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She laughs, and the sound surprises me. It’s like wind chimes jingling in the breeze.

“Ah, well, the males can definitely be stubborn. Especially Connor.”

I blink in surprise. How the fuck did she know I was talking about Connor? Is our relationship as newsworthy up here as it seems to be in Avalon?

“How did you?—”

“You are not what I expected.” She interrupts me with a smile, and shame creeps over me. Even this complete stranger is disappointed in Connor’s choice. “But I can see why,” she continues. Some of her words are more accented than others. She looks at me so intensely that my hair stands up on the back of my neck. “Such a great destiny,” she whispers, her eyes faintly glowing as she continues to analyze me. She hums thoughtfully, and then she sighs. Her eyes stop glowing, and her stare becomes soft again. “Tell my grandson he will get nowhere acting as such.”

I blink again. “Grandson?”

She smiles kindly and links our arms, leading me back through the market toward Connor, our steps slow. “My name is Yahweh. But most call me the Almighty these days.”

My eyes go wide. I’ve read about the Almighty. Connor has spoken of the Almighty. Surely not. Surely…

“I know I’m probably not what you expected, either.” We stopped walking, and she turned to face me, smiling. All I can do to blink, completely speechless.

“I know he’s a male, but he is a good one. And I know you lack trust. If you let him in, he will be kind about your past. He will be kind about the hidden side of you,” she says.

My brows draw.

The Almighty nods. “The part you hide even from yourself.”

I look away, the unease returning, but there is a sprig of relief knowing that someone sees that part of me. It’s no longer a secret to be held by only myself. While telling Alice of my past eased that burden, what I showed her barely scratched the surface. I may have told her what I did, but I have not told her about the deep, penetrating darkness that inhabits my soul. While at first there is a sense of relief, having someone else acknowledge the darker side of me only intensifies it. I can feelit roiling inside me. It feels like the first deep inhalation after too long underwater, a mix of relief and agony.

She cups my cheek, guiding my eyes back to hers. “Summer, your destiny is great. Greater than you can even comprehend. You will not be able to hide this part of you forever.”

I swallow, fear clutching my heart.

“I grant you one question. One truth. Ask, and I shall tell you.” The Almighty says, watching me.

My eyes sting from phantom tears, my vulnerability stripped and laid bare. I have so many questions and so many truths to uncover, but there is only one screaming in my mind, bouncing around and desperately trying to get out. It’s the one question I have screamed into the lonely nights. My soul begs for the answer, desperate for the truth, but I am completely terrified to voice it. Already, I feel the sorrow of possibly having all my fears realized, but I take a deep breath and steel myself.

“Will I ever find peace?” I force the words out through that barrier of fear, the desire to know greater. I have to know. It is the one thing I have craved more than anything else in the nearly thirty miserable years of my life.

The Almighty’s eyes flicker, and the warmth filling her smile transcends joy. She seems to relax, and I can tell she wasn’t expecting that question, or maybe it’s not one she’s ever been asked. She strokes my cheek with her thumb. “You will find more than peace, my child. You will find happiness. Joy. Belonging.”

I watch her, looking for any shred of deception, but there is none. The words are so difficult to believe. To ask for peace is one thing, but I wouldn’t dare even hope to find joy or belonging. Those things are so far out of my reach that they were not even on my list of possibilities. I would settle for peace. I only asked about peace, so why did she offer more?

For someone who doesn’t trust easily, her words seep into me and melt, merging with and warming every cell of my body. A spark of hope ignites inside my soul, a single light in the penetrating darkness, refusing to be swallowed. Perhaps this is the reason for all the pain and suffering. My path has been treacherous, but it led me here, and maybe this is where I am exactly supposed to be. The Almighty wipes the tear from my cheek and then links arms with me again. We continue to walk toward Connor, who is still standing where I left him and frowning at us. There’s a glimmer of lingering frustration on his face, but there is also a note of concern. No doubt, he was approximately three seconds from coming to retrieve me.

“He does not know it is me. All he can see is an angel walking beside you. You can tell him about speaking with me. Or not. The choice is yours.” She smiles proudly at Connor. “Go back to my grandson.”

I take a step toward him but look back at her. “Thank you.”

She nods once, and then she disappears. In her place is the angel Connor sees, a pretty brunette woman smiling and waving to me.

Connor strides toward me, closing the distance between us as if he can’t stand it any longer. He frowns after the angel walking back toward the market. “Who is that?”

I look up at him, sliding my hand into his. “Take me to the edge of Heaven.”

He looks down at me, searching my eyes. I can tell he’s deciding whether to probe for more information. “Okay.” Connor’s wings spring out, and he picks me up. With a powerful downbeat, he launches us into the sky. “Where did you go?” he asks once we are airborne.

“You were being stubborn,” I reply as he soars across the city, his golden feathers catching the light.

Connor gives me a hard look. “Look who’s talking.”

“I went for a walk,” I reply, clinging to the words of the Almighty, trying to accept them.