Celestra Forever After (56 page)

I slip silently between Wes and Gage, and their conversation quiets.

“It’s done,” Wes says, staring out into the virginal morning. “The Steel Barricade is fortified with Counts that have willingly migrated.”

“And the others?” I ask, warming his back with my hand. Wesley is a man right down to the bone, my man, for now. I glance to Gage, forever hopeful.

“They chose their destiny,” Wes asserts.

“I agree.” Gage takes in a lungful of fresh morning air, filling his body with the night dew that chose to linger. “I’d better get back. Skyla will think something is wrong.”

Wes gives the slight hint of a smile because we all know it’s laughable.

“It was real,” Gage says, holding out his fist, and Wes crashes his knuckles against him. “Chloe.” He nods over at me, and my entire body catches fire from the inside out.

Gage has finally come back to me. All of those lonely days, those tear-soaked nights, and yet here we are, elbow to elbow. Skyla never saw it coming, nor will she.

The brilliant sun catches the lip of the horizon and blinds us with its tangerine surprise before fading into the dense layer of mist that coats the water. I wrap an arm around Wes, the other around Gage and savor this moment—both brothers in my arms. Gage, the boy I gave my heart to, is right here with me where he truly belongs. In every single way, I feel complete.

Gage gets up and takes off, so I follow.

“Wait,” I call and he turns to me one last time. His eyes illuminate the exact shade as the spirit sword. “We pulled it off.”

A tiny smile twitches on his lips. “Yes, we did.”

I glance over my shoulder at Wes, still zoning out into the infinite expanse, and I step in closer to Gage.

I hold out my hand, and he takes it.

He’s dangerous,
I say
.
Gage can hear my thoughts now that his full potential has been unleashed—there’s nothing he can’t do—including, turning against Skyla.
Make no mistake, Wesley wants all of the power. If you’re not careful you’ll get yourself killed
.

Maybe
I
want all the power.
Maybe I’m the dangerous one
. His dimples depress. Gage gives the first genuine smile all night. 
Besides,
I’m not afraid to die.

I won’t let you
.

Gage leans in.
I’ve seen the future, Chloe. It’s you who kills me
. His expression sours. He holds murder in his eyes, and it’s all for me. My heart splinters into shards at the thought of him hating me.

Gage walks away, evaporating, fading into the fog until he becomes a part of the curtain that lies over this island. His dark hair, that beautiful body—it’s all gone—wastefully off to Skyla.

I would never hurt Gage. My body shakes in a rage at the thought. I would never touch a hair on that boy’s head. I might have done so in the past, but, the new me, this everlasting version knows his time is fleeting. There’s not a thing I would do to speed along fate. I’ll fight destiny, tooth and nail, to keep Gage alive.

I glance back at Wes as he strides toward me, looking every bit like the man I love. His eyes glow an electric shade of cobalt—Wes knows I like him best that way.

He reaches out for my hand, and I give it.

“Be Laken,” he whispers.

“Not today.” I morph my features—my bones melt as they reconfigure. My hair lightens until I bear the resemblance of Skyla Messenger.

Wes gives an understanding nod. “What did he say?”

“He said I was going to kill him one day. Can you believe that?”

“It’s probably me you’re going to kill.” He gives a soft chuckle as we walk briskly toward the edge of Devil’s Peak. The angry Pacific churns down below with its brutal assault against the jagged rocks. An icy breeze picks up, chilling us right to the bone.

“Oh, hell,” I say, pulling him in tight—our feet at the razor’s edge of the cliff. “Why don’t we just kill each
other
?”

Wes gives me a firm shove off the side, and I catch him by the wrist, pulling him down along with me as the two of us sail hundreds of feet toward the rocky crags below.

Here we are—Gage and Skyla falling to our deaths. It’s so romantic I almost want to cry.

We sail through the rocks, the shore, Paragon terra firma, straight down into the pit of my new hell, the Transfer with its bitter souls, its fermented air and spoiled food.

