My heart was pounding in my chest, and I could feel the sweat dripping down on my face as I concentrated on controlling my heavenly light. I knew my power wouldn't kill Samael, but I was still nervous that I would harm my mate.
"Katrina, I can feel your anxiety from over here. Your magic will be uncontrollable if you don't calm your nerves." Samael said, stating the obvious causing me to roll my eyes in annoyance.
"Could you just leave the room for a minute?" I asked, knowing if I weren't worried about hurting him, I would be able to control my powers.
"You need to learn how to control your powers around others, Katrina. Now is the perfect time to practice. I am a God, babe. A full-blooded God, your power, while it'll hurt, I will heal quickly, especially with my mate nearby. Just breathe and concentrate on the book."
Okay. I can do this. I took a deep inhale, 'Katrina, you are a badass. You can do anything you set your mind on.'
I slowly exhaled as I pointed my palm at the lock on the book; I felt the familiar surge of power as it ran through my body, sending sparks and tingles throughout me. A bright white light blasted from my hand and hit my target spot. The lock on the book began to melt away when the light hit it, leaving a gooey puddle of gold on the table. My heavenly light was being absorbed into the book, and I watched in awe as the book projected an image. The image was of a handsome man that I vaguely remembered from somewhere. He had short blond hair that curled slightly at the bottom. His eyes were a striking blue; they reminded me of the color of the sky on a bright spring afternoon and looked like they could pierce into your soul. His eyebrows were slightly bushy and darker than his hair, but they framed his eyes perfectly, giving him a fierce look. His nose looked like he was of Roman heritage. His lips were pulled into a thin line, wondering if this man knew how to smile. His strong jawline completed his look, making his face portray a warrior's. His shoulders were broad, shirtless, showing his firm, muscular torso. He had on a pteruges, one of those defensive skirts made of leather strips, and he carried a broad sword and shield in his hands. Looking at him, I could see why Lilith, the first female fallen angel, had fallen for this man.
I heard Samael's sharp intake as he took in the sight of the man before him, and I could hear him mutter something under his breath, but I couldn't make out the words.
"Samael, do you know who this is?" I asked as I continued to stare at the vaguely familiar man.
"You really should pay more attention in class, Katrina. I know I am handsome and perhaps slightly distracting, but the Queen of the four kingdoms should be well rounded with her education." Samael joked with a teasing smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, making me wonder why his mood had suddenly changed.
It was then that the identity of the angel came to me. The man pictured before me was Michael, the first of the archangels. The warrior of the angels, the protector who had vanished. The man was gifted the power of heavenly light to protect the kingdom from dark spirits who would dare challenge the Gods.
"My father is Michael?" I asked, my eyes wide with shock.
Samael nodded a grave look, "You're in more danger than initially thought. If it comes out that you're the product of two of the most powerful angels to live, one of darkness and one of light, the entirety of the world will haunt you down to destroy you."
I swallowed deeply. It was starting to make more and more sense why my parents had abandoned me at the orphanage that faithful day. Like Lilith's letter said, she had many enemies who were after her.
"How do you think their relationship began?" I asked, "Surely they were enemies."
"I can only imagine it was during one of their many battles, perhaps even the last battle they had together," Samael replied.
When I learned about my parents, I thought all my questions would be answered. Instead, here I am left with more unanswered questions. My being here, my birth, should never have happened, so why did it? Why had two very different, polar opposite beings come together as one?
"Well, now that we know a little more about your lineage, it'll be easier to figure out which divine gifts you were given and how to help you control them," Samael stated as he walked over to me, pulling me into his arms.
"I guess that is one benefit." I replied, "Although, I'd rather know more about my parents," I muttered.
"Let's go back upstairs; we can find out more about your parents by grabbing their archives," Samael stated, grabbing my arm and leading me back up the stairs.
"And power mergers," I stated, still curious about my connection with Professor Luka.
"Of course," Samael replied, his eyes rolling before he turned, opening the door back into the archives.
It didn't take long for Samael and me to find Lilith and Michael's records, but finding the records on power mergers was more complicated. We found one record, but it went over your typical power share, with the most basic of bonds, that disappeared after a day or two of distance. I hadn't seen Luka since classes on Wednesday, and I felt like a part of me was missing when he wasn't near.
"Maybe we're going about this the wrong way," Samael stated, getting fed up with not being able to locate any information on the bond Luka and I shared.
I watched as he went over to an ancient text section of the archives and pulled out a big hefty book that looked like it hadn't been touched in at least a century.
"It's a book on mates. The guys and I, we never considered that the mate we all shared might be mated to another, but." He let out a frustrated sigh, "but I'm starting to think it wasn't just a power merger between you and Luka. I think you may be fated with one another. You're a combination of both the fallen and the archangels. You're an anomaly. No, I can feel it in my bones that this is the text we need to research." Samael stated.
"Will you be disappointed if I have another mate?" I asked, casting my gaze downwards as I stared at a speck of dirt on the floor.
"I could never be disappointed in you, Katrina. You are meant for me; you're the one I have been waiting for my entire life. I am only disappointed that I'll have to share your time with yet another." He replied, taking my chin and forcing me to look into his dazzling eyes.
I smiled a little. Samael was just as possessive as Miles; he just had his way of showing it.
"I'd love to stay and keep you here all to myself, beautiful, but we have a dinner to attend, and knowing mom. She'll have my head if I'm late." Samael replied, running his hand through his hair.
"Well, we wouldn't want to piss off the goddess of the underworld." I laughed, taking his hand and letting him lead me back towards his home."