Finale

trembling hands and brushed a soothing kiss across my knuckles. “Dueling went out of fashion hundreds of years ago in human culture, but it’s still socially acceptable
to Nephilim. In their eyes, it’s the fastest and most obvious way of solving a disagreement. Dante wants to be leader of the Nephilim army, and you’re going to make him and every other
Nephil believe you want it just as badly.”
    “Why don’t we just tell prominent Nephilim about the feathers at the meeting?” My heart surged with hope. “They won’t care about anything else when they know I have
a surefire way of winning the war and restoring peace.”
    “If Pepper fails, they’ll see it as your failure. Getting close won’t count. Either they’ll hail you as a savior for getting the feathers, or they’ll crucify you
for flopping. Until we know for sure Pepper has succeeded, we can’t mention the feathers.”
    I raked my hands through my hair. “I can’t do this.”
    Patch said, “If Dante is working for fallen angels, and if he gains power, the Nephilim race will be more deeply in bondage than ever before. I worry fallen angels will use devilcraft to
make Nephilim slaves long after Cheshvan ends.”
    I shook my head miserably. “There’s too much at stake. What if I fail?” And undoubtedly I would.
    “There’s more, Nora. Your oath to Hank.”
    Dread formed like chunks of ice in the pit of my stomach. Once again, I remembered every word I’d spoken to Hank Millar the night he’d pressured me to take up the reins of his doomed
uprising.
I’ll lead your army. If I break this promise, I understand my mom and I are both as good as dead.
Which didn’t leave me much of a choice, did it? If I wanted to stay
on Earth with Patch, and preserve my mom’s life, I had to keep my title as leader of the Nephilim army. I couldn’t let Dante steal it from me.
    “A duel is a rare show, and throw in two high-profile Nephilim, such as you and Dante, and this will be an event not to be missed,” Patch said. “I’m hoping for the best,
that we’ll be able to push out the duel, and that Pepper won’t fail, but I think we should prepare for the worst. The duel might be your only way out.”
    “Just how large of an audience are we talking?”
    Patch’s gaze as it met mine was cool and confident. But for a moment, I saw sympathy flicker behind his eyes. “Hundreds.”
    I swallowed hard. “I can’t do this.”
    “I’ll train you, Angel. I’ll be by your side every step of the way. You’re far stronger than you were two weeks ago, and all that after a few hours of work with a trainer
who was only doing enough to make you think he was invested. He wanted you to think he was training you, but I highly doubt he was doing much more than putting your muscles through the minimum
resistance. I don’t think you realize just how powerful you are. With true training, you can beat him.” Patch clasped the back of my neck, pulling our faces together. He looked at me
with such confidence and trust it nearly shattered my heart.
You can do this. It’s a task no one would envy, and I admire you even more for considering it
, he spoke to my mind.
    “Isn’t there some other way?” But I’d spent the past several moments frantically analyzing the circumstances from every possible angle. With Pepper’s questionable
chance at success, combined with the oath I swore to Hank, and the precarious situation of the entire Nephilim race, there was no other way. I had to go through with this.
    “Patch, I’m scared,” I whispered.
    He pulled me into his arms. He kissed the top of my head and stroked my hair. He didn’t need to say the words for me to know he was frightened too. “I’m not letting you lose
this duel, Angel. I’m not letting you face Dante without knowing I control the outcome. The duel will appear fair, but it won’t be. Dante sealed his fate the moment he turned on you.
I’m not letting him off the hook.” His murmured words hardened. “He won’t come out of this alive.”
    “Can you rig the duel?”
    The vengeance smoldering in his gaze told me all I needed to know.
    “If anyone were to find out—” I began.
    Patch kissed me, hard, but with an amused glint in his eye. “If I get caught, it’ll mean the end of kissing you. Do you really think I’d risk that?” His face grew
serious. “I know I can’t feel your touch, but I feel your love, Nora. Inside me. It means everything to me. I wish I could