Page 5 of Alastair

My cheeks heated. The angel was clever. “And yet, even suspecting it was a trick, you came for me anyway.”

“The advantage of having you on our side outweighs any risk.”

“Your side?” I scoffed. Bitterness landed on my tongue. “You angels are nothing but cowards. Stealing children is proof of that.”

“You and the other boys are more than mere children,” Lazarus responded. “You’re the key to winning this war.”

“All of you will die,” I snarled. “I’ll see to it.”

The angel only glanced at me—eyes shadowed—before facing ahead. I studied our surroundings, making note of our location, memorizing the path and creating a mental map. It would be imperative for when I needed to find my way back home.

“Sleep,” he said, pressing his fingers to my temple.

“No!” I thrashed in his arms. My father had put me to sleep against my will many times. Yet, I couldn’t fight the magic. Drowsiness came over me, and my eyelids fell closed. “I will… kill you… someday.”

“I look forward to seeing you try.”

The voice in my head roared his discontent. All of my planning, all of my confidence, and I had failed to consider the possibility that maybe I didn’t know as much as I thought I did.

Sleep took me then.

I woke to the sound of birds chirping. Groggy, I sat up, finding myself in a small room with nothing but a sleeping mat, a small desk, and a window. The wintery landscape from before was gone. Green grass, vibrant flowers, and tall trees greeted me outside the window, as if in an instant, winter had passed and spring had breathed life into the world once more.

Voices came from outside.

Laughter.

“You’re awake.”

I turned to see Lazarus standing against the frame in the doorway. Like earlier, he showed little emotion. Perhaps he wore a mask, much like I did. Burying emotions around those you couldn’t trust was wise. Never let an enemy see even a hint of weakness, for they would target that weak point and destroy you.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“Somewhere safe.”

“Safe?” I breathed out a short laugh. “Says the captor to the captive.”

“Do you not hear their laughter?” Lazarus took a small step forward. “Does that sound like boys who are prisoners? While I admit all will not be easy during your stay here, you will not face anything you cannot handle.”

I rolled over possibilities in my head, narrowing down the angel’s purpose for gathering us all in one place, until only one motive seemed logical. “You said we’re the key to you winning the war. This is a training ground.”

Lazarus’ eyes widened a fraction. “You have a sharp mind. Good. You’ll need it.”

“I will not fight for you.”

“Nor do I expect you to,” he said, then tipped his chin toward the window. “I expect you to fight for them.”

The other boys meant nothing to me. They were part of my mission and nothing more. A mission I could still complete. I might not know where we were, but once finding the boys, I would lead them away and return to the castle. Lucifer might be angry at first, but once he saw my success, he would be overcome by a father’s pride.

“All is not lost,”that familiar inner voice told me.“When one path ends, find another. They all lead to the same destination.”

Lazarus led me outside and guided me toward a field where boys stood shoving each other and laughing. The closer I drew to them, the moresomethingflared to life in my chest. Something I’d never felt before.

Suddenly, they all stopped and turned to me, as though they felt the same strange connection. I met a pair of light gray eyes, like rain clouds. The boy was the biggest of us and stepped in front of the red-haired boy beside him, almost protectively. Protecting all of them, really. Seven in total. But was he guarding them against me or the angel?

“This is Alastair,” Lazarus spoke. “He is the last boy who will join you. I will give you the day to acquaint yourselves. Training begins on the morrow.”

“Training?” another boy asked. Black hair, blue eyes, and a strong build. He resembled Beelzebub. Without a doubt, I knew he was Raiden. “Will there be food first? I’m starving.”