Page 58 of Inception

“He would be killed, Jemma.” He spoke without hesitation. “He’s only been kept alive on the premise that he’s a Descendant and can control himself, that he wouldn’t be a threat to humans.” He looked at me dryly. “Nearly killing one of their Slayers won’t exactly speak to that. It’s definite grounds for execution.”

God knows I hated Dominic Huntington with the fiery force of an erupting volcano, and I wanted nothing more than to never lay eyes on his face again…but did I want himdeaddead?

“I knew it would only be a matter of time,” he continued, audibly detached. “And I’ve prepared myself for that.”

“You’ve prepared yourself for his death?”

I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Regardless of what I felt about Dominic, he was stillhisbrother.

“I’ve prepared myself for what I’ll have to do when that time comes,” he clarified. “I vouched for him once before, and I knew the price I’d be paying if this turned out badly.”

“I don’t understand,” I said, suddenly feeling as though we were having two separate conversations. “What price areyoupaying?”

He didn’t look at me when he answered, “The price of having to carry out the sanction and right the wrong.”

“Carry out the—wait,what? That’s ridiculous,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief. “They wouldn’t make youkillyour own brother.” I heard myself laughing, like a nervous tick, though there was nothing funny about this.

He didn’t respond.

“Would they?” I gulped down the mounting disgust. I couldn’t even begin to imagine his position.

“I’m a Warrior Descendant, Jemma. My mother was a Slayer just like you,” he nodded over to me, pride brimming from his eyes. “Even though I’m a Revenant now, my mission has not changed, nor has my loyalty to The Order. My duty, above all else, is to protect humanity and to follow the orders of those above me. That is what I was created to do.”

I was taken aback by his unwavering commitment. Not even death could deter him. I’d never seen such a blatant display of devotion to anything other than oneself before.

It was rousing.

“I have no qualms about my obligations,” he pushed on. “I knew what the consequences were when I asked for their mercy. I thought there might be hope for him—that he could be saved, but I was wrong. Dominic will never change. This is who he is.”

“Why is he like this?” I wondered. “You seem so dedicated to all this Warrior Descendant stuff,” I said, and remarked his frown at my too-casual choice of words. “Why isn’t he?”

“For one, heisn’ta Warrior Descendant,” he said, glancing at me. “My father remarried shortly after my mother died. Dominic was from his second marriage.”

“Oh. So you’re half-brothers?” That explained why they seemed to have nothing in common, inside or out.

Gabriel nodded. “Dominic’s aShifter. His mother was a Descendant ofGuardianAngels, same as my father was. He’s entirely of that faction. APureblood.”

“He’s a Descendant of Guardian Angels?” I repeated aghast. “That seems so paradoxical.”

“These aren’t your textbook Angels, Jemma. Guardians are extremely powerful beings. They’re known as the Defenders of Man because of their combat strengths and ability to shift into animal form in order to protect theirtarget. They’re strong and ruthless, and should never be taken lightly.”

“Trust me,” I scoffed. “I have no intentions of taking—” My head whipped back around. “Did you say shift into animal form?”

“Yes. Most Angels have the potential to transmogrify, but it’s innate in all Guardians and their Descendants.”

“So Guardian Descendants can like, shape-shift?” I asked, somewhat frightened by this revelation and its implications.

“Yes.”

I swallowed hard. “Even Dominic?”

“Even Dominic,” he nodded, stoic. “He can shift into any animal form, though he has to have taken the animal’s life in order to transmogrify into it.”

“That’s really...disturbing,” I said, thoroughly off-put by all of this new information. “I can’t even imagine it.”

“It’s actually quite fascinating. The shift itself is—”

“That’s okay,” I interrupted, flinging my hand up in the air to stop him. “I wasn’t asking for a demonstration or anything.”

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