“You—” I started but didn’t know where to end the thought.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said quickly, hand lifting toward my face even though we both knew he could no longer touch me.
“I’m fading,” I whispered, the truth tasting like blood in my mouth.
“And the man who’s supposed to be my mate is still confusing me.” I blinked away tears. “It didn’t have to be this way.”
The Devil’s gaze softened—not entirely, but enough that I saw the part of him that had always been mine.
“Grim would have never let me near you,” he repeated, and this time…
This time, Iheardhim.
Not a complaint.
Not an excuse.
A warning.
A truth.
It wasn’t about the war. It was aboutme.
He didn’t destroy the world because he wanted power.
He did it because he couldn’t get to meany other way.
A rumbling erupted behind me. Gasps rippled through the air, and when I turned, I knew why.
The crossover was shutting—slowly, like a sleepy eye. And the Devil stood there, staring at me.
I didn’t dare speak. If I asked, he might realize what was happening. But he had to know. And still… he stayed.
“Eyes on me,” he whispered.
I jumped when his fingers slid down my arm—because I hadn’t expected sensation.
Oh, Hades.
My body was solidifying. The crossover was closing, and Luke wasn’t moving.
“I fear I’m going to anger you one last time, Kitten.” Dread spilled into my stomach. My gaze snapped behind me again. The vortex was nearly closed.
I thought maybe—maybe I could hold him.
Hold him back.
But then he grabbed my chin and turned my face toward him again.
And once he had my full attention, he stepped back several feet…and stayed there.
Those few seconds…
That distance…
By the time I realized what he was doing, the crossover had sealed behind me.
A gasp caught in my throat as magic rushed back into me—my powers snapping into place like the first breath after drowning.I was whole. I was safe.
