“I know about it.” He took my hand, and the feel of his palm firmly against mine was a wonderful feeling. “I’ve been filled in on a few things, the Transfiguration being one of them. He plans to open a rift between Earth and Heaven so that the demon Bael along with souls that belong to Hell can enter Heaven.”

My brows rose. “You really have been updated. Was it the Alphas? God. I still can’t believe you were actually in Heaven—the Heaven.” My eyes got wide, and I stopped walking. “What was it like? Is it just fluffy white clouds and angels chilling and doing nothing? Souls roaming around, having everything they could ever want? Or does it look like this place? But with angels and souls? I’ve asked so many spirits, but none of them will tell me—” My heart skipped a beat. “Oh my God, did you see your father?”

A grin played across his lips as he stared down at me and I...

I didn’t even realize what I was doing until I was jumping on him.

Zayne caught me as I wrapped my arms around his neck, and this time, he kept his footing. My legs clamped down on his hips, and there was no way he was shaking me off. Not that he tried. His arms immediately swept over me, and he held me just as tight as I clung to him.

Raw emotion crashed through me as it hit me once more that Zayne was alive and it was him, a little bit different but him. Tears pricked at my eyes. “I’m sorry. Okay, I’m not sorry. I just needed a hug.”

His chin grazed the top of my head. “This has to be my favorite kind of hug.”

“Mine, too,” I said, voice muffled. “I just... I can’t believe you’re really here.” My heart pounded and my stomach got into the mix, jumping all over the place. I wanted to laugh and cry, be silent and contemplative and yet scream as loud as I could. I felt like I was coming out of my skin.

“If you need to remind yourself that I’m really here, please feel free to jump on me. I won’t mind,” he said. “I’ll catch you.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. “Why do you always have to say such perfect things?”

“I don’t always say the right things,” he denied. “You know that more than anyone else.”

“I do,” I told him. “That’s why I know what you say is usually just perfect. I’m an expert in these things.”

“I probably shouldn’t argue with you, then,” he said, his voice thicker, rougher with what he’d lacked before. Emotion.