I lowered my gun.
“I’m sorry,” I said, my eyes watering. “I’m fucking sorry, man. I just…”
I sobbed and collapsed into Lane’s shoulders.
“This doesn’t have to end here,” Lane said. “We can still tear through this house. We can find Lucius, or at least find out where he might have gone. And then we can end it.”
I nodded against my brother’s shoulder.
“And everyone else?”
“They’re gone,” he said. “If any of the Fallen Saints are left, they are with Lucius right now. We suffered a lot of casualties, but so far, only a few deaths. I think this is going to work, Cole. But we have to end it.”
I nodded.
“Just, give me a moment,” I said. “Let me say one last thing to Lilly.”
My brother nodded, patted my back, and pulled back.
“Search the house, search every closet, every panel, everything,” he announced to the room. “Burn through everything in sight. There should not be a crevice of air here that goes unexamined. If Lucius escapes, he’ll need to do so against bullets. Let’s go!”
The Reapers went in all sorts of directions, more or less looting and pillaging the house. But that all became background noise as I bent down to the ground and examined Lilly. She had a gunshot wound in her shoulder. She wasn’t moving, best that I could see.
“Lilly,” I said. “In the time we knew each other, you showed me to keep an open mind. You taught me that someone’s lineage is not their destiny. You taught me…”
I stopped to collect myself.
“You taught me that I could find love because you gave it to me,” I said. “I’m sorry I didn’t say this earlier. I should have. But I love you. I’m sorry... I’m sorry... I’m…”
I collapsed, holding her and lowering my head against hers. It wasn’t fucking fair. Life always had a fucking way of ruining everything for me right when things seemed to be going well. In the end, everyone I loved…
I stopped.
I felt something tickle my ear.
Breath?
Staying low to her, I put my fingers against the side of her throat. She still had a pulse. She was unconscious, obviously, probably having gone into shock, but she was alive. Barely, but still alive.
“Lane!” I shouted.
Seconds later, Lane came back.
“She’s alive,” I said. “She’s alive.”
“Seriously?” he said, a smile beaming on his face.
“I can’t fucking believe it,” I said. “We gotta get her to a hospital, she’s been shot, but—”
A very loud shotgun blast echoed down a nearby hallway. Everyone froze. It was like time itself had frozen in place.
“Did someone get him?” Lane asked.
Seconds later, I heard someone moving down a hall very slowly, their boots clacking against the marble ground. I looked over my shoulder.
Covered in blood, wearing his red cut without a shirt underneath and carrying a shotgun in his hand, stood Lucius Sartor.
“So,” he said. “You did not kill my daughter after all.”
