Reign of Angels 1: Revelation: Reign of Angels, #1

By L.G. Castillo

Graduation is meant to be a new beginning. For me, it might be the end.

Sneaking off to Vegas was supposed to be fun and exciting. Nothing more than a getaway with my best friend to celebrate surviving high school.

But I can't shake the feeling someone's watching.

Determined to enjoy my newfound freedom, we hit the strip and meet Tristan, a wildly popular magician who's worshipped by adoring fans.

Burned by guys like him before, I resist his advances. Yet, his smoldering blue eyes compel me, and I can't help falling under his spell.

When the world erupts in chaos, and Tristan's magic act turns out to be more than just an illusion, my entire life changes.

Suddenly, I'm catapulted into a world where angels walk among us, and Tristan is one of them.

Some are out to destroy us.
Some will protect us.
The real question is, which side is Tristan on?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rylind Publishing
• Release date: Oct 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393142812

L.G. Castillo

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1

There was no doubt about it. I was going to jail.

The Nevada Highway Patrol trooper peered over his mirrored sunglasses, scanning the contents of my car. His eyes narrowed until they almost disappeared as they passed over every inch of the interior—sandwich baggies of home-baked brownies and cookies, empty cans of energy drinks stuffed inside brown paper bags, a terrified face, my driver’s license.

My fake license.

What’s this? I had asked Josette when she’d tossed it onto my lap the moment flashing lights had appeared behind us.

Your driver’s license.

I had no clue how or when she’d taken the photo, but there I was—blue-green eyes, frizzy, chestnut-brown hair, and my face smiling like a dork.

Come on, Jo! The date of birth listed on here makes me twenty-five.

You can pull it off.

Are you insane? I was only seventeen—a young-looking seventeen. Stop messing around. Give me my real license.

I can’t.

Why not?

Because it’s in Texas.

"What?"

I scrambled over her, reaching for my purse, hoping against hope this was another one of her crazy pranks. Before I had a chance to go into freak-out mode, the trooper tapped on the window. Now here I was, sweating bullets and trying my best to look older, while Jo munched casually on a chocolate-glazed donut.

The trooper looked down at me again, his lips moving. My mouth went dry, my mind blank. I went on autopilot answering his questions.

He was going to arrest me. I could kiss my college scholarship goodbye. And my parents . . . oh my god. They were going to kill me. They thought I was spending a few days in Dallas as a post-high-school graduation celebration, not speeding down the highway in my father’s new mustang on the way to sin city. He’d only let me borrow the car because I was, as he put it, an adult now and he trusted me.

I shifted, peeling my sweaty legs off the driver’s seat, making it squeak. Jo chuckled.

My eyes darted to her.

This was so not funny.

She slumped back against her seat, licking chocolate off her fingers, an amused expression on her face.

How could she be so calm?

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to look at the trooper. Is there a problem, sir, uh, Officer . . . Trooper . . . sir, Officer Trooper?

I snapped my mouth shut before my rambling got me into more trouble.

Ms. Karenna Morgan, the trooper read off the license before holding it up. Do you know why I pulled you over?

I . . . uh, well, I—

Because you’re hungry? Jo interrupted.

I whipped my head around, jaw dropping. She did not just say that.

Holding up a fresh donut, she batted her mile-long lashes and gave her famous Josette Reyna smile. That smile always managed to get her out of trouble, which was lucky for her because she was a trouble magnet.

The trooper’s silence was deafening. I gulped, tension radiated from behind.

I didn’t have Jo’s charm. I followed the rules, not wanting to bring any extra attention to myself. And the very first time I decided to break free from the straight and narrow, this happened.

I turned to him slowly, lifting my wrists, ready for the cuffs.

Whipping off his glasses, the trooper barked out a laugh. How did you know?

You want? Jo was holding out the donut.

He shook his head, eyes crinkling when he smiled. Trying to watch my figure.

I gazed at her in awe. He was actually smiling.

Ms. Morgan, he cleared his throat, lowering his voice as he got back to business. I pulled you over because you need to take those down. They’re obstructing your view.

He pointed to the pair of red fuzzy dice hanging from the rearview mirror. Jo had hung them there for good luck.

You’re joking. I was so relieved, I just blurted the words, which was so unlike me.

And just like that, his smile vanished. I could almost hear Jo groaning behind me.

Sorry. I didn’t know. And that’s why I liked to lay low and blend in.

Thank you, Officer . . . Mister, uh . . . Sir Officer. I fumbled with the dice, unfurling them from the rearview mirror.

He grunted. Make sure you keep them off there.

Last chance for sweet chocolate goodness! Jo yelled out the window as the trooper went back to his car.

Jo!

What? She blinked innocently. He’s cute.

The trooper honked as he drove away.

I should get his number. Let’s go after him. She leaned over and turned the key ignition. The engine roared back to life.

Are you crazy? I could’ve gotten into serious trouble with this. I held up the fake license to her way-too-calm face.

Nah. You worry too much. She waved away my alarm with polished teal fingertips. Nacho does quality work.

Who’s Nacho?

