chapter one

But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep. R OBERT F ROST

My sweater was coated in a layer of mist-again-a by--product of life in when " was the &ery definition of cold!

ondon! "

barely noticed the constant dri##le anymore! "t$s not as if the cold bothered me% not 'hat was bothering me was the smell! There is something ran( about a meat mar(et at night-especially when you$re wedged into the ea&es wondering what% o&er the years% has been sprayed about and ne&er cleaned away! " shuddered! The Smithfield Mar(et was currently in &ogue% but a gritty sense of history thic(ened the air% gi&ing it a density that made me sure this wasn$t the first time the site had been used for wic(ed intent! )nd right now% it was hunting hour! )t least " was the hunter! " watched *uietly as the e+iles came into the center of the massi&e terminal--style space% &aguely interested to note that there were si+ of them% instead of the four "$d e+pected! ,o bother% " suppose! " still had the element of surprise on my side! The past two years had taught me not to let the e&eryday hiccups get to me! Sure% the additional muscle would hurt% but only in the physical sense% and " could cope with that! Rolling with the punches is necessary when you are a -rigori-a human--angel hybrida weapon against the e&er--increasing numbers of e+iled angels on earth! For me e&en more so% since they ga&e me such a colorful nic(name! "$m the .eshet-the rainbow! " didn$t as( to be% but " made my choices and " stand by them! So% there " was! )lthough " was still trying to figure out e+actly what being the rainbow meant% mostly " found that the desire to (now conflicted with my continuing need not to thin( about it at all! One thing " did (now was that somehow " could create space with the angels-an un(nown place where we were able to ta(e form and communicate! My angel ma(er-whose name " still didn$t (now-said it was a place of new possibilities! For what% " was not sure! But I know this is what I am. It is what I will be. The final two e+iles sauntered up to the four already waiting! "t used to be impossible for me to be this close to e+iles without them going into a fren#y% sensing my presence! But "$d learned many lessons o&er the past year% the most useful of which had been how to (eep my guards up and loc(ed so tight that e&en e+iles couldn$t sense me when " was truly concentrating! Which- udging b! the thin film of sweat on m! forehead-is now.

The e+iles dumped the huge calico sac( they had been dragging along the floor and pulled it open% re&ealing three mutilated bodies to /oin the two maimed ones already on display! From my position it was difficult to tell how old the corpses were% and if the smell was able to gi&e a clue% " wouldn$t ha&e (nown% the stin( of death and flesh being an o&erall theme of the place! "t was no wonder the e+iles li(ed it so much! ,ormally% e+iles wouldn$t bother with the cleanup-lea&ing e&idence was of no concern! "ormall!% the e+iles en/oyed the mess and despair they left behind! But not these e+iles! These dar( e+iles were wor(ing for someone else! They$d been following a plan% using a hit list% and it was all too well constructed for any one of them to mastermind! Our intel told us they$d been hired! Such beha&ior would usually be considered beneath them% but apparently this group of e+iles had decided the /ob was thrilling enough to suffer the humiliation of wor(ing for the highest bidder-e&en if that was a human! )s for the billionaire businessman% well% that$s not my department% but someone will pay him a &isit! Right after all the e&idence of his wrongdoing-minus the e+ile acti&ity -is handed o&er to the authorities and his ban( accounts are hea&ily siphoned to pay for the futures of his &ictims$ families! )nd our fee% of course! Which, thanks to certain people, is e#orbitant. Two of the e+iles were dressed impeccably0 one in a steel--gray suit and sporting &illain--typical slic(ed--bac( hair1 the other wore a slim--collared blac( suit that hugged his tall figure and set off his of--the--moment tousled% light brown hair! The remaining four were less stri(ing in casual wear% though nonetheless picture perfect! )ll si+ loo(ed o&er the bodies li(e fishermen comparing the si#e and *uality of their haul! My hand gra#ed my dagger% the blade that had been gi&en to me after " first embraced my powers and became a -rigori warrior three years ago! " was ne&er without it! " e&en had a sheath attached to my bed for a *uic( draw if needed! "$d learned the hard way-through the death and suffering of people " lo&ed and% strangely enough% through my own death and suffering-e+iles stop at nothing! Their insanity and misguided missions (now no bounds% and they ta(e pleasure in causing great pain and suffering to human(ind! )t least tonight " would only face e+iles of dar(! ) couple of years ago% the two opposing sides% light and dar(% had called a truce! Of course% " tried not to thin( bac( to that time! " tried constantly! The disco&ery of the scripture that could end all -rigori had found its way into my

