Genesis stirred in her sleep, lashes fluttering. She stretched lazily, eyes still closed, and reached her hand to the other side of the bed—empty... and cold. Her eyes snapped open.
The room was dark.
She shot upright.
Where am I? Panic gripped her chest like a vise.
Where's Kieran?
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. This wasn't their bedroom. She didn't recognize the walls, the smell, or the eerie silence. Her body trembled as she climbed off the bed, the floorboards icy beneath her bare feet. She walked around slowly, shivering, and reached out again—no bedside table, no familiar lamp.
Her heart pounded harder. Her knees nearly buckled. But she didn't crumble. She didn't hide in the corner or break down in tears.
Instead, she straightened her spine, took a deep breath, and climbed back onto the bed, rummaging through the blankets for her phone.
Where is it? she thought frantically.
Her fingers brushed something solid—smooth, rectangular. Her phone. Relief swept over her. She turned it on, quickly entered her password, and flicked on the flashlight (even though she could've done that first).
The moment the light filled the room, she felt herself relax slightly. But what the beam revealed confirmed her worst suspicion—this was definitely not their room.
She slid off the bed and spotted a door just a few feet ahead. She started toward it—then froze.
A sound.
It came from the left side of the room. She turned the torchlight and spotted two doors. She frowned, unsure which one had made the noise.
She stood still, listening. Then her feet moved before her brain could stop them. She pressed her ear to one of the doors. Muffled voices.
Her eyes widened.
One voice—that voice—she'd recognize anywhere.
She twisted the doorknob. The door creaked open. Light spilled into the room, and six pairs of eyes snapped to her.
Her breath caught in her throat.
She turned instinctively, drawn to the source of his gaze—he stood near the window. She didn't hesitate. She ran to him.
Knight opened his arms wide, and she rushed into them. He caught her, lifting her off the ground. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He smiled as he held her close, as if nothing else in the world mattered.
"Did you sleep well, princess?" he asked softly, his voice laced with love and admiration so strong that everyone else in the room could feel it.
Genesis slid down from his arms, crossing hers over her chest, pouting.
"Are you mad at me?" he asked, stepping forward, closing the space between them. "What did I do?" His fingers brushed the shell of her ear. She shivered—his hands were ice cold.
She grabbed his hand quickly, alarmed, and brought it to her neck to warm him. Her eyes lifted to his in concern.
He looked down at her, and there was something in his gaze. Pain. Regret.
"I'm sorry for leaving you alone in there," he murmured, cupping her head and pressing it gently to his chest. His entire body was cold, and she didn't like that at all. She hugged him tighter, trying to share her warmth.
Knight closed his eyes. Like he was apologizing for something more than just leaving her.
Then he pulled away and glanced at the people watching them. He nodded.
"There are people I want you to meet."
Genesis hesitated, glancing shyly toward the others. Her face flushed with embarrassment. They had seen... all that.
"Genesis," Knight said with quiet pride, "these are my Divines."
She blinked.
Divines?
****
Her heart pounded.
Genesis stood in the center of the room, surrounded by strangers. She was dressed in fighter's gear—tight black pants, a sleeveless top, wraps around her knuckles. Like she was about to fight.
Like she was being tested.
Well… she was about to do just that.
Genesis looked at the middle-aged woman in front of her, who wore a small, knowing smile.
Her gaze drifted around the room and landed on Mia and Cady. They smiled too—but beneath those smiles, Genesis could see the uncertainty. Still, she was surprised to see them here. Knight had explained it all.
They were angels.
Not literal ones—but that's what he called them. Angels who had been living in the estate, pretending to be maids. Their real mission? To protect her. To be there for her. She'd been confused at first, but Knight had patiently explained that he ran a program—an academy, he called it—where people like Mia and Cady were trained to serve, protect, and follow him without question.
He hadn't used words like spies or killers, and he definitely hadn't mentioned the years of conditioning… or the blood on their hands.
No. He'd just said they were angels—his angels.
And the ones who trained them?
Divines.
Genesis hadn't known what to make of it. All she knew was that Mia, Katherine, Melody, Joy, and Cady—the same girls who once folded her clothes and brewed her tea—now stood tall and proud in their own fighter's gear. Like her.
They looked completely at ease in this cold, metallic space that somehow still felt like home. A faint scent of fire lingered in the air.
Genesis tried to control her breathing, but her heart still thundered in her chest.
"I know this is a lot," said Selene, the woman standing before her. Her voice was calm but firm—steady, like stone. She was the one Knight had said would train her. "But you're not alone."
Genesis blinked and looked up.
Selene stepped closer, and Genesis took in her soft curls streaked with gray, her piercing eyes, and the way she moved—like someone who had seen war... and walked away from it alive.
Genesis turned to glance at Knight, needing his reassurance—but he wasn't looking at her. His eyes were fixed on his phone.
She didn't like that.
But she said nothing and turned back to Selene.
"The first rule of defending yourself," Selene said, her voice like steel wrapped in silk, "is never wait for someone else to make the first move."
Genesis frowned slightly, not quite understanding—
—and the next second, her body slammed into the mat with a heavy thud.
The sound echoed through the room like a gunshot.
Knight's head snapped up from his phone.
His eyes went wide.
His heart pounded so hard it echoed in his ears.
He stepped forward instinctively—but stopped himself.
His jaw clenched. His hand twitched at his side.
Then… he looked away.
Genesis lay flat on her back, the wind knocked out of her. Eyes wide. Silent.
She didn't cry. Didn't scream. But her lips parted like she wanted to.
Her hands trembled against the mat.
She had no training. That much was obvious in the way she'd stood—tense, uncertain, exposed.
Selene stood over her with no hint of apology. Just expectation.
"Up."
Genesis's chest rose and fell rapidly. Her brows furrowed. She rolled to her side and slowly pushed herself up, every motion stiff and unsure. Her legs wobbled beneath her.
She wasn't just shaken—she was confused.
But she stood.
Knight allowed himself a glance. Just one.
His fists clenched when he saw her trembling arms and blinking eyes, straining not to break.
Still, she turned to face Selene again.
Selene gave a sharp nod. "Again."
Genesis braced herself, but her stance was still too open, too unguarded.
Selene swept her leg low, fast—
—and Genesis went down. Hard.
The mat met her body with another sickening thud.
Knight turned fully now, lips parting.
His body moved forward.
But he stopped.
His wife was hurting. And he hated it.
But she had to learn.
And he had to let her.
Genesis didn't move at first. Her chest heaved. The mat felt colder than before.
Then slowly… she sat up.
Her eyes didn't water. Not with tears. But something deeper. Heavier.
Something hot burning behind them.
Selene's voice rang out again, cutting through the silence:
"No one will go easy on you outside these walls. Neither will I."
Genesis stared at her. She didn't nod. Didn't flinch.
She just stood again—legs shaking like
a newborn fawn.
Knight lowered his head, breathing out.
His fists finally relaxed.
Because even though she fell twice…
She kept getting up.
And that
That meant everything.