This is a new dawn—a new era—and Gage Oliver doesn’t know the half of what he’s gotten himself into.

For that matter—I pull my new partner in celestial crime in tight as we continue to plummet—neither does Wesley.

Nothing could be better for me.

Demetri Edinger has come through once again.

Nothing is over, Skyla. You think you can banish me? I’m going to banish you.

I give a virulent laugh as we descend into darkness—Wes and I falling toward hell—falling home. I touch his beautiful face—my lovely Gage—for now. Soon I’ll have the real thing.

Nothing is over, Skyla—until I rid the world of you—become you.

Nothing is over

until

I

say

it

is.

* Thank you for reading
Celestra Forever After
. If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review at your point of purchase.

** Look for
The Dragon and the Rose (Celestra Forever After Book 2)
coming soon!

List of Characters and Glossary

*Spoilers have been omitted * Not all characters included

Skyla’s Family:

Skyla Messenger –
Belongs to the Celestra faction. Her mother was a Caelestis. Overseer of the five angelic factions. Birthday November 22
^nd
.

Candace Messenger
– Skyla’s dead mother, a Caelestis who came to earth to conceive Skyla and later died in a fire.

Nathan Messenger
– Skyla’s father who died in a fire.

Lizbeth Messenger
– Skyla’s stepmother who raised Skyla.

Tad Landon
– Skyla’s stepfather.

Stella Landon
– Tad’s deceased first wife.

Mia  (Messenger) Landon
– Skyla’s younger half sister.

Melissa Landon
– Skyla’s younger stepsister.

Mystery Landon (Misty)
– Skyla’s baby stepsister.

Drake Landon
– Skyla’s stepbrother. Same age as Skyla. Father to Beau (mother is Brielle Johnson). Also the father of Ember (mother is Emily Morgan.)

Ethan Landon
– Skyla’s older stepbrother. Thought to be dead for a time.

The Oliver Family:

Dr. Barron Oliver
-  Mortician. Owns and operates the Paragon Mortuary and Cemetery.  Holds a PHD in Mortuary Science.

Emma Oliver
– Owns and runs the largest daycare center on Paragon.

Gage Oliver
– Skyla’s love interest. Birthdate November 23
^rd
.

Logan Oliver
– Barron’s brother. Skyla’s first love and first husband. (Anniversary date December 13th) Was badly burned in a car accident as a toddler and lived his life disfigured and in pain. He was offered the opportunity to return to his infancy and relive his life in the future. Birthdate July 21
^st
.

Giselle Oliver
– Passed away when she was a toddler. Was given the body of (Emerson Kragger) more than a decade later and is now at West Paragon High. Very innocent and new to earth.

Liam Oliver
– Gave his life up years ago so that Logan could relive his life in the present world. Is back in a special Treble.

The Harrison Family:

Ellis Harrison
– A stoner who lives across the street from the Olivers. Giselle’s love interest.

Morley Harrison
– Attorney. Higher-up in the Countenance organization. Ellis’s father.

Olivia Harrison
– Attorney. Morley’s ex wife. Ellis’s mother.

The Kragger family:

Arson Kragger
– Attorney. A higher-up in the Countenance organization. Father to Pierce, Holden and Emerson. Owns various businesses on Paragon.

Holden Kragger
– Once tried to sexually assault Skyla. Presently resides in the body of a raven.

Pierce Kragger
– Presently his body is occupied by Nevermore.

Emerson Kragger
– Currently resides in the body of an owl. Her body is occupied by Giselle Oliver.

Additional Characters
:

Marshall Dudley
– A six-thousand-year-old Sector. Skyla’s spirit husband and high school math teacher.

Demetri Edinger
– A wicked Fem who is infatuated with Lizbeth Landon. Once worked as a teacher at the Ephemeral Academy.

Isis Edinger
  - Demetri’s niece. A Fem recently released from bondage.

