Aundrea Singer

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

“Tanner made a choice before he met you. He chose to be who he is. He chose to hurt people. Even if he thinks he’s doing the right thing, he made a choice to do harm.


“But you didn’t. Tanner did this to you. Whatever darkness is in you is what he put there. All right? It doesn’t come from you. It isn’t you. You belong to the divine as much as you ever did. And that won’t change, even if they destroy the whole world.”


Aiden nodded mutely. He swallowed, blinked wetness out of his eyes. “Thank you.”


“Gods, Aiden, anytime.” Cassandra all but threw herself into an embrace, nearly bowling him off the bench. He grunted in surprise but then hugged her back.


“The black stuff’s going to ruin your clothes,” he said.


“Seriously, I’m okay, Cass,” Aiden sighed. “I’m just going to take a shower and lie down. I’m tired. And I have a lot to think about.”


Chapter 39