes to the side of my face. Suddenly, I'm thankful for his instant understanding. He pulls away and turns, ever so gently opening the door, taking a second to make a quick sweep of the hallway before g

A single tear travels down my cheek, "Okay," I swallow, "What about Zack? How can we convince him that Emily is...""We get him away from her as soon as possible." Dominic interrupts, "We already know he is more himself when he is not in close proximity to her.""He's not going to listen to us, Dominic." My heads shakes involuntarily, "Even if I show him what we found on the internet about her having a husband and a son.""She's married?" The Pastor stops pacing and shoots me a surprised look.I nod, forgetting we hadn't told him that part yet, "I'm afraid so, and before she came here she was also involved in some kind of Doom's Day Cult.""And you found all of this out on the on line?" Pastor asks, his surprised expression still just as intense."Yeah." I tell him."How did Zack not see that?" Pastor asks, glancing between Dominic and me."My guess is he had no desire to look any further," Dominic concludes, "Dr. Mansfield is obviously powerful enough to persuade our Seraph Ma

     I rush to his other side, taking his hand but he barely notices, his eyes still far away. Glancing up at Dominic, our eyes meet and I can already feel the sorrow and regret in them.      "We need to get him to a chair." Dominic instructs, walking Zack toward the table. Skylar instantly goes into action, pulling out the closest one before Zack sits down hard, as if his body is made of pure stone. I get on my knees in front of him and finally, he looks up into my eyes."How long, Katie?" Zack's voice only a whisper, "How long have you known?"     Just hearing the devastation tangled in his words makes me nauseated, but I have to tell my brother the truth, all of it. "Unfortunately, not long enough." I whisper and his brows push together, confused.     "What do you mean?" he asks, just as Victoria hands him a glass of water. I smile up at her then look back to my brother, "Well, she's already infiltrated the medical facilities, gaining access to places she never should have

I suddenly hear Dominic's cloak shift behind me but I try to ignore it. I don't even have to look back at him to know he's not happy with my decision. Hell, I don't even know if I'm happy with my decision. But I do know something drastic has to be done. Something I know will enable me to watch her too. My gift will help keep everyone safe but I'm also going to need extra protection-especially if Emily can cause physical pain."We accept and approve your decision, Queen Katherine." The male on the left says. His echoed words reminding me of my position here and that all of this really is up to me.Gulp."And as always," he continues, "your actions, ambitious or otherwise, must be accompanied by sincere and honorable intent. Never for personal gain or restitution."I know why he's telling me this. I have to keep my past out of it. I can't punish Emily for what happened to Uncle John and Aunt Kelly...or even my parents. Even though she took Zack away from Victoria and has endangered t