Chapter 3

                                    

                                          
I was surprised to find that it got dark in Heaven. I would've thought that with God being so bright and all, that it would never get dark. However, that wasn't the case. Even though it became night, the sky was nothing like it was on Earth. There were millions of little glowing pinpricks in the midnight sky, glowing much brighter than they ever had on Earth. Beneath them, there was the faint greenish glow of the aurora borealis, slowly flowing like ribbons suspended in water. The city itself was lit up in a blueish glow, but the light did nothing to hide the starlight above. Even from the 66th floor of this building, I could make out the dim silvery light of the souls walking down on the streets below. It was like any modern city, except ten times as beautiful and with dead people you could see through. 
                          
I stood at the windows, looking out across the city with my arms wrapped around me tightly. I had tried to sleep, but I couldn't. Grey had never come home. Or maybe he had gone to his room, wherever that was, and just didn't come to see me. I don't know which one would hurt worse. 
                          
I pulled my wings out from my shoulder blades, my muscles relaxing as they stretched out. They felt better when they were out. It was uncomfortable to hold them inside, like holding in a cough that you just need to let out. 
                          
I pulled one wing in front of me, running my fingers across the long feathers that adorned the far edge of it. It was soft, like all feathers are, but held a certain rigidity to it as if each little hair on the feather were made of some metal rather than cells. The silvery color glimmered in the starlight, almost reflecting it. I wondered if white wings still did the same. 
                          
I could not bring myself to regret Pledging to Grey. Although it had put us through literal Hell, it was better than the alternative. Of course I was afraid of eternity with him, and I wasn't sure that it was what I wanted, but even if I had known that Pledging my soul to him would tie our souls together- part of me feels like I would've done it anyways. I suppose that's selfish of me. I'd taken that choice away from Grey as well. From what Siena had told me about Grey, it was incredible that he was even with me in the first place. Grey had even told me that while he'd had many lovers, he'd never been exclusive. I was his first. And now I was forcing him to make me his last. 
                          
I knew that I didn't want anyone but Grey. But did that mean I wanted Grey for forever?
                          
I say that like I even had an option here. Even God herself had said that there wasn't a way out of this. She'd also said that the longer it took for Grey to Pledge himself to me as well and bind both of our souls uniformly, the more of my soul's power he would drain. I didn't know what that meant for me. Part of me wanted Grey to just bind his soul to mine so I could keep all of my soul's power and be as strong as possible when the Reckoning came. However, another part of me wanted to give Grey all that I had if he needed the time. 
                          
Dun dun. Dun. Dun dun. 
                          
The smell of pine and rain washed over me like a wave and I fought the urge to turn around and face him. 
                          
"You're still awake," his voice echoed quietly around the room, shattering the silence. 
                          
"Couldn't sleep," I replied curtly, keeping my voice tight as if to convey my dismay. 
                          
I heard him take a step towards me, then pause. 
                          
"How did you get in?" I asked. 
                          
There was a lock on the door that only my hand could unlock. 
                          
"I was granted access to your room as well," he replied smoothly. 
                          
I didn't respond. The silence that resulted was deafening. He knew I was mad. Even I could feel my own fury saturating the air between us. It was hard to breathe.