Erin Kellison

“The trouble with being an angel on Earth was that he was still a man. He got hungry. He thirsted. His lungs clamored without the draw of air. And for this woman, the only one in a thousand years, his body and soul ached. The trick was to will his mind, and ignore the Earthly sensations, as he'd done so many times with pain and trouble. Desire was no different, a call of the flesh. He could divide himself-acknowledge the lust and act on intellect. But see, the trouble with being an angel was that he was still a man.”

“Kathleen," he calls, his voice a groan.There is magic in names. Can she hear him?"Kathleen," he calls again, louder.Behind him, the denizens of Twilight murmur."KATHLEEN," he cries. His anguish batters the shining wall, shifting the starstruck colors from rose and lapis to deep purple and bloody magenta, but it remains inviolable.Shadowman drops his scythe in the waters. He'll scream forever, if need be, until the day the walls tumble into the ocean."Hey, you."Shadowman's attention whips to the top of the wall some distance down the shoreline to his left. An angel is perched on the edge - fair hair, fair-eyed, skin a soft café. A recent crossing."Trade you," Custo says.Shadowman has no words."You want in or don't you? Heaven's no place for me, and I'm not hanging around until they figure it out." The angel glances over his shoulder.The murmurs of Twilight grow louder, sharper, but Shadowman pays them no mind. Not anymore. They've already done their worst."I do," Shadowman says.Custo flashes a grin. "Meet me at the wall.”

“Angel," Adam said."I think not," Philip answered. He huddled at the wall, crossing himself. "Banshee, the herald of Death.”

“Lady Amunsdale," Talia said, looking around the room.Nothing. Ridiculous.She tried again, louder, with melodrama. "Lady Amunsdale. Please grace us with your presence."All quiet.Jim buried his face in his hands, his bald head reddening. Talia felt bad for her mocking tone. The man was crazy, but also desperately in love."You're too nice," Adam observed. "It might take more of a command to get her to come out."Talia rolled her eyes. A command - those came all too easy to Adam. This was the last time, and she was done.She raised her voice. "Lady Amunsdale. Come here. Now."A pause, then a distorted voice whined.”

“Banshee. Beauty. And, well, badass. He always knew she had it in her.”

“She pushed Adam firmly back, once and for all, and turned to face the demon, the crescent moon of the scythe's blade circling over her head as a vane signals a change in the weather.The wind was finally blowing her way.”

“Abigail laughed. "Poor Adam. Probably thought he'd found a woman who would follow his lead, do everything he said. Got a banshee instead. I need one of them big windows for you two to work it out against. Zoe, do we have a big window somewhere? Adam's particularly good with windows. Maybe he could convince her that way."Talia's face heated, but she ignored Abigail, stubbornly crossing her arms and blocking the door.Adam looked back at Abigail. "Can you quit mocking me for a minute and help me convince her to stay?"Abigail shrugged. "Why would I waste my time doing that when I know very well that she goes with you?"Talia controlled a smug smile."She - ? What - ?" Adam stammered. Then he turned to Talia. "Oh, hell. Come on.”

“Adam swallowed thickly. "Can you see the future?""I see many futures.""Many?""As many futures as there are choices.""Do I defeat the Death Collector in any of them?""No."A wave of helplessness rolled over him. So all this was pointless. The Collective was going to win after all. He couldn't breathe. He braced his hands on his knees as a devastating roar filled his head.Abigail clucked with her tongue. "Look at you. So arrogant. So self-important. You've gone and cast yourself as the hero. Do you really think this war is about you?"Adam's head snapped up.”

“The idea behind both concepts is that there must be an accounting, a ledger in the hearts and histories of a family. As if accepting a sum or taking a life will fill the void of the loss of a loved one.""It can't fill the void, but it can make things even," Adam said."No. It does not. What you get is a deficit of two.""Then both are at an equal loss." Adam took a deep drag on his beer."And how does this loss serve the memory of the loved one?""It doesn't ... [v]engeance is selfish," Adam continued. "I've never tried to hide that.""Ah," Philip said. "Now we get to the heart of it. Adam, here is my question for you. Would you trade your claim to vengeance to set your brother free?"Talia watched the muscle twitch in Adam's jaw. It was a hard question, an impossible, painful question, especially after learning that Jacob had chosen his current state. Jacob had chosen to take the lives of his parents. He had reduced Adam's world to a haunted hotel with a group of mad scientists. Maybe she should say something. Change the subject.Seen any naked pictures of me today?”

“There is no reason for beauty. It just is.”

“I want to know--or understand something. I've been sick my whole life. What is the point of being alive if I never get to live?”

“True fear has nothing to do with what might happen to you, however painful or vile that might be. True fear is all about what might happen to someone you love.”