Page 9 of Saints & Sinners

I grimaced at the thought. “Sounds more like a prison, then.”

Marnie gave me a small laugh. “It’s not all bad. We get sent our own food hauls, decent beds, and depending on whether you have supportive parents or not, we either get monthly spendings sent from them or from Celestials. But I suppose you already knew all of that, considering your upbringing.”

I stopped in my tracks, frowning as she turned to face me.

“Joe Martin?” she asked, a little too casually, then winced at my reaction. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. It’s just... he’s kind of a big deal among Ascendants. He ascended within two weeks of being at Celestia. That’s rare.”

I chuckled because Joe was my norm. He couldn’t cook, would always lose me inside shopping markets, and would panic whenever my period came. Yet, even with that, he still managedto be a source of hope among those who wanted to become angels.

“Except that he didn’t give birth to me,” I said, and she laughed, her mouth full of red-colored skittles.

For the first time today, I flashed her a bright, genuine smile. But it faded as quickly as it came when my eyes locked onto a pair of piercing grey ones staring right back at me.

My heart stopped, the sudden urge to flee tightening around my chest.

Hunter was leaning casually against a tree, his head tilted slightly as he watched me with an intensity that made my skin prickle. His expression was unreadable, but those eyes were sharp enough to cut through the distance between us like a blade.

Marnie continued talking, oblivious to the silent exchange Hunter and I were having. I barely heard her words as I struggled to maintain my composure. Hunter’s gaze was relentless, and with every passing second, I doubted he would ever look away.

I forced myself to focus on Marnie and blurted out, “What do you know about Hunter Cain?”

She almost choked on her skittles before glancing around in search of him. “Hunter?” Her bright green eyes widened as they snapped back to mine. “Um, well, a few things... but he’s sort of an enigma. He’s been at Celestia ever since he was thirteen after his brother was taken away by the Riftkeeper’s.”

“Brother? Was he also an Ascendant?”

“No.” She shook her head and leaned forward to whisper. “But I doubt he’s alive anymore if the Riftkeeper’s took him. Apparently, they even killed his mother in front of them, too.”

That knowledge made the skittles I’d had churn inside my stomach. I was no stranger to how dangerous Riftkeeper’s were. I had only ever seen them a couple of times. They bore a specificbrand, distinguishing them from the rest. It was one of the reasons they couldn’t pass the barrier to Celestia if they found it. But... to know that happened to Hunter’s family makes me wonder if he really deserved the kick I gave him.

“He’s also part of the Warrior Sector,” Marnie added nonchalantly, looking over her shoulder, though I refused to let my eyes roam anywhere near Hunter. “Ughhh, he’s just so dreamy.”

I made a face. “Who, Hunter?”

Marnie scoffed, grinning. “Obviously, but I’m not talking about him this time; I’m talking about Brandon.”

I couldn’t avoid it anymore. I had to look Marnie’s way to where Brandon had joined Hunter.

“Would you look at that face?” Marnie murmured, her voice slipping into a low, playful growl that made me laugh. She grabbed a handful of skittles and shoved them into her mouth. “Too bad we could never date.”

Forgetting the whole concept of where I was, I raised an eyebrow at her. “Why not?”

“Ascendants,” she emphasized as if that explained everything. When I still looked confused, she sighed and continued, “If I want to become a Celestial, I can’t get involved in relationships. Here at Celestia, once you join and swear that you’re here to one day ascend, then any form of romantic relationship is strictly prohibited.”

Ah, right, I forgot about that.

“Others might not care much about messing around for a quick lay, but getting into something serious with someone? Say goodbye to your time at Celestia and any future of becoming an angel.”

“Well, in that case... I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being able to have fun without having to enter a relationship fornow.”

Marnie shook her head. “And then what? Have my heart broken right before I ascend? No thanks. I’d rather not break the Angelic Code or have to sneak around Celestials just for a quick shag to then be caught.”

She was right, but perhaps part of me found it problematic that was the life of a Celestial. Somehow, drinking alcohol and partying were fine by their norms, but to date? A treason in their eyes. “You know,” I suggested with a shrug, “you could always choose not to become an angel.”

Her reaction was instant, and the horrified expression on her face told me that option wasn’t even remotely on the table for her. “I don’t know what Joe has told you about Ascendants or how the Angelic Council works, but I’m not risking everything for love. If you decide against becoming an angel, the Council will strip you of your powers—every memory you’ve ever had connected to this place and as an Ascendant, including the family members that might know of your nature. So, either way, you’d lose the person you fall for.”

Her words left me stunned. Joe had never mentioned any of this to me. I knew that Celestials couldn’t fall in love—neither with another Celestial nor a mortal. The threat of a Nephilim being born was too great; they were seen as abominations by the entire Angelic Council. But to have your memories stripped... I couldn’t even process the idea of it.

“Hey, Marns,” someone called out, jolting me from my thoughts. “Already trying to drill the rules into the new girl’s head?”

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