As dumb as it sounds, I don't want to hurt the fucking idiot.
His venom courses through my veins, mixing with the remnants of Rhyland's toxic cocktail, and I can feel my body going limp, my strength seeping away like water through a sieve.
Lucian cradles me against him, his growls and moans of pleasure vibrating against my skin as he continues to pull at my blood viciously. The edges of my vision blur, the world fading away like a bad dream.
No, no…not again.
This can't happen again—I don't think Lucian will stop.
My knees buckle, and I start to sink to the floor, my body no longer able to support its weight. I reach for my power, trying to summon the flames, the light, anything to fight back, but it's like trying to start a fire in a rainstorm. The venom and the blood loss have me weak, helpless, and unable to defend myself.
Please, someone…something…
Help.
I pray to whoever in the universe can hear me.
A blinding flash of light sears my retinas and Lucian's weight is suddenly torn away from me. There's a sickening thud as he's hurled across the room like a rag doll. I crumple to the floor, my legs about as helpful as overcooked spaghetti, my ears ringing from the deafening sound that follows, like a sonic boom mixed with an EMP blast.
Blinking away the spots dancing in my vision, I slowly lift my head. And holy shit, if it isn't the last person I expected to see this side of Judgment Day.
"Dani, are you alright?" Seraphina's at my side in an instant, her hands gripping my shoulders like she's afraid I might float away. Those honey-colored eyes of hers are swimming with worry.
Ears still ringing, "Seraphina?" I croak, my voice sounding like I've been gargling gravel. "How—? Why are you here?" I'm half convinced I'm hallucinating from blood loss.
"I heard your call," she says, all angelic concern. "I knew I had to help. Thatthingalmost killed you." The way she says 'thing,' you'd think Lucian was something she scraped off her celestial shoe.
"Yeah..." I mumble, rubbing at the still bleeding wound on my neck. "He's not exactly firing on all cylinders right now. Memory wipe—lost his marbles—the whole shebang." I struggle to my feet, feeling like a newborn foal, and peer over at Lucian's crumpled form in the corner. "Is he dead? Please tell me you didn't just nuke his ass into oblivion."
Seraphina shrugs, her expression unapologetic. "I can't say I'd feel too bad if I did. What he was about to do to you, Dani... it's unforgivable."
A groan from across the room catches my attention. Rhyland's stirring, clutching his neck like he's just gone ten rounds with a heavyweight champ.
I stumble over to him, my legs still wobbly. "Hey," I manage because, apparently, near-death experiences have robbed me of my usual wit. Rhyland's on his feet in an instant, his eyes darting around the room, searching for Lucian.
Rhyland's eyes land on Lucian's unmoving form on the floor before snapping back to me. Then, as if he can't believe what he's seeing, he spots Seraphina standing there in all her angelic glory. His eyes go wide, and then he's moving, coming up tomy side and wrapping his arms around me like he's afraid I might disappear. "What the hell happened?"
I lean into his embrace, taking a moment to breathe him in before I answer. "Rhyland, meet Seraphina. She kind of just saved my ass from becoming Lucian's personal juice box."
I feel Rhyland's embarrassment pulsing through our bond. He feels like he failed me again by being unable to protect me. I squeeze his hand and give him a wave of reassurance, trying to let him know that I don't blame him and that it wasn't his fault.
He gives me this look that screams,'Don't try to sugarcoat my fuck up, babe.'Then, turning back to Seraphina, he says with genuine gratitude, "Thank you."
Seraphina shrugs, her white wings rustling softly with the movement. I can't help but notice that they've changed color since the last time I saw her, from a shimmering gold to a pure, pearlescent white. "It was a choice I had to make: either interfere and deal with the consequences or let you die. I chose the former."
I look at her, confusion written all over my face. "Hold up, what are you saying? What consequences?" I step closer to her, my worry skyrocketing.
The last time she interfered, when I almost became a shish kabob in the Whispering Woods, she mentioned that she wasn't allowed to step in but did it anyway. She said there would be hell to pay if my father found out—if the Gods got wind of it.
She stares at me, her honey-gold eyes, so similar to mine, filled with determination and resignation. Her long, golden-blonde hair frames her flawless face, and her plump lips are pressed into a thin line. "Seraphina, spill. What consequences are we talking about here?"
She lets out a long, heavy sigh as the world's weight rests on her perfect shoulders. "Your father told me not to go or answer your call. He said that if I did, I would be banished from Atheria, cast out of the realm of light."
I'm pretty sure my jaw just hit the floor. I must look like a fucking idiot, standing here gaping at her. "I'm sorry,what?" I manage to choke out, my voice rising in pitch with each word. "Banished? For saving my life? What kind of fucked up logic is that?"
"We—Angelic beings are not allowed to interfere with mortal decisions—outcomes—"
"Seraphina, I know all that. But what the hell is my father's problem? He'd rather banish you for saving his daughter—his supposedsavior? That's some serious bullshit right there." I cut her off, my sass meter hitting an all-time high.
