Divinity: Immolation: Book Three (The Divinity Saga) by Susan Reid Page A

anything that a Fallen did or said. But what if… no, I wasn’t gonna even go there and think that at all. I swallowed thickly, my heart pounding slow and hard. Warm tears began to pool in my eyes.
    There was an air of silence and sudden curiosity gnawed at me again. “Will you tell me why you fell now?” I asked.
    “No.”
    Was he serious? Why was he keeping it such a guarded secret? This was going to drive me crazy. His evasiveness about it was making me suspicious, which wasn’t helping given my current thoughts.
    “Why not?”
    “I don’t want to continue to talk about this like this. I need to be able to see and hold you.”
    “I won’t see you at all until you tell me.”
    This time, he was silent for a long time. I thought he had abruptly ended the conversation for the sake of maintaining his secrecy and i t was slowly breaking my heart.
    “Ok, you win , but afterwards you’ll owe me something.”
    His response surprised me but it made me smile. Maybe I was overreacting and jumping to co nclusions. I’d almost forgotten that Cam is an incubus. Whatever that something was, I was certain that it involved physical contact—not that I wouldn’t have given in to him anyway.
    “I suppose.” I agreed softly.
    “You don’t even know what I want.”
    “Um, yeah, I think I do.”
    He laughed. “I’ll see you soon.”
    “Okay.” I smiled to myself.
    Returning to my room to put my things away before heading to the dining room to meet the others, I stopped short in the doorway. Sitting on the writing desk, next the notebook for my journal, was a simple crystal vase filled with small white, bell-shaped flowers, surrounded by long, slender, vibrantly green leaves. The bouquet was beautifully arranged and a hint of fresh floral dew clung to the air. It struck a memory of springtime, filling my room with a relaxing, soft scent.
    I raised a brow of curious surprise as I walked over to examine and smell them up close. Was this a welcome back gift or something from Lira and the others?
    “Those are lily-of-the-valleys.” I heard from behind me.
    I turned around to see Jamie, leaning against the doorjamb with her arms around her middle. She appeared softer, more toned down. Her long, dark brown braid hung loosely over her shoulder.
    “They’re beautiful.”
    She nodded. “Those should last a long time too.”
    It was almost as if she were having a hard time maintaining eye contact with me, like a sheepish avoidance.
    “Did you leave these here?” I asked her.
    She shifted and inhaled. “I thought you’d like them. They’re…sort of a…welcome back thing…and,” She glanced at the floor, shifting her stance again, and then to my surprise— she began to cry.

VI. Cam`ael
     
    S he had me in the palm of her hand, already wielding the power that women had over men…that she had over me. It didn’t take long. I’d do anything for her.
    I smirked to myself.
    I was going to have to be seductive and clever to get out of telling her my history. She wanted to know what I did to fall. It wasn’t that it was horrible, I was both embarrassed and ashamed of it. Even more so, by the existence and activities that I took part in thereafter. I was already wearing my shame, seeing the permanent black marks whenever I revealed and spread my wings. Wasn’t that enough?
    The dark symbols that ruined my once great wings, and my formerly gold brandings, now cursed to blood red, were more than visual proof and constant reminders.
    Edanai, Ry, and Rahab were the only ones who knew the basic truth, but no one knew the whole truth in its entirety except for Elohim. Of course, M orning Star knew much of it too but he was the last fallen that could judge or measure any of our sins or disobedience against his own. I didn’t want Starling to see me as desperate and foolish, and in my opinion it was pointless anyway.
    I sealed and hid the book that Berith gave me behind the largest bookshelf in my bed chamber. I would need a