“Don’t do that to me ever again!” I yelled, balling up my fists, and landing them straight into Jared’s chest.

He wrapped his arms around me tightly. “I’m sorry. I realized what was about to happen, and I had to go. These pictures were the only things in the loft I couldn’t lose.”

We turned to watch at our home fall in defeat to the fire. The beams creaked as they gave way, and glowing ash was thrown into the sky, floating all around us. My eyes poured out rivers of tears. I’d never realized how much I loved the loft until I witnessed it dying in front of me. Memories of our first date, listening to our song for the first time, cooking together, laughing, watching Claire and Bex grow a little more each time they entered the front door. It was all gone; reduced to cinders.

Sirens sounded in the distance.

“We have to go,” Jared said, gently escorting me to the passenger side of the Escalade.

As he pulled away, I watched the flames and glowing smoke until I couldn’t see them anymore, and then turned to face forward. Jared placed his hand over mine, and then Bex put his hand over ours.

“It had to be Donovan,” Bex said.

I shook my head. “No. Claire took care of all the humans that might be a threat to us.”

“Except Donovan,” Jared said. His knuckles turned white against the steering wheel.

Bex leaned back in the seat. “He’s the closest human to Shax. Claire left him alive because he's the Taleh of a Half-breed.”

“What?” I said, looking to Jared for confirmation.

He nodded. “Isaac. Very fast, very strong, but emotional. He's been known to make mistakes, but he's still dangerous.”

I blinked, processing what Jared had said. “So to kill Donovan we’d have to kill a Hybrid.”

“Not just any Hybrid,” Bex said. “The son of Michael. An angel in the Holy Army. A warrior of God. At His word, they would exterminate entire blood lines, entire kingdoms.”

I laughed once. “You’re joking.”

“No,” Jared said, pulling the Escalade down a road leading us out of town. “Michael belongs to a family of angels that embodies God's Wrath, and if harm came to his son, that would be an act of war against Heaven. That is the only reason Donovan is still alive.”

The Escalade bounced over the uneven gravel road, and Jared came to a stop just outside a familiar chain-link fence. We walked hand-in-hand to the Warehouse where I met Eli. Jared pushed the button and we waited. Nothing.

“I thought you said he wouldn’t speak to you?” I asked.

Jared stood silent, patient, and calm. Twenty long minutes passed, and then we were finally buzzed in. The breath Jared had silently held, he released. “Thank you,” he whispered.