Page 69 of Princess of Bael

“Then I’ll elaborate,” I said. “Heaven and Hell agreed on a balanced approach to uphold the veil.”

“That part I know.”

“Right, but agreeing on the balance and upholding it are two entirely separate topics. As a result, there are those who have fought to ensure that the veil remains steady and those who have attempted to tear it down. Two sides to every coin. And not everyone agreed to the purpose of the Divinity that day, only those with the highest ranks of power—ranks that are now shifting.”

She considered that for a long moment. “Give me an example.”

“Mietek and Xai,” I said immediately. “Mietek is the Archangel of Chaos, one of the original Archangels who agreed to the Divinity’s purpose. But Xai is growing in power now and will very soon surpass his father.”

“Is that not normal?”

“No, it’s not,” I told her. “Archangels don’t lose power unless there is an external influence, such as a strained mating bond. But they can always regain their energy. Mietek has weakened as his son has strengthened, and they’re not the only ones experiencing this phenomenon. It’s like the universe is trying to bring in a new era of leadership.”

“Yet some of the Archdemons are growing in power.”

“Yes, but so are some of their underlings, like Zebulon. Which means there are those losing power, too. Will Zebulon grow into an Archdemon and claim his own realm?” I asked, the question a hypothetical one. “Will Xai rise to take over leading the Archangels?”

It was all a guessing game at this point, but one aspect was abundantly clear.

“Not everyone rising in power has good intentions. Now is the perfect time to orchestrate a coup d’état,” I concluded.

She rubbed the space between her eyes, signifying that I’d given her a headache.

It was a lot of philosophical conjecture.

But the fact remained… “Had I chosen you four decades ago, it would have reshaped the power divide. The whole point of my role is to control the fallout, and that’s precisely what I did by prolonging the inevitable. Hurting you was never my intention. I merely wanted to draw out the endgame.”

“And I ruined that by summoning you with Prince Ashmedai’s device,” she muttered.

“Yes,” I said, agreeing to an extent. “But perhaps we will find that it was meant to play out that way.” Because I couldn’t deny the rightness of having her beside me, almost as though we were intended to exist in this moment, right now, just like this.

She started massaging her temple. “This is a lot.”

“It is,” I agreed, checking my watch. “We still have a few hours before we’re scheduled to meet Gleason for an update. Can I tempt you to have a late dinner with me?”

Kayla’s brow furrowed, then she glanced up at me with those hypnotically beautiful eyes. “Are you making it?”

I smiled. “Yes.”

She pretended to consider, then shrugged. “Then sure. I could eat.”

As could I,I thought, admiring her stunning form as she stretched her arms over her head. She’d worn a tank top with no jacket tonight, leaving me with an alluring view of her breasts and flat abdomen.

If she noticed my hungry stare, she didn’t show it. She merely gathered up all the markers, set them in a line on my desk, and sauntered toward the door.

“It’s going to take an eternity of well-prepared meals to convince me to forgive you,” she said, turning to meet my gaze. “You may as well start now.” With that, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and disappeared, leaving me grinning in her wake.

That sounded like a challenge.

One I might just accept.

Kay

Ezra had made pizza.

From. Scratch.

I nearly died when the first taste of tomato, cheese, and garlic touched my tongue. It redefined the meaning ofdivine.