CHAPTER 9

Lilia told me I’m only human on the surface. Hearing it hurt.And yet, now she says I’m different from anyone else, and the ground beneath me vanishes.

She has the power to change my reality, just as I change my form. And she doesn’t even realize it.

She’s talking, but all I can focus on is the sound of her voice, the way her lips move, the way her hands carve invisible lines into the air as she gives shape to her thoughts.

«Do you understand what I mean?» she asks, after a long explanation.

I shake my head. «Sorry, could you summarize?»

She gives a half-smile. «Am I boring you?»

«What? No, it’s just… this is all strange for me too,» I say quickly.

«Yeah, well, you’ve got an intruder in your home. I get it, that’s why I was thinking of going out.» She stands and pulls her hair up into a ponytail.

«Out? Where?» I ask, suddenly on edge.

She starts counting on her fingers. «First, I need to figure out who those armed people were at the hotel. Then I want to know why my father left me those instructions, why he faked his death, why—»

I raise my hands. «Okay, one thing at a time. Do you have a plan for the first item on that list?»

She presses her fingers against her lips, thoughtful.

«Actually… no. And there’s a chance my mom called the police, so they might be looking for me.» She freezes for a moment, then her eyes widen. «Oh God—what if my mom knew everything?»

I don’t know how she’ll react to my answer, but it’s time to reveal another piece of the truth.

«She’s the one who made sure they buried an empty coffin. I wouldn’t have been able to pull off the deception without her help.»

Lilia lowers her arms, suddenly drained. She sits beside me, staring down at her hands.

«Nothing in my life is real,» she whispers.

I don’t know what to say. In a way, I’m an illusion to her, too. I feel so sorry for everything she’s going through. The thought that I played a part in all of it weighs on me.

«Do you think my brother is in danger?» she asks, her voice barely audible.

«I don’t think so. He was irradiated, so they’re probably waiting to see if he develops any abilities.»

She takes a deep breath, rubbing her forehead. «Alright, priorities have changed. First thing—I need to talk to my mother. In person.»

«If you want, I’ll go with you.»

She smiles, casting me a sidelong glance. «I already counted you in. My guardian angel.»

Seeing her smile lifts my spirits, and I wink.

«I make a decent devil too.»

She laughs and stands. «Not sure I want to see that. The vampire was enough. Anyway, by now my mom has probably already taken my brother to preschool. Or maybe my aunt did.»

I know her mother works as a virtual assistant for a law firm and other clients. I’ve followed her a couple of times to an office on Via Veneto—never noticed anything unusual.

«Should we check her workplace?» I ask.

«Yeah, though I’ve never been there.»

I get up and head to the door. «I have. We’ll get there in fifteen minutes, maybe less.»

She lifts her brows, surprised. «You know where she works?»

I clear my throat. «Sorry, I don’t want to seem obsessive… but after your father’s fake death, I wanted to understand more. That’s all.»

She tilts her head, then shrugs. «Okay.»

She seems a little disappointed by my answer, though I don’t know why. At least she doesn’t think I’m a stalker, which is reassuring, considering how hard I’m trying to restrain myself. If I let go, I’d be so drawn to her it would border on obsession.In one of my lives, this absurd nature of mine cost me someone important. I won’t let it happen again. Not this time.

I unlock the apartment door from the control panel. I’ve worked hard to make this place secure, but once we step outside, anything could happen.

She slips on her hoodie and steps closer.

«You look worried.»

I smile. «You got me. But I’m trying to stay optimistic.»

«Good choice, then… Oh my God!»

Her eyes go wide, her mouth falling open in awe.

«You’re actually an angel…»

«The Lord will guide our steps, fear nothing if you act in His name,» I intone, flashing a celestial smile.

«I… I don’t believe this!»

I wink. «Faith is a gift the Lord does not bestow upon all, but I am here to illuminate you with His infinite love.»

«Your hair… it’s like gold. And your eyes, like the clearest sky. And these wings…» She reaches out, brushing her fingers against the feathers.

She’s enraptured—it doesn’t surprise me. Angels have a certain effect on humans, feeding their egos with divine admiration. They can boast about it for hours before rushing off to perform some act of charity just to amplify their own vanity.

I extend my arms. «Let me lift you from the tribulations of mortal life.»

Lilia eyes me warily. «You’re gorgeous, but you’re starting to creep me out.»

I let Emanuele surface without relinquishing my angelic form.

«Obviously—I am an angel,» I say, amused. «May I carry you?»

She laughs. «If you insist, I’ll make that sacrifice.»

She wraps her arms around my shoulders, and I take off. She buries her face in the crook of my neck, holding on tighter. We’re together, soaring on the wind, suspended between the sky and the city below—a view only birds usually get to see.

«I don’t understand…» She lifts her face, searching for my gaze. «Right now, are you Emanuele or the angel?»

«Yaviel, my sweet creature. But the last persona you call Emanuele is just as present.»

She wets her lips. «Can I talk to him?»

