Aiden Lobo is a graduate student in a world where magic, gods, and demons are part of everyday life. After a terrible betrayal, he is cursed with a Crack in his heart, slowly turning him into a living doorway for an ancient war demon. If Aeshma breaks through to Earth, he will kill millions.<br><br>But before Aeshma can open the Crack, Aiden is rescued by his guardian angel, who uses his own Light to seal Aiden's heart. As a servant of the divine, the nameless angel was supposed to kill Aiden to avert the growing cataclysm inside him. But he loves Aiden too much to end his life, even to save the world.<br><br>It's impossible for Aiden not to love his warm, generous guardian in return. He names the angel Eskandar, but then learns to his horror that because Eskandar was created for him, when Aiden dies, Eskandar will too. The angel has long since accepted this fate, but Aiden refuses to. He will do anything to keep his beloved angel safe. But with no other recourse than to sacrifice himself to prevent the apocalypse, there's only one way for Aiden to save Eskandar: a terrible betrayal of his own.

A Crack in the Heart

He was sure the shock showed clear on his face, but he was done. He was turning to ice and whatever reserves he’d had were gone, nothing left even to save his own life anymore. And what could he do against an angel anyway?


Two hundred million dead, Aiden thought. He smiled, trying to be brave, trying to let the angel know he understood, it was all right.


The angel swallowed, then he nodded and smiled again, though it was wan and sad. He lifted his sword, but he didn’t bring it down. He and Aiden stared at each other. The angel’s hand started to shake.


Something changed, deep inside what was left of Aiden’s chest. Just a slight pressure at first, like a fingertip on his heart. But then it grew and sharpened and got worse, and worse, until in seconds it felt like there was an animal trapped beneath his ribcage digging its way out.


Chapter 16