hands! That in itself was part of the reason the )ssembly had re/ected me! They blamed me for trading with the dar( e+ile% 2hoeni+! My decision had allowed him to resurrect ilith-his mother% the first dar( e+ile-from the dead% and she had ta(en control of the -rigori Scripture! But at the time% my choice had been a simple one! 2hoeni+ had Steph% my best friend% and " wasn$t about to ta(e any chances with her life! "$&e ne&er regretted that choice! ,ot li(e so many others "$&e made! "n the end% that made it easier to wal( away from a place in the )cademy when 3osephine decided to change her mind! Of course% that was after "$d gi&en my life% incoln$s soul had shattered% and 2hoeni+ had died-pro&ing that not only was he the son of ilith% but he was also the human son of the first man% )dam-all so that " could (ill ilith! )nd those reasons weren$t e&en the ones " tried not to thin( about! But I can$t go there right now. " caught myself! " was wor(ing and the last thing " could afford to do was ac(nowledge that " was thin(ing about him! The si+ e+iles started to shift the remains of the bodies toward the incinerator% tossing them with supernatural strength and no care! " half e+pected them to try and mince the meat and load it onto trays for sale tomorrow! " wouldn$t put anything past them! 4Ma(e sure you ta(e the inde+ fingers%5 one of the suited e+iles instructed! 4Mr! -eorge is e+pecting me to deli&er them to him tonight!5 %hat$s a shame. %hough I$m sure &r. 'eorge will receive a knock at his door nonetheless. 4" still don$t understand why we don$t /ust (ill him too%5 another said! 4)re you challenging me65 The e+ile who had spo(en first stepped forward! 7is *uestioner mirrored his actions! (ere we go. 4"f " must!5 E+iles ne&er bac( down! Their pride and egotism combined with their uni*ue brand of insanity is /ust too much to ignore! )ngels were not created to ta(e corporeal forms on earth! Though they ha&e e+isted for eternity% in human bodies% they manifest emotions in ways their innate nature can ne&er process! "t ma(es them unstable! )nd almost unstoppable! " wriggled into a better position and waited patiently% (nowing that this would wor( in my fa&or! Sure enough% the e+ile who had spo(en out first also struc( out first% engaging with the suited e+ile! "t didn$t last long! The suit% clearly the older of the two and a true fighter-

my guess was he had once been either a 8omination or a 2ower-o&erpowered his opponent% snapping his nec( and ma(ing *uic( wor( of remo&ing his heart! 'e had our methods of ending their immortal e+istence1 they had theirs! (app! da!s. I now have one less e#ile to take care of. " chec(ed the time and sighed! "f " didn$t get this show on the road% "$d lose my window! )nd fighting alone was always my preference! The drop to the ground was at least two stories high% but " landed behind the group of e+iles lightly% than(s to my angelic enhancements! Breathing calmly% " let go of the power " was holding tightly within% /ust enough to lower my shields! The e+iles% who had been preoccupied with their boasting% stiffened instantly and spun around to face the new threat! "t was almost comical% the loo( of surprise on their faces! " guess a -rigori had ne&er snuc( up on them before! Responding *uic(ly% the suited e+ile stepped forward% sho&ing two of them to the side% the fi&e of them *uic(ly forming a semicircle around me! )o nice of them to stand in single file. But the way he studied me-with trademar( e+ile insanity and undisguised raw desire -made me thin( that this one recogni#ed me! "t happened from time to time! " wanted to sit around and chew the fat! Really! " couldn$t thin( of anything "$d rather do with my time than hear about how they intended to rip me limb from limb and how that would ma(e them as great as gods and me the most pathetic of humans! But when you$&e heard it all before and always wal(ed away-or% at the &ery least% been carriedwhile they were returned for their ultimate /udgment% it gets old! So% " cut to the chase! 49ou ha&e a choice! Ma(e it or " will ma(e it for you%5 " said% (nowing that of all -rigori% " alone had the right to put it li(e that! 4:onsider wisely%5 " reinforced! )fter all% " could return them li(e any other -rigori with one of our blades% but if " willed it% " could also strip them of their angelic strengths and lea&e them human-a fate e+iles considered worse than an eternity in the pits of 7ell! )s far as " was aware% " was the only -rigori who could do this without re*uiring the e+ile in *uestion to first choose such a fate! 'hich% of course% ne&er happened! 49ou brought ilith to her end%5 the suit said% his head tilted to the side% as if confused! *eah, that$s right, little ol$ me. +nd it onl! cost me ever!thing that mattered. " raised my eyebrows! 4Time$s almost up%5 " said% refraining from closing my eyes briefly as " felt a surge of power within% something that had been happening increasingly! " was getting stronger% and e+actly what that meant and how to harness it wasn$t the (ind of (nowledge " was e+cited to disco&er!

