Silence swallowed the room after Horace's confession.
The weight of his words settled heavily on Knox and Elizabeth like chains around their throats.
"My mate doesn't know yet," Horace said quietly. "Only us, my grandparents, and two of the Judges."
Knox leaned forward immediately. "Which Judges do you trust?"
"The Head Judge, Clinton… and Gabriel the Angel. They're the only allies I trust with this secret."
Elizabeth frowned deeply, trying to piece everything together.
"So Ariel is a goddess… and the devils want her so they can steal her powers?"
Alicia's expression darkened.
"Not just steal them," she corrected."They want to use her powers to resurrect the devils sealed during the First War."
The atmosphere instantly turned grim.
Realization flashed across Knox's face.
