Read Online Ethereal Knights by Addison Moore - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Addison Moore
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always make sure she’s safe, that she’s more than loved. But I don’t tell her that. I don’t let her into my thoughts to share the sentiment. No—the less Skyla knows, the better she’ll sleep at night.
“I don’t know, Skyla,” I whisper, pulling her in. My arms settle around her hips as she presses her body into mine. It feels good like this, holding Skyla in the middle of the spiritual storm brewing around us.
We stand there in the morgue with its sour scents and rotting corpses, holding each other for a very long time.
“All I know is, at this moment,” I whisper, warming my lips over her ear, “all is right with the world.”
***
Skyla and I head out to the cemetery, where the grass cuts through the rocks set in longitudinal patterns. The sun has managed to break through the haze, and you can see the gravestones glittering for miles. We take a seat on the south side that affords the best view of the emerald-flocked hillside. I pull her hand to my mouth and press in with a kiss before diving into anything too deep.
“We don’t always know who they are,” I say, trickling out just enough information. As much as I’d like to never mention it again, she needs to know the basic danger, the rules of the game—after all, having Celestra blood makes you a major player by default.
“Who else is Nephilim, besides you and Gage?”
“I just know us,” I say it hushed, like a secret, in the event those around us who are long dead and buried were somehow listening in. “There are a few people my uncle’s age. I only know this because they hold council meetings. Once in a while, the meetings are on Paragon. When you reach the age of enlightenment, they graft you in—tell you all their secrets.” I try to make light of it by wiggling my fingers. “It’s sort of the big reveal.”
“Why this certain age? They don’t trust us because we’re young?”
“Ageist bastards.” I push into her playfully. It’s easy like this with Skyla, nothing but open country, and her killer smile that makes my body quake.
“So how old do you have to be to know everything?” She wants this knowledge. She’s hungry for poison, and doesn’t even know it.
“Thirty.”
“Shut up.” She pushes her shoulder into mine. You may as well not know anything if you have to wait all the way until you’re thirty. Thirty is practically on the verge of senility.
“I’m serious. Thirty. Most Celestra die by then. Don’t worry, you and I will make it. I have a strong assurance of this.” I pause shy of mentioning the blue-eyed sage.
“And how, pray tell, do you know?” If his goal was to comfort me, he succeeded. It feels as though a giant casket has been lifted off my chest. She twitches a smile, and a slight dimple forms in the shape of a perfect comma.
I can feel his name trying to wrestle past my vocal cords. I don’t really see the harm, so I give it.
“Because Gage told me.” I take in her reaction. Her face smooths out when I say his name, but I can’t tell if it means anything significant. “He knows things. That’s his gift.”
“When did he say this?” She gives my hand a gentle squeeze, prompting me to continue.
“The day before I met you.” I push the words out slow and measured. I leave out the fact he said this was the girl, the Celestra that was going to change my life forever. Gage knew, and Gage is never wrong.
The wind sweeps away the haze and reveals the world in all its crispness. The hills and the cemetery take on hard contours that hold something sharp and dangerous in their newfound glory. The gravestones flicker with movement under the supervision of the sun like a thousand lost souls trying to get the attention of a passerby.
Skyla leans into me. I couldn’t think of a better place to be than sitting in a cemetery with my favorite angel right by my side.
“Me, neither.” I rub my shoulder over hers and trace out her features with my eyes. Skyla is a jewel,
“I don’t know, Skyla,” I whisper, pulling her in. My arms settle around her hips as she presses her body into mine. It feels good like this, holding Skyla in the middle of the spiritual storm brewing around us.
We stand there in the morgue with its sour scents and rotting corpses, holding each other for a very long time.
“All I know is, at this moment,” I whisper, warming my lips over her ear, “all is right with the world.”
***
Skyla and I head out to the cemetery, where the grass cuts through the rocks set in longitudinal patterns. The sun has managed to break through the haze, and you can see the gravestones glittering for miles. We take a seat on the south side that affords the best view of the emerald-flocked hillside. I pull her hand to my mouth and press in with a kiss before diving into anything too deep.
“We don’t always know who they are,” I say, trickling out just enough information. As much as I’d like to never mention it again, she needs to know the basic danger, the rules of the game—after all, having Celestra blood makes you a major player by default.
“Who else is Nephilim, besides you and Gage?”
“I just know us,” I say it hushed, like a secret, in the event those around us who are long dead and buried were somehow listening in. “There are a few people my uncle’s age. I only know this because they hold council meetings. Once in a while, the meetings are on Paragon. When you reach the age of enlightenment, they graft you in—tell you all their secrets.” I try to make light of it by wiggling my fingers. “It’s sort of the big reveal.”
“Why this certain age? They don’t trust us because we’re young?”
“Ageist bastards.” I push into her playfully. It’s easy like this with Skyla, nothing but open country, and her killer smile that makes my body quake.
“So how old do you have to be to know everything?” She wants this knowledge. She’s hungry for poison, and doesn’t even know it.
“Thirty.”
“Shut up.” She pushes her shoulder into mine. You may as well not know anything if you have to wait all the way until you’re thirty. Thirty is practically on the verge of senility.
“I’m serious. Thirty. Most Celestra die by then. Don’t worry, you and I will make it. I have a strong assurance of this.” I pause shy of mentioning the blue-eyed sage.
“And how, pray tell, do you know?” If his goal was to comfort me, he succeeded. It feels as though a giant casket has been lifted off my chest. She twitches a smile, and a slight dimple forms in the shape of a perfect comma.
I can feel his name trying to wrestle past my vocal cords. I don’t really see the harm, so I give it.
“Because Gage told me.” I take in her reaction. Her face smooths out when I say his name, but I can’t tell if it means anything significant. “He knows things. That’s his gift.”
“When did he say this?” She gives my hand a gentle squeeze, prompting me to continue.
“The day before I met you.” I push the words out slow and measured. I leave out the fact he said this was the girl, the Celestra that was going to change my life forever. Gage knew, and Gage is never wrong.
The wind sweeps away the haze and reveals the world in all its crispness. The hills and the cemetery take on hard contours that hold something sharp and dangerous in their newfound glory. The gravestones flicker with movement under the supervision of the sun like a thousand lost souls trying to get the attention of a passerby.
Skyla leans into me. I couldn’t think of a better place to be than sitting in a cemetery with my favorite angel right by my side.
“Me, neither.” I rub my shoulder over hers and trace out her features with my eyes. Skyla is a jewel,
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