Page 114 of Gray

“Recall your training, Gradyn.” Brown eyes shifted to me. “From the moment you could wield a sword, I trained you. I prepared you so that one day you would strike down any enemy in your path. So that you would survive. Caim thought my tactics too tough since you were so young. He coddled his own son, but I made mine a warrior. Do you ever wonderwhy?”

My voice would crack if I tried to answer, so I shook my head.

“Because your very existence was to serve Lucifer.”

The air rushed from my lungs, and my sword lowered a bit. “What?”

“After the Fall, he gathered his eight generals and ordered us to find a human woman, bed her, and have a son. We didn’t know if it was possible for an angel and human to create offspring, but he was confident in giving the order. A seer had shown him a vision of the world he hoped to create, you see, and at the center of that vision was an army of Nephilim.”

“An army of us? Why?”

“Nephilim are just as strong as angels,” my father said. “You and the other cursed sons? You’re even stronger than they are. Lucifer planned to use you to wipe out the celestial army, sacrificing you if he must.”

I braced myself on the nearest table, my knees too wobbly all of a sudden. I couldn’t even keep my sword upright, and it fell to my side in a loose grip. “So we were nothing but cattle being raised for slaughter?”

The pain in his eyes deepened. “I never saw you that way.”

“Lazarus found out about this plan, didn’t he?” I asked. “That’s why he came for us.”

“Yes. My belief is he knew of your power. Of your potential. So he harnessed that power for himself, turning each of you against us. Clever on his part.”

It all made sense.

“Are you hearing this?”I asked Alastair using our mind link.

“Yes. He could be lying.”

“Kill him, Gray!”Galen roared. Well, more so Wrath.“Enough talking.”

But I felt in my gut that my dad was telling me the truth. I wanted to know more.

“And our curses? Why are only me, Alastair, and the others cursed and not the other Nephilim we’ve met?”

“Caim, Azazel, and the rest of us were the first fallen angels to ever create life. The ultimate betrayal against the Creator and the humans he loved so dearly. We tainted his creations. Doing so went against nature and the order of the universe, bringing about a curse. Each of you were cursed with our worst traits. Azazel was the first to conceive a child, so eager to please Lucifer and confident in his ability to do so.”

“Alastair’s dad,” I whispered. “So Al was the first Nephilim to ever exist.”

“Yes.” He peered down at me. “The reason your blood responds the way it does to Asa and why it was so essential to seal the gate to Lucifer’s cage? In many ways, Lucifer’s rebellion created each of you. He’s to you what the Creator is to us.”

“You’re lying.” I lunged forward and raised my sword to his throat. “This is just your attempt to confuse me and buy yourself some time. It won’t work.”

“The day Lazarus took you from me was one of the worst days of my life,” he said, not flinching whatsoever as my blade cut into his neck. “I wept for you.”

“Because you lost your pawn,” I growled through gritted teeth.

He knocked my sword aside, and I braced myself for him to attack. He took my face in both his hands instead. It was so familiar, and my chest ached.

“No. You were never a mere pawn to me, Gray. As I watched you grow, I felt a father’s pride. I felt love. I trained you so hard because I wanted you to survive. The passing of the years hasn’t changed that.”

I shrugged out of his hold, my eyes stinging. “I loved you too once. That love is what kept me from killing you that night in your tent. You won’t get lucky like that again though. I…” A shuddering cry escaped me. “I’m going to kill you tonight.”

Actions spoke louder than words. And we’d done enough talking. I slashed at his neck, and he raised his arm to block the hit. My blade cut into his forearm, and he grimaced before summoning his own sword. Fire danced along the blade.

“Is this what you want?” he asked. “For us to fight this way?”

My throat clogged. It wasn’t what I wanted at all. But I had no choice. “If I don’t stop you, you’ll keep killing people.”

“Then stop me.” He held out his arms. “Because the world is about to change, my boy. Not only the human realm, but the heavens too. I nearly have what I need to storm the gates.”