Betrayal (The Fallen Rise Book 2)

The Truth Was Buried for a Reason

Lin thought she understood the rules of her world: angels Fall, demons deceive, and her mistakes carry consequences that can’t be undone. But after surviving an attack orchestrated by a secretive cult known as the Manumitter, those rules begin to fracture.

Determined to protect her twin sister Sarai and dismantle the cult targeting them, Lin follows a trail of whispered alliances and forbidden history. What she uncovers reshapes everything she thought she knew about angels, demons, and her own Fall. At the center of the mystery lies Cerviel—a forgotten deity erased from history and misremembered as Adam’s wife. Evidence suggests Cerviel was neither wholly angel nor demon, but both, and that the Virtues may be her direct descendants.

If Cerviel’s punishment became the blueprint for the Fall itself, then Lin’s condemnation may not be eternal. And loving Luc—a powerful hybrid who has chosen her openly and irrevocably—may not be the mistake she fears.

But the deeper Lin digs, the more disturbing the truth becomes. Memories have been altered. The past has been rewritten. And the boy she mourned—the one she believed died—has been alive all along, working beside the cult’s leader.

As forces converge at Eden and ancient lies begin to unravel, Lin faces betrayal on a cosmic scale. With Sarai in danger and Adam’s true role coming to light, the fate of angels, demons, and humanity hangs in the balance.

The truth could redeem her.

Or it could destroy everything she loves.

Continue Lin’s journey and uncover the secret that Heaven tried to erase.

Excerpt from the book

I felt the pounding in my head as the car bumped and I took a deep breath as I moved, aware that Stella was turning into a driveway. I vaguely remembered the demon waking me up when we got to the hospital and I stretched as I finally started to open my eyes.

“Where are we?”

“Azger’s house. They requested I bring you both here.” I nodded as I yawned, the car’s interior being plunged into darkness again as Stella pulled into the garage. Luc couldn’t safely be moved into my house and honestly, it likely wasn’t a good idea. He was still female at the moment and it would be questionable at best for me to leave with Luc and return with Lucia.

“Damn this is annoying,” I complained out loud, rolling my eyes as I yawned again.

“What is, Mistress?” I turned to look at Stella as they turned off the engine and for the first time, I took the time to really look at the demon. They had pale skin, so pale it almost glowed even in the darkness of the garage. The blue of their hair and eyes seemed duller than it had when I first met them, and I wondered if it meant anything as I shook my head.

“Nothing to do with you. Just talking about someone else.” I muttered, finally opened the door to the car as the final shutter slid into place, ensuring no sunlight would enter the room. As soon as I had slammed the door behind me, the door to the rest of the house opened, and I saw Azger step into the garage. They were in their female form, but for once they weren’t wearing their usual formal attire, instead they were wearing a simple tee-shirt and jeans. They had their long hair up in a messy bun and they looked more like a tired mom than a prince of the Underworld.

“Lin.” They nodded their head toward me as they moved toward the vehicle, glancing into the back seat. “Up for a little trip?”

“Trip?”

“I would like to know what you and Lucien have learned, but considering the sun is up, Luc is indisposed.” Azger continued, stepping back from the car as Stella moved to release the tarp and retrieve Luc’s body. “Therefore, we need to go to a realm where he can wake up.”

“No, I am not going to the Underworld.” I asserted, watching as Azger sighed and shook their head.

“Do I look like I’m heading to the Underworld?” They asked me, motioning to their outfit as they spoke and I felt a bit of embarrassment. Okay, maybe I had been wrong to jump to that conclusion. “I meant going to Kuxar, since it would be night there.”

“Yeah… yeah that’s fine.” I muttered, still embarrassed by my assumption as I took off my jacket. Summoning my own sickly magic, I changed my outfit as well, and I shook the jacket in my hand to adjust its colors and shape. Kuxar was the land of the Dryads and their day-night cycle was the opposite of Earth’s. They also had a strict “no formalwear” dress code, as their society considered everyone to be equal and they loathed the idea of status or royalty.