Caged by Damnation (Caged #2)(64)

Izzy blew out the air she had been holding. "I don't know. I want to say yes, but ... I think it's better to plan for the worst." I began to moan, agony engulfing me. I would have rather died on the battlefield than live without them.

Izzy added, "Although, given the odds, I'm sure some of them are okay." It didn't help. Losing even one of them would be hell.

We made our way back to the birdbath and I stopped her. "What's it like being a phoenix? And when did you get your voice back?"

Her head angled to the side, reminding me of how she had been when birthed from the ashes. "It's like growing up at an accelerated rate. One minute I was a toddler and the next I was back to being me." She smiled. "I'm grateful to talk again, though. I hated being so limited. Quite a few jokes were wasted because my delivery consisted of squawking."

"You never squawked. You just shrieked a lot." I playfully bumped her shoulder with mine, attempting to ignore the cavity in my stomach which wouldn't be filled until I knew the fate of my family.

By the time we walked back inside, the sun had gone down. Isis and a group of men were waiting in the living room, arranged on various furniture or milling about. Isis gave me a peculiar look but remained silent. I had a feeling that a verbal beating would be dealt out later.

Maloc stood at the stove, stirring stew in an enormous pot. After he spotted us, he turned the burner off and faced us, as if knowing we had something important to talk about. The others quieted down as well. The men in the room would have made any enemy cower. All of them were tall, and in some ways they reminded me of the Hellhounds, only male.

Izzy pointed to a platinum blonde with shamrock-green eyes. He was roughly of an average size, but with no shortage of muscle. "That's Ryder." He nodded and I saw what she meant about his lack of expression.

"I'm Cooper." A tall, lanky man, with light brown hair and eyes to match, graced me with a smile. Judging from the hat he was wearing, I guessed that he was one of the more carefree Draconians.

Another Draconian stepped forward; his teal eyes startled me against his dark auburn hair. "I'm Gabriel and this is Archer." He nodded to the man standing to his right. Archer was more unique than the others with shoulder-length hair in autumn shades, coupled with gray eyes.

In the rocking chair I spied a man with medium brown spiked hair and frosted tips. His eyes were black and he introduced himself as Julian. Then came Wolfe, whose hair had been dyed various unnatural colors. The last was Aidan, who I was told was the geek of the group. He seemed quiet, which suited his hazel eyes and brown hair.

"Hi everyone." My voice was small, intimidated by so much masculinity. "We have something to show you." Izzy read the piece of the prophecy and looked up at the others. The Draconian's stared back with unflinching gazes.

Then Isis began reciting the rest from memory, and I looked at her in shock.

"How did you remember that?"

Isis looked up from the pillow in her lap and around the room. "I have a good memory. It doesn't do us much good though. I don't know what it means."

Nicolai stepped forward, shocking me with his nearness, because I hadn't been aware of him behind me. "As above, so below, a child is born in a demon’s glow. The innocence of Heaven has been woven, she will be kept within a coven. Born of three, there is another, but first she must accept her true mother. The sight will grace her, but Death will follow, to leave behind naught but sorrow. Destruction litters her path, as eyes watch with baited breath. A game of chess will be played, to maneuver those who have been made. An angel’s spawn is yet a pawn. Denial is among the few, as one will betray anew. Allies and enemies will turn or flee, protecting the chosen one of their enemy. Torn in half, the world awaits this woman to decide their fate."

Nicolai's voice echoed through the cottage, creating a sense of uncertainty within me. His translation seemed to resonate, taking security with it and leaving doom behind.

Liam sat on the couch between two Draconians I had yet to meet. He shifted uncomfortably. "Savannah, I hate to say this, but it sounds like you. I'm pretty sure you're the only female on this planet born of three with an angel for a parent. Plus, you were raised in a coven and Death has stalked the ones you love." Liam looked apologetic, but he was voicing exactly what I had been thinking.

"It's okay. You're probably right." Suddenly, I felt lightheaded. The news that the fate of the world was in my hands was too much. Why couldn't I be normal? For once, it would be nice if I could rely on an average life with boring activities. Instead, demons had a way of hunting me and the people around me.

Nicolai caught me as my knees gave out. Murmurs of worry from the others made their way to me, but I couldn't sort through them. I needed to get away, to escape and allow myself to bask in denial. Thankfully, Nicolai brought me to my room and closed the door on my destiny, settling me against the pillows on my bed.

"I ... I could end the world? Me?" In hysterics, I jumped out of the bed and began pacing, Nicolai looking on. "How exactly do I do that? Here I am, trying to be good, trying to make the right choices, and I might destroy everything? Time and again, I promise myself to never become a monster, but it turns out I am the worst one in existence! You should just kill me now and be done with it, because apparently, I'm not worth saving." I stopped in front of him, my chest heaving with my tirade, gasping for breath.