Sighing, Atlanta stretched her beautiful black wings and folded her arms over her chest.
“Don’t pout. You look like a spoiled child, rather than a woman who has come of age. Are you coming or should I tell him that you’re being a brat?” Tyson said.
“I don’t pout! Why do I even have to go, anyway? Father never expects me to attend his dinners.”
Atlanta had been summoned, for the first time ever, by her Father, Azazel, the ruler of Azure.
“You do pout and you have to go because he said you do. You’re the closest thing he has to a daughter, Atlanta, and sometimes a father will want to spend time with his daughter.”
“But Ty…”
“Ty, nothing. It's not my decision but as your eldest and most favourite brother, I’m telling you that you have to go.”
Tyson was twenty-six and older than Atlanta by three years. Reminding her of that was one of his most favourite things to do and it was becoming tedious, to say the least.
“Unfortunately for me, you’re my only brother,” she mumbled. “Can I at least change, first? Whenever he sees me in human clothing, he gives me nothing but scowls.”
“There’s no time. I don’t know why you don’t just wear your robes like the rest of us do. They're so attractive." He was full of sarcasm as he swirled and fluttered his lashes. "Now, come on, squirt, and don’t dawdle.”
Atlanta blew out but followed Tyson through the palace corridors, making sure to pace her steps only a little faster than that of a snail. She could feel eyes gouging holes into her back as she passed the women's hall and she rolled her eyes as they hit Belinda, the admiral's daughter, who was shooting daggers from behind the window. They had been best friends once, but over the years, they had grown distant and eventually had become rivals for some reason only Belinda knew.
" Ready?"
Atlanta ran her sweaty palms down the thighs of her skin tight jeans and nodded. "If I have to be."
The hall was packed with high ranking Fallens from every corner of Azure, all standing around making idle chit chat. The pretense disgusted Atlanta. She knew as well as they did that all the niceties would have been replaced by blades as soon as backs were turned.
"Where's Father?"
"He must not have arrived yet. Look, Cael is over there. Shall we go say hi?"
"Shall we not? Too late."
Cael was the hot topic on every female's lips. Not a day went by without him fending off at least a dozen desperate women who wanted a piece of the drop-dead gorgeous, angelic hunk. Most had had more than their fair share of him and a few times over. After all, Cael was the biggest player in Azure.
"Atlanta. What a pleasure it is to have your beauty gracing our presence this evening," Cael said.
Atlanta saw the twinkle of desire in his eyes and choked back nausea.
"Let me get you a drink. It will help loosen up that throat of yours," he said, turning to find a server.
"Will you stop it," Tyson scolded.
"He's vile, Ty. He's a sleaze that makes my skin crawl."
"Just try and be nice, please? The last thing we need is your stubborn ass causing a scene.”
Atlanta creased her eyes while flashing a smile that promised a beautiful nightmare if her buttons were pushed in the wrong direction and flicked her beach wave hair over her shoulder. Tyson sighed and shook his head at her sass.
“I guess not, then,” he said.
“I’m always nice. It’s not my fault other’s might not think so. Look, Father is there. I suppose I best let him see me before I sneak off.”
“Don’t you bloody dare! I’ll pluck those damn feathers and send you to Terra myself if you try. Look, I know you’re not happy being here and, to be honest, I’d rather not be here, either, but tonight is important. Father said he has a surprise you won’t ever forget so just go with it, please?”
“A surprise? What is it?” She hated surprises. You had to pretend it was a brilliant idea, even if it wasn’t and if it was a gift, you had to instantly love it, even if it was horrible.
“I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me anything other than he had a surprise for you and I had to bring you and for Creator's sake, act surprised.”
Atlanta Slumped her shoulders as she followed Tyson through the groups of Fallen, then straightened herself out at the sound of tutting, followed by a snide comment about delinquent children. Atlanta bit back the urge to poke her tongue out and blow a raspberry at the dark-haired, white-winged man and instead, forced a smile as she walked by.
Atlanta, my beautiful angel. You look wonderful,” Azazel said.
Tyson shifted his feet under the gaze of Azazel and Atlanta knew he would be having words about her lack of robes. She hated the damn things. They were loose, itchy and drafty but most of all, they made her look frumpy.
“Thank you, father. I wasn’t expecting to attend or I would have changed.”
“Ah, well, I have a surprise for you and asking you to attend would have ruined it. Shall we?”
Atlanta took his extended arm and walked with him to the edge of the room. Her mouth began to dry as he led her to the stage where he addressed his audiences. What the hell is he doing? She wondered as he lifted her chin and asked her to wait at the foot of the stage.
“What did he say?” Tyson asked.
His voice was a confused whisper as he placed his hand in hers. He knew she hated public functions and would normally be found hiding in a corner, not standing at the front of the hall for all to see.
“Gentleman!” Azazel began.
There was no need to call for silence. It happened as soon as he opened his mouth. Atlanta had been fascinated by his authority when she had been little and had spent years trying to create the same effect.
“You are all my highest ranking men and the pillars of Azure but I called you here tonight, not as officials. I called you here to stand by my side as the family and friends that you are. I called you here tonight to share something that fills my heart with joy. The beloved Creator has blessed me with a new family member and I cannot wait a moment longer to announce him.”
Atlanta looked at her brother and saw that he was just as confused as she was. There had been no new family member. Tyson always oversaw the Collectors when they brought offspring from the humans and he hadn’t been on a collection for months.
“Commanding Officer Cael has finally agreed that it is time he threw in the bachelor towel and I’m delighted to announce that he will be tied United in just a few months. Who’s the luckiest lady in Azure, I hear you ask?”
Atlanta felt her stomach hit Terra as her father looked at her with eyes bursting with pride and a dazzling smile that would break the sun in two. Tyson squeezed her hand, hard, maybe to stop her running out of the hall, or maybe to convince himself that he wasn’t asleep.
“My beautiful daughter, Atlanta.”
The hall erupted in applause, shouts and cheers as Cael walked onto the stage and hugged her father. He was brimming with his arrogant pride as he looked at Atlanta with lust-filled eyes.
“I swear, I didn’t l know…”
Atlanta, her eyes brimming with tears, wished to be thrown in a room full of demons from Terra before being taken to Asmodeus in the deepest, darkest depths of the Inferno because even that was a better option to being United with Cael.