Flicking the passenger seat’s sun visor down, she gazed into the mirror, swiping lipstick over her full lips. Oh, that’s right. You haven’t met him yet. He’s my cousin, Tia Rosa’s son. I told you about Tia Rosa. I spent spring break with her and Nacho last year. Well, they moved into town last week to help my parents manage the new restaurant. He’s awesome. If you need documents, he’s the one to go to. How else did you think we were going to play in Vegas? I got the family two-for-one deal. You’re welcome.

I’d never traveled farther than a fifty-mile radius from home. I was a homebody like my parents. Mom worked from home, teaching English online to Chinese students. Dad was a civil engineer professor who researched blast-resistant materials for buildings. My parents’ idea of a night out was renting a movie, and if they really went wild, they drank wine coolers while watching the movie.

My twelve-year-old sister, Lucy, was the total opposite. A skateboarding fanatic, her goal was to visit every skate park in the country. Almost every weekend she dragged our reluctant dad to visit various skate parks, even going as far as Louisiana.

"You want to go into the casinos?"

Duh! She tossed her lipstick into my satchel. It’s like you don’t even know me. Did you think I was reading all those blackjack books just to pass the time?

I thought we’d see a show or two. Maybe tour some of the sights like the Hoover Dam.

Jo flipped the visor back up. Ooh, Hoover Dam. I can’t wait to— Her head suddenly fell to her chest.

Jo? Jo! What’s wrong? I shook her limp body.

She let out a loud snore, then popped her head back up and snorted. What was I talking about? Oh, right. Touring Hoover Dam . . . then I fell asleep!

Knock it off. I laughed, pushing her playfully. I’m not that boring.

She stared, unblinking.

Okay, so maybe I was a little boring. It would explain why I admired her so much. She was everything I wasn’t—bold and beautiful, with killer curves, and long, thick black hair, so dark it looked blue. Black bangs hung ruler-straight high above her brow, showing off sultry dark eyes. She never went out the door without matching the color of her nails and lips with her hoop earrings. Even wearing teal lipstick, she looked good. I was lucky if I could keep tinted lip balm from staining my teeth.

Aw, come on. You’ll like it.

Uh-huh. We’ll see. She whipped out her smartphone. We’re close. Ten more miles.

Jo’s thumbs bounced over the screen as I pulled back onto the highway. She’d been texting her boyfriend, Dorian, almost non-stop since we left. She was worried about him leaving for UCLA in the fall, although she’d never admit it. I worried she couldn’t see what a jerk he was. When she’d told him she wouldn’t be able to afford UCLA, even with the scholarship she’d gotten, he shrugged his shoulders and told her, Tough break. I wanted to strangle him.

My dad’s going to be pissed if he finds out I took his car out of state.

"Your dad? Puh-lease. He’s a teddy bear. Besides, you saw how fast he gave you his car keys."

I know. I still can’t believe he did that.

Me neither. Sorry, girlfriend, but you are a sucky liar. Seriously. Shopping in Dallas? You?

She was right. When I had told my parents our plans, they had both given me a funny look. My idea of shopping was the local thrift store. I thought for sure they’d call me out on the lie. Instead, they’d packed my duffle bag and practically shoved me out the door.

I slowed the car as we reached the security checkpoint outside the Hoover Dam parking area. I gripped the steering wheel, wondering if I had to pull out my fake license again. Fortunately, security waved us through.

I think Lucy knows, I said, sliding the car into the last empty space in the packed parking lot.

Of course she knows. I told you, she’s gifted like your mom. Why couldn’t you get the psychic gene too? We’d make a killing at roulette.

I rolled my eyes. Seriously, Ms. Salutatorian. You do know those psychics you like to visit in Austin are fake, right? They can’t really tell the future. It’s all an illusion. Mind games.

Jo thought my mother was psychic. Mom always seemed to show up whenever Jo and I were up to something, like the time in first grade when we accidentally spilled purple paint on Mom’s kitten. Jo had thought it would be a good idea to stick Fluffy into the washing machine. It was only seconds after Jo squirted laundry detergent on a screeching Fluffy when we heard tires squeal into the driveway. Mom rushed into the house yelling at my dad to wake up.

I don’t know about that. She looked at the screen, her pretty face scrunching into a scowl for a moment before flipping the phone over. Your mom knows things. I think she knows about Vegas, too. Why else would she and your Aunt Marmie sneak into your room the other night?

It was a weird dream. It wasn’t real. The night before we left, I’d had the strangest dream. I heard mysterious voices in my room, chanting. At first I thought I’d left my phone on, but then I heard my mom and Aunt Marmie’s voices. I tried to wake up, but it was as if my body was lead. I couldn’t move. The next thing I knew, it was morning.

Okay, if you say so, she said, stepping out of the car.

Grabbing my satchel, I jumped out of the car. If she’s so psychic, why didn’t she know about the driver’s license? I’m just saying I think Lucy hacked into my Facebook account or something and saw your messages.

She chuckled. I hope not. Her innocent eyes will probably roll to the back of her head if she sees some of the man-candy photos I sent to you last week. I’m so glad my little brothers aren’t that nosy.

