Page 1 of Feathers and Scales

Acadia National Park, Maine

Present Day

Although Izzy had researched the ultimate death for her kind, she never planned on being a participant. But as the moonlight bathed over the monstrosity at the mouth of the cave, she, as well as the epinephrine and noradrenaline punching through her human veins, knew she’d unwillingly become one.

She ran. Gravel skidded out from under her racing feet. Tree limbs slapped numbly against her spirit skin. The logical part of her brain screamed at her to shift, but concentrating was impossible. Lurching into a rocky clearing, an open tent and crackling fire stopped her.Is a human here?

The Archfiend materialized before her.

Mottled skin stretched over the bones of his hollow cheeks. Time and decay had stripped any recognizable features from his face. Torn clothing that might have once been contemporary during ancient Greek times covered his human-sized body. His sunken, inky-blackeyes blazed with lust for her spirit power as he glowered down at her. Heaviness weighed down her limbs. That was her future if she didn’t find a way to collect her feathers and return to Heaven. Not that it mattered if she couldn’t escape this monster first.

“Hello, Isidora.” His voice snaked over her like a crushing wave of darkness. “It’s been too long.”

Petrified to the ground, she trembled. “H-how do you know that name? W-who are you?”

“It’s tragic you don’t remember me.” He chuckled maniacally, the skin of his lips peeling. “I’m just an old…rival.”

Violet shards of light came at her.

Drawing energy from within and focusing it outward, she raised a shield of yellow light. Sparks sizzled from the contact, and she flung her arm back to deflect. Laser-sharp stings sliced over her fingers. Her light was too weak to block his attack. She rammed back into a solid body. Grunting from the impact, she glanced over her shoulder. A muscular camper stood behind her and grabbed her arms with his sweaty hands.

“Let go.” She yanked against his bruising grip. “We have to run.”

“Why would we do that?” the camper asked in a trancelike voice.

She glared at the Archfiend and spat, “Influencing humans to do your work?”

The Archfiend’s laughter crept like insects over her skin. “Why not? I save the best parts for myself. Now tell me if this hurts.”

He drew back his benitoite sword and impaled her to the hilt.

Pain ripped through her chest.

He raised the blade, dangling her. Her scream echoed around the rocky terrain of the secluded campsite and into the darkness of the boreal forest.

“I’ve been waiting so long for this,” he said.

Her glowing spirit blood trickled, turning the sword’s crystalline blue surface crimson. Despite the distance from her human body lyingfar away, her strained spirit connection flooded her with rumbling terror and anger. Her spirit dimmed, blinking out of the visible spectrum.

Behind her, the camper croaked, “What h-happened?”

He must have been shocked free of the Archfiend’s Influence.Run.She tried to form words with her trembling lips.Get away while you can.

The Archfiend was so close that his foul energy was stifling against her being. “It’s been fun hunting your Fallen brethren to get to you. You’ve always prided yourself on being so intelligent. Look at you now. What little energy you possess is mine.”

How dare he gloat about killing other Fallen angels.Shescreamed, jammed her thumbs into his eyes, and shot the last of her power in a piercing yellow light from her fingertips.

Black smoke crested his brow bone, and the acrid smell of burned flesh filled the air. He jumped backward with a roar, flinging her from his blade. “You arrogant wench. I hope you suffer until your last breath.”

She landed on the cold ground with a cry, the skeleton of her wings falling behind her. Useless. She choked out a breath. Hot, metallic spirit blood gurgled in her mouth. Dread settled into her bones. The sword had punctured her spirit equivalent of a lung. She would drown in her own blood.

The Archfiend shielded his bleeding eye sockets and faltered away from her. He collided with the young camper, who stood frozen interror of the Archfiend. With his lip twisted in disgust, the Archfiend grabbed the man’s head.

“Leave him alone,” she shouted with her hand outstretched, calling on the last of her withered voice. Yellow power tingled at her fingertips but barely flared to life.

The Archfiend twisted the camper’s head with a snap.

“No.” She cringed as the limp camper crumpled to the ground.Tattered gray wings unfurled from the Archfiend’s back. The bare flaps of mangled skin attached to bone embodied the greed that made him an Archfiend. He knitted his wings with a stream of blue light to fill the gaping holes.