Unaware of my complete panic spiral, Zayne said, “It took me a bit to get used to the grace, how to control it and deal with it.” He moved, placing his hand on his chest. “I’m still not quite used to it. Sort of feels like a—”

“A constant low-level buzz of energy?” I finished for him, pushing the panic back. Now, while we had an audience, wasn’t the time to ask what the cost was. I really didn’t need to have a complete breakdown in front of Cayman.

Zayne smiled that beautiful smile then, and I felt the catch in my chest. “Now I know why you have such a hard time sitting still.”

“That’s it?” Cayman asked, and I looked over at him. He’d set the box on the coffee table. “They gave you a superdose of grace and allowed you to Fall. Let’s be real. They didn’t do that so you could be with Trinity. Most of them don’t care about all your warm fuzzies for one another.”

Cayman was obviously thinking the same thing I was but with far less panic.

“You’re right. Most of the angels don’t care about Trin’s and my feelings for each other,” Zayne responded, and my whole brain zeroed in on the “most of the angels” part. “They let me Fall and remain as a new and improved version to fight Gabriel.”

“The Throne did tell me that none of the angels that could strip him of his wings and grace would come down here while Gabriel was here,” I said even though that didn’t answer what they’d do once Gabriel wasn’t a problem.

“You’re giving them way too much credit.” Cayman snorted. “Angels are self-righteous enough to try such a thing, no matter the risks. They’re not showing up to take his grace because he has all the power of an angel, but he’s not bound to angelic law.”

“Angelic law?” I twisted toward Zayne. “Like what kind of law?”

Zayne glanced at Cayman, his brow furrowing. “I think he’s talking about their law of combat. Apparently it’s forbidden for an angel to attack another.”

“Even in this kind of situation?” I asked, thinking that couldn’t be right. “Like even when one of their own is trying to end Heaven?”

“Yep,” Zayne confirmed.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Disbelief flooded me. “That has got to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“They believe that to take up arms against another is lifting a sword against God,” Zayne said. “It didn’t make sense to me, either, but he said it was a pledge they all took after the war. Obviously they didn’t put a whole lot of thought into the pledge.”

By war, I was guessing he was referencing when Lucifer was booted. I processed all of that and suddenly a lot of things made sense. Big things.

Like why I was here.

“That’s why I was... I was born,” I announced, and yeah, it sounded way overdramatic to me, but it was dramatic. “There’s no way that a single angel didn’t see what Gabriel was becoming. They just couldn’t stop him, because of the pledge. They must’ve realized this was as good a time as any to bring back the Trueborn and I guess they just rolled the dice to find out who would be the baby daddy.”

“Rolled the dice to see who would...” Zayne shook his head as he processed what I said.

“Okay. Maybe not rolled the dice, but you get what I’m saying.” I swallowed hard as I sat back against the cushion. I really was created to be a weapon. That wasn’t breaking news or anything, but I guessed there had been this tiny, childish part of me that had hoped my father had seen my mother and fallen for her. That there had been some emotion behind my creation. But there really wasn’t. “I was a loophole. With my father’s grace, I could fight Gabriel. And Gabriel knew about me, and he tried to do the same with Sulien.”

“That didn’t end well for him.” Zayne smirked.

No, it hadn’t. “While I was waiting in the Potomac Highlands to be summoned, I always thought it was for the battle that ended all battles, but my father was just waiting for Gabriel to make his move.” Thoughts whirling, I rubbed my hands over my thighs. “It makes you wonder if there were more... Trueborns? I mean, after they all died off. If my father had...made one each generation or if others—”

“I don’t think there were more,” Zayne interrupted. “At least not from Michael. He strikes me as the type that would bring up other Trueborns as a way to either compliment or insult you.”

Pursing my lips, I nodded. “You have a point there.”

“Look at you all, putting two and two together,” Cayman said.

“Like you knew any of that,” I scoffed.

“I didn’t,” he replied. “But what I do know is that Gabriel can most likely rip the head off a Fallen.”

I slowly turned to the demon.

“What?” He lifted his hands. “I’m just being honest.”

“Yeah, they told me that I’d probably still die,” Zayne answered. “They’re real motivators. That’s why some of them want to close Heaven now, but we stand a better chance together in defeating Gabriel. Even Michael believes so.”

“You all stand a better chance if Roth’s mission is a success,” Cayman tossed out. “That’s about the only chance you stand.”

“What?” Zayne glanced between us. “What mission?”

My eyes widened. “Uh...”

“He doesn’t know yet?” The demon’s yellow eyes grew as big as saucers.

“Know what?” Zayne demanded.

“I haven’t had a chance to tell him,” I said. “We’ve all been a little busy.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more happy in my life to be the bearer of news.” Cayman scooted across the couch, stopping once he was mere inches from us. A slow, wicked grin spread across his face, and he did look beyond thrilled. “Roth and Layla are trying to recruit reinforcements. Well, one reinforcement in particular.”