Xavier and a man who looked oddly familiar stepped from the darkened hallway. Tall, lean, and built like the celestials, but time had carved deep lines at the edges of his eyes. His hair was as dark as mine, falling well past his broad, strong shoulders and curling at the ends. I inhaled sharply, not because his eyes glowed celestial blue but because I had spotted the book he held cradled in his hands. The same book Samkiel and I had searched for, the one I’d been willing to die for.