Tell me you’re kidding. I slammed the car door shut and frantically searched through my Facebook messages. As I scrolled, a strange sensation rushed through me. It felt like I was being watched. I looked up, expecting Jo to be standing in front of me with a smirk ready to say, Ha! Gotcha!

She stood halfway across the parking lot, typing into her phone.

I whirled around. Maybe the trooper found out about the fake license and followed us.

Cars and RVs filled the parking lot. Other than the family standing by a white SUV, there was no one around. The mother was slathering suntan lotion onto a squirming little boy, while the father chased down his toddler sister. The girl squealed with delight when he swung her around before placing her on his shoulders. They were a typical family enjoying their vacation.

Shaking my head, I jogged to catch up to Jo. I was being paranoid, probably because I’d only gotten a few hours of sleep. For being so small, Jo snored like a trucker. Even the earplugs she’d thrown at me when I complained hadn’t helped to muffle the sound.

Suddenly, the sensation slammed against me. I staggered back, hitting the trunk of a red sports car. Cold crawled up my spine despite the heat radiating off the car. My heart raced as I scanned the area. Sunlight bounced off the parked cars, creating a glare. Hazy heat waved over the pavement.

I was alone.

I opened my mouth to call for Jo. A gust of hot wind blasted, sucking the breath from me. The sunlight dimmed even though there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

Then I saw it.

Circling above, immense shadowed wings skimmed over the parking lot.

2

Something vibrated against my backside, making me yelp. A pair of ravens pecking on smashed french fries nearby squawked and took to the sky.

Stupid phone. Chuckling, I took it out of my back pocket. I was freaking out over flying bird shadows. How sad was that? And I was seriously out of shape. I placed my hand on the side of my abdomen. Who gets a side stitch after running a few yards?

Lucy’s name appeared on the screen, requesting a video chat. I swiped the screen to accept her call, and the sweet, melodic tones of my little sister’s voice spilled out.

Mom wants to know if—hey! Is that a mountain behind you? Jerk! You lied to me.

Doe-like hazel eyes glared out from the screen. My lip twitched as I tried to keep a straight face. Anyone who didn’t know Lucy would probably think she was a delicate flower. With her girlish voice, slender neck, and silky brown hair, it was hard not to think that.

They would be wrong.

And more than likely, that underestimation would lead to a gut punch if they ever uttered the word princess in her presence.

Lucy, the ultimate skater girl, preferred wearing loose t-shirts, skinny jeans, and a gray beanie. She wore that grungy cap even in the summer, which in Texas was all year round.

I didn’t lie, I said, making my way toward the stairs leading to the bypass bridge. Jo was probably at the top by now and the longer she had to wait, the grumpier she was going to be.

You did too, McLiar! And why are you laughing?

I shouldn’t laugh, but I couldn’t help myself. When Lucy was mad, she looked eight instead of twelve. Maybe it was the way she stuck out her bottom lip to make herself look menacing. She didn’t. Not even close.

I’m sorry. Really, I am.

She thought about it for a moment, chewing her gum. She blew a large pink bubble, letting it pop before she spoke.

Yeah, well, you should be. You promised no secrets, remember? Where are you anyway?

Of course, Lucy would remember the promise I’d made to her when she was five and hold me to it. For the most part, I did. I recalled the day vividly. We were under a tornado warning and it was raining like crazy. Terrified of thunder, she usually hid in the closet when it stormed. Not this time. I found her in the backyard climbing the huge oak tree. When I finally got her down, she wouldn’t tell me why she’d wanted to visit the unfinished treehouse in the worst thunderstorm central Texas had seen in years.

I’d told her sisters never kept secrets from each other. When I promised not to tell anyone, she had sobbed against my chest, saying she wanted to fly away and find Bob. She said Bob had to leave and couldn’t come back. Bob might have been her imaginary friend, but by the way she’d cried for days afterward, he was very real to her.

Hoover Dam, I said. I’m taking Jo up to the bypass bridge.

You’re in Nevada? Jo didn’t make you drive straight to a casino? You’re lucky you’re still alive. She blew another bubble, snapping it and sucking it back into her mouth in one breath. And dude, why didn’t you tell me? We could’ve gone to Craig Ranch. I’ve been dying to go. Now you’re gone, the parental units are leaving, and I have to stay with Aunt Marmie.

Aunt Marmie was a close friend of the family. She was sweet, but quirky. She always said the oddest things and loved to talk about how she’d traveled the world when she’d worked as a dancer on a cruise ship. Her stories were so outlandish, it was hard to believe any of them, and her house was not a place where anyone would want to spend too much time. It was like an episode of Hoarders waiting to happen. She never threw anything away.

Why are they sending you to Aunt Marmie’s?

Dad’s taking Mom to a B&B in the Hill Country. Second honeymoon or something. Aren’t they too old for that stuff?

I smirked. You’re never too old for that.

Lucy shuddered. Eww! Stop talking about it.

You’re the one who brought it up.

Yeah, yeah. Anyways, you’re there. I’m here. And my entire weekend is gonna blow.

You’ll survive. If you fall down at Aunt Marmie’s, call me and I’ll send in the search dogs.

"Har, har. Very funny.