“The crematorium.”
I struggled in his arms, fought to get down. I was already better than a few moments ago, but I was still only at about half strength. Even at full strength, I didn’t stand a chance against him.
“Hush, this will be over soon.”
He took me to one of the large boxes—crematories—where, I realized, they burned their dead. “I don’t want Kovo’s ashes.”
“There will be no ashes.”
We waited in silence for long minutes. I didn’t feel like talking, and apparently, neither did he. A bright glow emanated from the machine, the colors not like the others I’d seen. This one had a tinge of yellow but was mostly green. Kovo’s name appeared across the front of the device. About a minute later, a small light came on.
Helion nodded to one of the guards I hadn’t realized were following us. The Prillon stepped forward, opened what had been an invisible compartment and removed a green and gold crystal about as tall as my forearm was long. It was beautiful. Glittering when the light caught it just right.
“What is that?”
The Prillon guard walked to me slowly and held out the object. I took it with shaking hands and placed it against my chest.
“That was Kovo’s request. A green and gold memorial stone that matched your eyes.”
I clutched the stone tightly. Kovo’s last gift to me. Numbness turned to overwhelming grief. Tears flooded my entire being and leaked from my eyes as Helion carried me toward another large door.
“Where are you taking me now?”
“Home, Adrian Davis.”
I didn’t argue as he placed me gently in the back of a vehicle and closed the door.
The two Prillon guards slid into the front two seats and drove away without a backward glance at Helion.
And that, I decided, would be the last time I ever had to see that asshole’s face. Sure, he’d honored Kovo’s last wish. He’d been somewhat kind to me. But he’d killed my mate. I didn’t care about the bargain the three of them had made. Kovo, Reji and Helion. When Kovo found a mate, they should have changed the terms. Made a new agreement.
What kind of ice did that Prillon have running in his veins that he could watch a good man like Kovo die, knowing he was innocent?
Helion knew the truth. Heknew.
He killed my mate anyway.
The driver and his sidekick drove me back to Max’s mansion in silence. Which was just fine with me. I didn’t want to talk. Couldn’t.
My mother was waiting on the doorstep. I ran into her arms.
She let me sob into her shoulder as the vehicle drove away. “Come inside, baby girl. Come on.”
“Mom, he’s dead!” I wailed.
“I know, honey, I know.”
She walked, I stumbled past multiple members of the household staff. My sister ran to me when she saw me and wrapped her arm around my other shoulder. “Adrian, I’m so sorry. It’s going to be okay.” She looked up and all around as if she were afraid someone would overhear us.
Overhear what? Kovo was dead. I was carrying the weird version of an urn right now. This green thing was all I had left of him.
Stef looked at the strange orb. “What’s that?”
“That’s Kovo. It’s made out of his ashes.”
“Oh, shit.” She leaned the side of her head against mine. “I’m so sorry.”
They walked with me to the private, family wing. When we approached the door to my bedroom, they both stopped walking and let me go.