I smile and bring more of Emanuele to the surface. «You’re always talking to me, Lilia. I’m always here.»

«But you seem different. As an angel, I mean.»

«When I change form, I tend to lean into what I was when I wore that shape, especially if I held it for a long time. But the last persona remains dominant—I can take control at any moment.»

She lowers her gaze. «It’s strange… like you’re not just one person, but many.»

«I know.»

I sigh. I can only imagine the thoughts running through her mind. Best to focus on something else.

The city sprawls beneath us, a tapestry of houses, streets, and gardens. I watch people walking along the sidewalks, cars speeding down the Via del Mare. They could see us, but people rarely look up. Still, I climb higher.

The air is warm, filled with the mingling scents of nature and urban life.

I lean close, whispering near her ear. «You’re missing the view.»

But she keeps her face pressed against me.

«I just found out I’m terrified of heights.»

 «I won’t let you fall. Just trust me.»

She lifts her eyes just enough to meet mine.

«I know. Angels don’t do things like that.»

I wink. «Maybe shapeshifting ones do…»

«Great! Just when I was starting to feel safe—Hey, did you see that?»

«See what?»

«A flash. Really quick, like a camera flash.»

That’s a bad sign.

«Hold on tight. I’ll protect you from whoever’s tracking us.»

The wind howls in my ears as I pick up speed.

«Can you please tell me what’s happening?!»

«Someone’s using a Biovoyant, but you need to have faith. We’ll escape them.»

Lilia raises her voice to be heard over the wind whipping her face. «A bio—what?»

«A Velato who can track a person remotely by tasting their biological material. A drop of blood, a strand of hair… anything.»

«That’s disgusting! And why the hell would they do that? I haven’t done anything to the Velati!»

I dive into a low, dense cloud.

«Sphinx sells their services. Anyone can use them—if they have enough money,» I explain. «Could be Truesight, after what you pulled at Termini Station.»

«How do you know they didn’t see us back at your place?»

«Because I know more about technology than any human alive. And I shielded it. May the Lord forgive my arrogance.»

By the time we emerge from the cloud, the city has thickened below, the green of the outskirts already fading. Now that we’re near the center, the risk of someone noticing an angel flying over Rome is too high.

That’s why the landing is rough. We crash onto a rooftop in a burst of feathers. I shift forms just before impact, but the pain… pain is my greatest weakness. Whether physical or emotional, it’s amplified a thousandfold compared to a human.

«Damn, you really need to work on that part.» Lilia plants her hands beside my shoulders, lifting her head.

But I can barely see her—agony clouds my mind, making it impossible to speak.

«Hey, what’s wrong?» She cups my face in her hands. «Ema, please, answer me! Are you hurt?»

I just need to find the strength to reassure her.

«I’m fine,» I whisper, struggling. «Shapeshifters have… almost zero pain tolerance.»

«Are you sure? Just pain?»

«Just… yes.»

I know a wound would worry her more. But for me, it’s the opposite. There have been times when I preferred death over pain. That’s a line I refuse to cross again.

I shut my eyes, trying to catch my breath. It’s so bad I can barely think.

I will not lose consciousness. I have to recover—and fast. I brace myself on an elbow, one last effort.

«Better?»

Lilia holds me up until I can stand on my own.

«Yeah. Thanks.»

We’re on a spacious, elegant rooftop lined with flower pots and wrought-iron railings. The murmur of traffic and the blare of horns rise up, softened at this height.

«What is this place?» she asks.

I shrug. «They rent offices here. Your mother’s a secretary, right?»

«Yeah. At least, that’s what she’s always told me. Now? I don’t know what to believe.»

I can’t blame her. But as far as I know, it is the truth.

«She should be on the seventh floor. Let’s see if that door is open.»

We approach, but it’s reinforced and locked.

«It might be alarmed,» I note, examining the hinges. «If we weren’t in a hurry, I’d wait for someone to come up and water the plants.»

Lilia digs her fingers into one of the pots. «You’d be waiting forever. The soil’s damp, and there’s an automatic system.»

She points to thin black tubes connected to a faucet I hadn’t noticed.

I sigh. «We’ll need another way in.»

She nods. «I’ll look around.»

I check that we’re alone. The Velati’s abilities vary so wildly it’s impossible to predict what we might be up against.

If I had to bet, Truesight has been watching Lilia for a while. The tests at school, the armed team at the hotel—it’s like they already knew. And erasing the lists at Termini Station? That’s made her an enemy of the authorities as well.

And yet, I still can’t piece everything together. It’s like a puzzle I can’t complete.

I lean against the railing, peering down. Maybe we could lower ourselves through a window—if one were open.

«Ema!»

Her voice snaps me back. She’s standing beside a half-buried metal column.

«The air vent! Like in the movies!»

She looks like a kid, her lips curling into a grin.

I wonder if she fully grasps the situation she’s in.

Then again, given her abilities, maybe she understands it better than I do.

The truth is, fear doesn’t stop her.

That’s what sets her apart.

And I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

Even if it means saving myself from the part of me I can never seem to outrun.