Gilded Wings(12)

“That’s so true,” I giggled.

“Have I been embedded into your mind?” His eyes narrowed and he wiggled his brow.

“Yes, Dom. You are, and will forever be, embedded in my mind,” I laughed again, rolling my eyes.

“Well, that’s good to know,” he winked. “Shall we?” He offered his arm, and we stepped through the portal.





I WAS COMPLETELY DISORIENTED. GLANCING down, I noticed we were standing on white fluffy…clouds? Our feet were completely covered with the white mist, but when I stomped my foot, it was totally solid. I bent over to try and fan away the clouds to see what was beneath, but no matter how fast I fanned, the clouds wouldn’t disappear.

“Yes, you are standing on a cloud, and no, don’t ask. It’s magic. You’ll get used to it soon enough.” Dom nudged me. “This place is called Midway because it rests just between heaven and earth.”

“That’s amazing,” I whispered, grabbing onto his arm.

“Why are you whispering?” Dom whispered back.

“I’m not sure,” I shrugged, answering again with a whisper.

Then, as I turned my head back to the front, three large doors appeared, suspended by magic.

Dom faced me. “Alright, Emma. What is your whole deal with wanting to come here? Was there someone specific you wanted to see, or were you hoping to get sent out on an assignment far, far away?”

“Although an assignment sounds tempting, I do want to see someone,” I answered. “I need to speak to the person who changed Kade into a mortal.”

His eyes narrowed on mine then furrowed in concern. “That would be Ephraim, but I hope you know Kade cannot be changed back into an immortal.”

“Yes, I know,” I sighed.

“Alright then. He would be just behind the first door on the right,” he said, leading me toward a big white door. When we reached it, he knocked loudly three times and then pushed it open. As it nudged open, I heard voices. Once it swung all the way back, the voices stopped and I saw one of the figures disintegrate into thin air. I knew it was an angel because I saw the outline of its wings before they completely vanished.

“Who is it?” a deep voice echoed. “I don’t have an appointment scheduled.”

We stepped into a vast white room. It was empty, aside from a single desk sitting all lonesome in the middle. An elderly gentleman with ivory hair and a well-trimmed beard stood to meet us.

“Hey, Eph! Just the dude we needed to see,” Dom shouted, waving.

The man’s face stayed emotionless; his eyes were narrowed and his lips tightened.

“Dominic?”

“You know it. I’m baaack… and I bet you missed me,” Dom chimed.

“As a matter of fact, I didn’t. A century would have been too soon,” Ephraim answered flatly, making me giggle. His eyes shot over to me; his face looked perturbed. I wondered if it was because we interrupted him. “Why have you brought the child? You know she is not allowed here,” he said sternly.

“Oh, come on, Eph. She’s cool,” Dom chided.

“It’s Ephraim,” he stated.

“Look. Ephraim, pal, friend,” Dom said slowly. “Emma just needs a few words with you, then I’ll take her right back to where she belongs. You owe me a favor, and all I’m asking is that you give her a moment of your time.”

Ephraim ran his fingers over his slick white hair and sighed.

“Fine. But this has to be quick. I have a lot of work to do.”

“Awesome. We’ll call it even-steven then. I’ll go and check on the guys waiting for their assignments. So,” Dom said, stepping in between us. “Emma, this is Ephraim. Eph, this is Emma. And now that we’ve all been introduced, I’m out.” Dom pivoted and walked through the door, leaving us alone.

My heart began to thump loudly in my chest. I’d never felt more nervous, and Ephraim’s unpleasant welcome didn’t help.

“Hi, I said,” extending my hand.

He didn’t reciprocate. Instead, he turned and walked away from me.

“What can I help you with?” he asked, heading behind his desk.

I sucked in a deep breath. “Do you know Kade Anders?” I asked.

“Kade? Yes. What of him?”

“Are you the one who made him mortal?”

He turned, and as his eyes locked onto mine I saw them soften just a bit.

“I realize you were bonded, but it was his decision, not mine. I am against immortals choosing the change. I tried to reason with him, but he was adamant. He believed it was the only way he could protect you.”

My heart sank, and I could only imagine what Kade must have been thinking and considering at the moment he made his decision. It must have been terrifying. He had two choices, immortality or me… and he chose me. That action spoke louder than any word ever could. It wasn’t a simple decision. It had altered his whole life, his whole existence. And he did it for me.