Embrace, Entice, Emblaze (94 page)

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“The star that leads the way is your star…You will exceed all of
them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me.”

The LosT GospeL of Judas

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angel
hierarchy

Th e Sole

1st choir

2nd choir

3rd choir

Seraphim

Powers

Principalities

Griffi n (G)

Lincoln (G)

Fear exile 1 (EL)

Azeem (G)

Nyla (G)

Fear exile 2 (ED)

Uri (AL)

Gressil (ED)

Archangels

Nox (AD)

Dominations

Zoe (G)

Cherubim

Spence (G)

Olivier (EL)

Rudyard (G)

Onyx (once an ED)

Angels

Nahilius (EL)

Virtues

Magda (G)

Farmhouse exile (ED)

Ermina (G)

Th rones

Salvatore (G)

Phoenix (ED)

Jude (EL)

Grigori (G) Angel Light (AL) Angel Dark (AD)

Exile Once Light (EL) Exile Once Dark (ED)

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acknowledgments

Writing really is only part of the process. Th ere have been so many people who have played a part in bringing this series together. None more so than my agent and friend, Selwa Anthony, whose guidance, know- how, and support has been invaluable. I am honored to be

one of her authors.

Th ank you to my stellar publishers in Australia, in particular, Fiona Hazard and Vanessa Radnidge for putting up with the

countless phone calls and umming and ahhing over every tiny little detail. Special thanks to my wonderful editor, Kate Ballard, who has taken meticulous care to improve and develop the manuscript.

And to Airlie Lawson, international rights manager extraordinaire.

To the incredible team at Sourcebooks in the USA, who have been an unstoppable force behind the series; I am so grateful. Sincere thanks to senior editor Leah Hultenschmidt, who has championed the series since fi rst reading
Embrace
. To publicist Derry Wilkens, words cannot express how much you rock! Huge thanks also to my project editor, Kelly Barrales- Saylor, and my production editor, Kristin Zelazko.

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To my friends who have helped so much: Peita Daly, Harriet

Henderson (for being one of my most trusted early readers), Grant Henderson, and Ben Eaton (and the mighty trimmer!). I am so

lucky to have you all in my life.

To the rest of my friends and family, you know who you are and

how much I value all of your love and support.

Matt, you astound me on a daily basis with your never- ending

support and complete faith in me. Thank you for being the husband you are to me and the father you are to our gorgeous girls. To say I love you just seems so insufficient…but it’s true! xx

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12/19/12 9:27 AM

Copyright © 2013 by Jessica Shirvington

Cover and internal design © 2013 by Sourcebooks, Inc.

Cover illustration by Don Sipley/Lott Reps

Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems— except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews— without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc.

Every endeavor has been made on the part of the publisher to contact copyright holders not mentioned above, and the publisher will be happy to include a full acknowledgment in any future edition.

The author and publisher would also like to acknowledge the following works from which the author has quoted:
The City of God
by Saint Augustine,
Douay-Rheims Bible
,
English Standard
Version
,
The King James Bible
.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

Published by Sourcebooks Fire, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.

P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567- 4410

(630) 961- 3900

Fax: (630) 961- 2168

teenfire.sourcebooks.com

Originally published in Australia and New Zealand in 2011 by Hachette Australia.

Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication data is on file with the publisher.

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

BG 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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For Matt

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“God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into
Hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept
until judgment.”

Greek TarTarus, PeTer 2:4

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prologue

“When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the
clouds, I will remember my covenant…”

GeNesIs 9:14– 9:15

Evelyn

She didn’t have to see him to know he was there. It had been a very long time since Evelyn had needed to rely solely on her eyes.

She released a fi nal, ear- piercing scream, its song a double- edged sword that heralded both life and death. It was done— her ultimate joy now within her reach, just as her ultimate sacrifi ce extended its hand to her.

“It’s a girl,” the midwife said, placing the baby in her arms.

Evelyn stared down at the tiny child and wondered how she

would fi nd the strength to let her go.

“She’s perfect, Eve. She looks just like you. My two beautiful

angels,” James said.

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Jessica shirvington

He was still crying. He’d been a blubbering mess since the first contraction, but his words brought the first silent tear from Evelyn’s eye. He swept it aside lovingly.

“I knew you’d cry,” he teased as his eyes drifted between his wife and their daughter. He tentatively brushed the top of the baby’s forehead, barely using the back of his little finger.

Evelyn’s heart clenched. Leaving him was not something she’d

planned for. She’d always assumed it would be her that would

outlive him. All the time she had spent deliberating over when to tell him everything— how to explain he would grow old while she would merely age a few years. Time wasted now.

She looked down at their daughter, her eyes opening slightly. It would be her choice now if he should ever know.

Evelyn pulled James’s hand to her mouth and kissed it, letting

her lips linger on his skin, inhaling his vanilla scent and committing it to memory. She wished they had more time, but she

sensed the magnets of power around her. She couldn’t ignore it

much longer.

“James, could you give me a minute to tidy up?” It was her last lie and she still hated that she had to. Lying to her husband had never sat well with her.

He kissed her quickly. It was too quick.

“I’ll be back soon, ‘Mom,’” he said with a wink before leaving.

It was heart- wrenching to know that she would hear it just once.

Alone with her daughter, Evelyn kissed the top of her perfect

head. She already had a full head of hair, dark brown like Evelyn’s, 2

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Emblaze

and she smelled…intoxicating. It was a fragrance she could get lost in for all eternity. She wished she could hold her like this forever, inhaling her and playing with her tiny, tiny fingers.

But she knew…they weren’t really alone.

“Do I have you to thank for the dreams?” she asked the

empty room.

He materialized, a corporeal form confirming the presence she

had already felt. It was as if he had always been there.

She sensed him with her whole body. She had always been able

to feel them. She could smell them too. Always flowers, but he

smelled of lilies only.

And she knew— lilies held all the power.

He introduced himself, unnecessarily. She knew exactly who he

was and why he was there. He’d been haunting her dreams for

weeks now.

He stood by the window that looked out over a small park.

There had been a time when he was able to frequent the world

regularly, but that time had long since passed. He wanted to at least see the grass and sky from this point of view during his short visit.

They both knew how this was done. New life and new death

equaled a gateway.

“Do you realize what you’re asking?” she said.

“I do.”

“What will she become?”

“The Keshet.” He spoke with a reverence that made Evelyn nervous.

“The Rainbow?” she repeated, recognizing the Hebrew word.

3

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Jessica shirvington

He nodded. “The bow that holds our arrow. The link between

the realms.”

“The bow,” Evelyn whispered to herself. “Why her? Why me?”

It didn’t seem fair— she had already given so much.

He could feel her pain but stuck to information; that was what

she needed from him.

“Through you, she is already more than human. She is one of a

kind. There may never be another like her.”

Evelyn shook her head in disbelief, even though she knew he

spoke only the truth. “You already know I’ll agree, or you wouldn’t be here,” she said, resigned, then inhaled a broken breath. She had to stay strong. “Is there anything you don’t know?”

“I do not know what she will choose.”

Evelyn circled the child’s face with her finger— so soft, so innocent. “She will choose with her heart.”

“Then let us hope that she finds love,” he said.