Fallen Reign (Sins of the Father 1)

Now or never, I thought. I leapt, my feet propelling me off the ground. I jumped, and just – kept on jumping. The air carried me up. I beat my wings once, twice, and the wind took me higher.

Dear God. I was flying.

My heart soared just as my body did, my pulse racing as I sped through the sky. Nothing in my life had ever felt as good, as freeing. My debt to Belphegor was mostly paid, and Florian and I were closer friends than ever. Even better, the two of us finally had a real home, bunking with a goddess, no less, and her friendly guardian gorilla. I had friends, a home. I had family.

But more importantly, I found what I wanted all along. Freedom. Just the briefest, smallest taste of it. I felt its sweetness on my tongue, in the air that streamed into my lungs as I p

arted my lips and whooped in open delight. I laughed, and it felt like laughing for the first time in a long time. In its many voices, the wind laughed with me, running loving fingers through my hair.

Higher, the wind said. Higher, my heart sang. And far below, I was pretty sure it was exactly what my friends were telling me, too, between Raziel’s measured cheering and the alarming thunder of Florian’s hands as he clapped in encouragement.

So up, and up, and up I flew, the sun touching my face, the clouds parting in my wake. For a few moments, the question of my heritage ceased to matter. No. That was wrong. It mattered more to me than ever. I liked the human half of me. That was cool. But for the first time since I discovered who I was – nephilim, princeling, and heir – I felt good about being an angel. Me. An angel. Flying!

I wondered if my father could see me, wherever he was. I wondered if Mom could, too. I let the wind dry my tears as I rocketed through the clouds, as I spun and barreled towards the stratosphere, as the air whistled between the gaps of my fingers.

My laughter, like my heart, filled the open sky.

END