" could strip them all% ma(e their choice for them% and be done with it% but "$d only done it twice! Ony+ had been my first% and "$d seen the pain it caused him! " didn$t li(e (nowing " was the one who too( away his choice! 'ho was " to do such a thing6 The second had been a demonstration% and had resulted in the e+ile in *uestion meeting a *uic( death! " can$t say " regretted it-he$d been one of the e+iles so happy to see me strapped to a crucifi+ and tortured for hours-but still; )nyway% tonight was more li(e training% and "$d been taught to be thorough! So% when the suit threw the first e+ile at me-(nowing he$d be nothing more than a momentary distraction while " too( him down and he lined up the ne+t one-" got to wor(! " braced% grabbing my dagger and mo&ing into position! By the time the e+ile came within range% my dagger had sliced through his heart and he was no longer there! Simply gone! 'here did their physical forms go6 Beats me! " was already spinning by the time the second one was sent flying through the air toward me! My foot stopped his momentum and threw him bac(! " was on him in an instant% my dagger going straight to his heart! "t didn$t need to be the heart to return them% /ust a (illing blow inflicted by a -rigori weapon! 9ou could slice into e+iles all day long with your garden--&ariety (nife or shoot them with a gun% but neither option wor(ed! "$d ne&er seen a -rigori manage to rip out an e+ile$s heart barehanded% and e&en though the tric( wor(ed for e+iles ta(ing out other e+iles% something told me that it did not alter our rules! 2ermanent results for -rigori o&er e+iles only came &ia the blades of angels! ,r m! blood. The third e+ile went much the same way% and soon enough " was left being circled by the two suits! To my surprise% they actually wor(ed together-e+iles aren$t good at that -bo+ing me into a corner! The brown--haired e+ile in the blac( suit mo&ed in on me when the other one feigned a mo&e to my right! " too( a closed fist across the face and a foot to the stomach! " heard a crac(-bro(en rib-but " didn$t register the pain! That (ind of pain was barely a tic(le compared to the agony " carried inside% e&ery moment of e&ery day! My pause ga&e the other e+ile the chance to ta(e a swing! 7is foot collided with my hand so hard that my dagger went flying across the room! " (ept my eyes on my attac(ers but my ear on my weapon% listening to the re&erberations as it slid along the concrete floor and e&entually hit the far wall with a clang! The e+iles smiled! " sighed! Then " leapt into the air% gaining enough height to grip the brown--haired e+ile$s throat between my (nees! Twisting my body as " fell through the air% " dragged the e+ile down with me% his nec( brea(ing with a loud crunch!

