Burn Me

Burn Me AN IMMORTAL VICES AND VIRTUES NOVEL K.A. KNIGHT KENDRA MORENO Copyright © 2023 K.A. Knight & Kendra Moreno, all rights reserved. Burn Me (Immortal Vices and Virtues Book Ten). This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to places, events or real people are entirely coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Written by K.A. Knight & Kendra Moreno Edited By Jess from Elemental Editing and Proofreading. Formatted by The Nutty Formatter. Cover by Yocla Designs. Contents 1. Roux 2. Vetris 3. Roux 4. Vetris 5. Roux 6. Vetris 7. Roux 8. Vetris 9. Roux 10. Vetris 11. Roux 12. Vetris 13. Roux 14. Vetris 15. Roux 16. Vetris 17. Roux 18. Vetris 19. Roux 20. Vetris 21. Roux 22. Vetris 23. Roux 24. Vetris 25. Roux 26. Vetris 27. Roux 28. Vetris 29. Roux 30. Vetris 31. Roux 32. Vetris 33. Roux 34. Vetris 35. Roux 36. Vetris 37. Roux 38. Vetris 39. Roux Epilogue About K.A. Knight About Kendra Moreno Also by K.A. Knight Also By Kendra Chapter 1 Roux As I soar high above Celestia, my copper and blonde streaked hair floats past me on the wind as I glide through the clouds, the sun shining down on my white feathered wings. My runes burn bright with my power, echoed across my tan skin and pale wings. I feel the strength in my body, my muscles tensing as I turn and swoop lower over my homeland—muscles I have honed over my many years as a descendant of seraphim, those who rule us. All who are born of their blood are archangels, and they protect our lands and our people. They are warriors, just like me. Cherubim are just trouble, while dominions rule over the warriors. The only other class of angels above us archangels are virtues, those born with control over the elements. There are many below us, like half-breeds and those born with lesser power, but the archangels? We are the most important, if I do say so myself. But everyone has a place in Celestia. As always, my breath catches in my lungs as I pass through the clouds and my world comes into focus, shining brightly with our angelic powers. My eyes go to the palace of angels first, or the Palace of Pia, which reaches up toward the heavens. The white and gold architecture is so stunning, I almost wept the first time I saw it from above. The spires proudly display our golden sun flag, the huge, sprawling mass of the structure inhabited by our leader. Everyone else lives throughout the city and the other areas across the islands. From below, Celestia only looks like a giant rock with other rocks surrounding it, but from above, you see the beauty and size of our world. The palace sits in the middle of the main part of our lands, with gardens and greenery surrounding it. Houses and shops stretch out to the edges, while training areas, schools, and additional housing are located on the adjacent rocks, or islands as we call them, which you have to fly to. There are advantages to wings, after all. Everything on our islands is done in the same brilliant white and gold, so when the sun hits it, reflecting off the glimmering architecture, my eyes almost water as I swoop lower and lower. I wave and smile at others in greetings as I slow and glide past the edges of our world, seeing the one underneath. Deeper below Celestia is a wasteland. The rugged terrain sits between us and the demons, which are fiery beings that hide under the ruined crust of the Earth. For a moment, sadness washes over me. The desert wasteland stretches as far as the eye can see. Nothing green or good is left, thanks to the battles that have taken place there over the years. It’s unlike Celestia. Our world floats high in the clouds. Angels train in the sky, children learn to fly by leaping off the islands, and archangels like me learn to fight while jumping between treacherous stones. Some simply enjoy the sun since we’re so close to it. There is nothing more perfect than our world, I think idly as I land on the edge of a clearing near the training house for archangels. We inhabit the island to the very right—the higher in rank we are, the better housing we get. Since I was on patrol, I need to report back to let them know I didn’t see any demons or traps. After all, the demons are our enemies. We have been at war with them for centuries, always fighting and warring. It’s a tale as old as time—good versus evil. They are brutal killing machines with no conscience, hence why they live below the crust of the world, burning for their sins as they should. Flipping my hair over my shoulder, I tuck my wings in, as is polite, and stride through the fighting masses. Angel sticks and glowing swords ring out as they clash with shouts of encouragement following. The familiar sounds make me smile, and I ache to join in, to prove myself and put myself to the test. I have only been granted the archangel rank for a little over eighty sun rotations now, and after training, I was put on patrol. I hope, as I prove myself, I can work my way up. I would love to see more of our world and of Earth through the portal. I have been a few times—sometimes when I shouldn’t—and it is an incredible place filled with so many species and types of people. The rules are not the same there, and for a moment, I long for that freedom before Ajop, the leader of the training school,