Chloe Bishop
– A Celestra who pledged over to the Countenance. Skyla’s nemesis.

Ezrina MacHatter
– A Celestra who was relegated to the Transfer for going against the Justice Alliance centuries ago. Now resides in Chloe Bishop’s body. A scientist.

Nevermore (Heathcliff  O’Hare)
– A Count sentenced to live out his life as a raven until the order was reversed and now lives in the body of Pierce Kragger.

Ingram Pendergast
- Ezrina’s first husband.

Wesley (Paxton, Parker)
– He desires revenge against Celestra. His heart belongs to Laken Anderson.

Laken Anderson
– A resurrected Count who Skyla once tried to save from the Transfer.

Cooper Flanders
– Laken’s love interest.

Kresley Fisher
  – Obsessed with Wesley and Gage.

Grayson Evans
– Kresley’s best friend.

Dr. Booth
– Skyla’s old psychiatrist.

Dr. Flanders
– Dr. Booth’s new partner. Father to Cooper.

Michelle Miller
– Once a member of the high school “bitch squad” Former high school cheerleader. Previously obsessed with Marshall Dudley.

Lexy Bakova
- Once a member of the high school “bitch squad” Former high school cheerleader.

Emily Morgan
- Once a member of the high school “bitch squad” Former high school cheerleader. Mother to Ember Landon.

Natalie Coleman
– Former girlfriend of Pierce Kragger.

Kate Winston
– A friend who passed away in high school. She was Natalie’s best friend. Skyla accidentally killed her with her skis.

Carly Foster
– Went to East Paragon High. Tormented Skyla with her crush on Logan.

Carson Armistead
– Went to East Paragon High. Her younger brother is Gabriel, the love interest of Mia and Melissa.

Brielle Johnson
  - Skyla’s best friend. Beau’s mother and Drake’s love interest.

Darla Johnson
– Brielle’s mother and the Landon’s next door neighbor.

Nicholas Haver
– Leads the faction meetings on Paragon and the Council of the Superiors.

Items:

The protective hedge AKA “The Eye of Refuge”
- A pendant (round silver filigree with a pale blue stone set in the center). Has protective qualities.

Spirit Sword
– A sword with lethal properties that can protect and kill both humans and the Nephilim.

Realm of Possibilities –
A mirror gifted to Demetri from Marshall. It allows whoever enters to create their own reality.

The Haunted Speculum
– A mirror that closely resembles the Realm of Possibilities. The person who enters falls into a haunted plane. Also acts as a portal.

Celestial Entities

Five angelic factions (Descendants of the Nephilim) and their skills.

Celestra

1. Touch telepathy.

2. Strength, speed.

3. Time travel.

Countenance
(often referred to as the
Counts
)

1. Strength, speed.

2. Greedy as hell. (Skyla’s analysis)

Noster

1. Strength, speed.

2. See through walls.

3. Teleportation.

4. Levitate.

5. The gift of knowing (although rare for a Noster).

Deorsum

1. Strength speed.

2. Have the ability to influence people.

Levatio

1. Strength, speed.

2. Teleportation.

3. Levitate.

4. The gift of knowing.

Sectors –
The most sacred order of angelic beings.

Fems –
A lower faction than Sectors and are therefore disgruntled with them. Able to shape shift into people’s fears.

Videns
– Offspring belonging to Rothello. Sold to Demetri.

Spectators
– Counts and Celestra who are frozen in a partial state of rigor after reanimation. Similar to zombies.

Other Celestial beings
: Powers, Principalities, Virtues, Dominions, Thrones, Cherubim, Seraphim, Archangels, Angels.

Supervising Spirit –
A spirit who is bound to serve another.

Binding Spirit
– A spirit who constricts entry.

Spirit spouse
  – A binding covenant between two beings that is not a consummated union, but a spiritual bond that, usually, leads to holy matrimony.