"t wouldn$t (eep him down for good% but a bro(en nec( buys time! The e+ile in the gray suit grabbed me roughly from behind and threw me into the wall! " groaned as " slid down the metal piping my bac( had hit! "t was the opposite wall to my dagger. -amn it. "t wasn$t an ideal situation! )nd " wasn$t fool enough to delude myself into thin(ing " could ma(e it to my dagger! " was regretting my decision not to wear any other weapons tonight% but my dagger was the only weapon that% when sheathed% was in&isible to human eyes! %hink, .i. "$d come down behind a wall of old crates! " was considering how " could use them to my ad&antage when " spotted a piece of the slim metal piping "$d bro(en in my fall! "t lay by my foot! " could hear the e+iles mo&ing toward me! They were cac(ling! 4'e should ta(e her body with us to the tournament tonight%5 one said! The other one laughed! 4That would definitely put dar( in the lead!5 4)nd e&eryone would (now that we were the ones who (illed her!5 /an an!one sa! premature victor!0 'ithout stopping to thin(% " pulled off the bracelet from my left wrist% using the specially designed clasp to cut open the flesh around my sil&er mar(ing% currently swirling in the presence of e+iles% and let it spill onto the end of the metal bar! "t too( /ust a few seconds% and as soon as " palmed the pipe% the e+iles started to throw the crates aside then came into &iew% their smiles wide with anticipation! " stood! " didn$t return their smiles! " didn$t bother to do anything other than what needed to be done! " lunged% raising my elbow into the face of the blac(--haired e+ile as " spun% the metal pipe stri(ing his companion through the heart! 7e was gone! " turned bac( to the first e+ile and% hoping that there was still enough of my blood on the pipe to do the tric( and using my supernatural speed for all it was worth% " /ammed the pipe straight into his nec(! 7is face wore an e+pression of pure surprise! "$d seen that loo( before! " sighed and my shoulders slumped forward% unfulfilled! This was my /ob% one that " would do for as long as " e+isted% which could be a significantly long time! But two years ago% "$d accepted that there was no longer any satisfaction to be had in my world! ,o fairytales! Only the cold!

Turning toward where " thought my dagger had landed% my surroundings suddenly changed! " was no longer seeing the warehouse! There were flashes of white% mo&ing fast% pounding hoo&es! 7orses! Sil&er strea(ed through the air li(e a dance! Swords! Slashes of red painted the s(y! Something sharp and deadly ripping through flesh-wet and gruesome! :laws! Thousands and thousands of beings as far as " could see fought ruthlessly% with no sign of tiring! "n the center% two warriors battled beneath a blinding light! " could not ma(e out their faces! " blin(ed hard! The image was gone% and in its place -ray stood against the wall of as(ed! eaning against a metal support pole% he had that midtwenties loo( "$d come to associate with the older -rigori-though " had no idea how old he really was-and was dressed in his usual blac( /eans% blac( T--shirt% and blac( leather /ac(et! Blac( really was the only color worth in&esting in-blood stains e&erything else! 7e sported about a wee($s worth of growth on his face% though his head was sha&ed% the scars that ran o&er the top of his s(ull telling of a history both terrible and secret! -rigori did not generally scar% so " (new that whate&er had caused these had occurred before -ray had turned se&enteen! " swallowed o&er the lump in my throat and glanced around as " composed myself! The whole;hallucination;had lasted only a couple of seconds! " clenched my /aw! /hrist. It was nothing. I$m ust imagining things. " snapped my bracelet bac( in place o&er my mar(ing and shot him a dry loo(! 4Should " be charging a spectator fee65 My &oice sounded normal but my ears felt li(e they were still ringing with the echoes of battle! 4,ot if the show is going to be o&er so fast% princess!5 " glared at him for persisting with the stupid nic(name! 49ou (now% you could$&e stepped in and gi&en me a hand!5 4Sure%5 he said with a solemn nod! 4)nd you could$&e waited until the meet time we$d all agreed on too!5 " loo(ed away briefly! 4So% why are !ou here early65 " as(ed% hoping to di&ert the con&ersation! -ray tilted his head! 4Because " (now you!5 " shrugged off the &eiled accusation% e&en though it was true! To a degree! 4"t was easier this way!5 incoln$s warehouse% casually flipping my dagger in the air! 4'ould you li(e me to applaud65 he

7e threw my dagger into the air% and " caught it by the hilt and slipped it bac( into its sheath! 4'ell you can e+plain that to the others% since they /ust arri&ed!5