“I’m…” he trailed off, then grimaced. “I am bad this time… aren’t I?”
God, the misery on his face. It broke my heart. “Gall,no.You aren’t evil. I know you aren’t. Lucifer though, he’s nothing but darkness.”
“I am…” he murmured. “I’ve been bad, Papa. I’ve… I liked it when they were scared of me,” he whispered. “I liked it when he made me smart, and people listened to my words, instead of just waiting for me to finish. I liked it when they begged me to have mercy. No one ever needed me before—”
He faltered. His eyes were down where that point lay on the stone. Forehead pressed to lines. His mouth turned down in a fierce frown. Tears welling in his eyes.
That malicious glint slipped away.
I could barely breathe with hope.
But then a shadow entered his gaze to replace it.
“Gall?”
He didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Outwardly, nothing changed. But somethingshiftedin my son.
“Gall, talk to me.” I took a step closer.
“I can’t save her,” he whispered. “He’s got her, and I can’t stop him. He just… disappears her.”
“We can get her back. We’ll figure out a way to… we canresisthim, Gall. I promise!”
Gall shook his head and took a step back, but his eyes were still on that blade on the stone. “She’s so afraid all the time. She sees the dark in me too, and she doesn’t like it. I scared her. I hate that I scared her.”
“Gall… listen to me…”
His grip on the handle tightened until his knuckles turned white.
“Gall—”
Yilan gasped, and I leaped forward as he brought the blade up, turning it awkwardly, using both hands in an attempt to turn that point onhimself.
“Gall!NO!”
The world went silent. I couldn’t move fast enough.
Watching the arc of that blade rise, turn towards the tender skin of my brokenhearted son. But he was out of reach. I scrambled, screaming, pleading, running for him, cursing the space I’d placed between us as I saw his death coming and—
‘Melek, DROP!’
It was instinctive. The command in my mate’s voice so complete, my own despair at not reaching my son was overwhelmed. I dropped to my stomach on the floor—only to see the flash of blade, right under Gall’s chin, and Gall jerked.
“NO!”
It happened too quickly, before I could push back to my feet. A flickering blade, the clash of steel, Gall cried out and his eyes went wide with shock. He roared.
I was back on my feet, sprinting, screaming, as the halberd clattered to the ground and Gall fell backwards, arms pinwheeling, to hit the ground so heavily he grunted.
Three paces, two… Then I threw myself to the stones next to him, grabbing his lapels and screaming his name, horrifiedby the red under his chin, grabbing his throat with my hand to staunch the bleeding—only to have Gall smack my hands away, spluttering like a child given food he didn’t want.
It took seconds to understand, my ears unable to hear, and my heart pounding in my skull. But finally, Gall pushed to his feet, and shoved me off, wiping at his chin and looking at the red on his hand as his shoulders hunched in…embarrassment?
What?
“I haven’t practiced throwing in a while,” Yilan shrugged, appearing at my shoulder. “My aim was a little off, so he got nicked. He’s okay.”
I blinked, panting, body thrumming.
