“No, but you’re more powerful than any Warden or demon. Because of a Trueborn’s human side and the nature of their creation, they are more prone to being...corrupted, more prone to giving in to the allure of power.”

At once, I thought of what Roth had said about how I was born of a great sin. “Because angels are not supposed to knock boots with humans?”

“That’s one way of putting it. ‘The sins of the father are visited unto the son.’”

“That’s archaic, and how do we know it’s really true?”

“Because, as with the corruption of mankind from the acts originated in Eden, the soul of a Trueborn is darker than a human’s and not as pure as a Warden’s.”

I remembered what Layla had said when she’d seen my aura—my soul. She’d described it as both dark and light, and I hadn’t paid much attention.

“There is a balance in a Trueborn just like there is a balance in the world, but those scales can be tipped.”

I was floored. “So, you’re basically saying I could turn evil?”

“Not at all, Trinity. Not even remotely. You are good. You’ve always been good, and we took steps to prevent you from being lured by your abilities.”

But was that true?

I was selfish and prone to acts of pettiness and barely restrained violence. I wasn’t a great friend, and the list of my character flaws was a mile long. Look at what I’d done to Faye. I hadn’t felt remorse.

“There was an uprising of Trueborns against Wardens,” Thierry was explaining, snagging me from my thoughts. “This happened centuries ago, and a lot of the history has been lost to time. All I know is that it had to do with a bonding, and as a result, a lot of Wardens died. Bonds between Wardens and Trueborns were severed, and after that, Trueborns died out.”

“I... I don’t know what to even say.” Shock had scattered my thoughts. “Except you all should’ve told me this. Someone should’ve told me this.”

“You’re right,” he said, voice heavy. “We should have, but we never thought it would be an issue—”

“Because I’m a paradigm of a decent human being?”

“Because you are good, and we also made sure you didn’t rely on your grace and use it too much.”

I sucked in a sharp breath.

“Grace is a beautiful thing. It’s your angelic ancestry shining through. But it’s also the deadliest weapon known to Earth, Heaven and Hell, and that kind of power is dangerous,” he went on. “It can be seductive. We didn’t want you getting accustomed to it.”

The room seemed to tilt even though I was still sitting. “But you all were wrong. I understand what you were trying to avoid, but you were wrong.”

“Trinity—”