Chapter Ten.

Harlow felt the shift before she even opened her eyes. One moment, she was in her bedroom, heart pounding in anticipation, fingers curled tightly around her bedsheets. The next, she was weightless, suspended in an endless, swirling abyss of silver and blue light. It felt as though she was falling and floating all at once, the very fabric of her being stretched and pulled in ways that defied logic.

The descent into the spirit realm was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Wisps of ethereal mist curled around her, whispering in voices too distant to understand. She clenched her fists, keeping her mind focused on why she was here. She had to find the leaders of the angel covenant. She needed answers. And she needed to come back to Sage. That thought alone kept her grounded amidst the overwhelming transition.

When she finally landed, her feet touching solid ground, she was in a vast, marble-floored chamber. Towering pillars stretched towards a sky that wasn't a sky at all, but a swirling cosmos of silver and gold. It was beautiful, but she had no time to admire it. She needed to find the covenant leaders and get this over with.

As she walked through the grand halls, memories of Sage tugged at her heart. How would she be handling this? Would she be okay? The thought of her girlfriend waiting, anxious and alone, sent a pang of guilt through her. Sage had been so strong for her, but Harlow knew how fragile she could be beneath that tough exterior.

---

Sage lay awake in bed, staring at her phone screen. It was past three in the morning, and she hadn't slept a minute since Harlow had vanished at midnight. Every second that passed felt like a knife twisting in her gut. She had never felt this helpless before.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, wanting to text, to call, to do anything. But she knew it was pointless. Harlow's phone was still on Earth, and she was somewhere far beyond Sage's reach. That knowledge alone made her chest ache.

She clenched her jaw and forced herself to sit up, running a hand through her tangled hair. She had to work a double shift tomorrow—no, today—but the exhaustion in her body couldn't overpower the turmoil in her mind. She wanted to storm into the spirit realm herself, to find Harlow and make sure she was safe. But she knew that would only make things worse.

Instead, she did the only thing she could: she poured her heart into a text.

Harlow, I know you can't read this yet, but I need to say it anyway. I miss you. I'm scared. I hate that you're gone and that I can't do anything about it. But I promised to be strong for you, so that's what I'm going to do. I'll be here when you get back, no matter what. Just... come back to me, okay? I love you.

She hit send, knowing it would sit unread in Harlow's inbox, and threw her phone onto the bed. Then, with a deep breath, she steeled herself for the long day ahead. She had to keep it together—for Harlow.

---

Harlow finally reached the grand chamber where the angel covenant leaders resided. A semi-circle of figures stood waiting, their white robes shimmering like liquid light. At the center stood Seraphina, the leader of the covenant, her silver eyes piercing through Harlow as if she already knew everything about her.

"We've been expecting you," Seraphina said coolly. "Your arrival has been... anticipated."

Harlow swallowed hard. "I need answers."

Seraphina's lips curled into something between a smile and a sneer. "Do you, now? Or are you here seeking permission to keep living your forbidden little fantasy?"

Harlow's stomach twisted, but she held her ground. "If you mean Sage, then yes, I love her. And I'm not going to let you make me feel ashamed of that."

A murmur passed through the covenant leaders, but Seraphina remained impassive. "Love? Is that what you call it? A demon and an angel entangled in something so... unclean?"

Harlow's fists clenched. "It's not unclean. It's real. And it's more than anything I've ever had here or in the human world." Her voice wavered slightly, but she pressed on. "I lost my father. I lost a part of myself when he died. But Sage—she makes me feel whole again. She makes me feel safe."

Seraphina studied her for a long moment before shaking her head. "You are naive, child. You do not understand what you risk."

Harlow's heart pounded. "Then help me understand."

Seraphina took a slow step forward, her gaze like ice. "You must make a choice, Harlow. If you wish to embrace your role in the covenant, to ascend to your rightful place, you must sever your ties with the demon. She is a corruption, a distraction, and a danger to your divine path."

Harlow's breath hitched. "And if I refuse?"

Seraphina's eyes darkened. "Then you will forfeit your angelic essence. You will be cast from the spirit realm, stripped of your abilities, and forced to live as a mortal."

The weight of the words crashed down on Harlow, stealing the air from her lungs. She would lose everything—her connection to this world, her power, her very identity as an angel.

But she would have Sage.

Her hands trembled at her sides as she met Seraphina's gaze. "You're asking me to choose between love and my existence."

Seraphina's voice was cold. "No, child. I am asking you to choose between destiny and desire."

Harlow's chest tightened, her mind a storm of emotions. She had fought so hard to find her place in both worlds, and now she had to decide which one she was willing to lose.

And in that moment, she knew—no matter what, this decision would change everything.