It let me lift my head, then it allowed me to open my eyes. Through my eyes, its depressed presence purred against my insides at the skeleton lying on the surface of the vortex. I was inside a barrier, but all around me, the storm thrashed violently like it was waiting for the moment it could get me when the barrier was broken.
Why was the bad one here?
And why did that make me feel good?
The remorseful blackness that lived within me began to yearn for him.
Then it let me remember one word. A name.
And everything rushed back to me in angry and bitter memories. But there were also a lot of good ones, especially ones that came with the name.
Sebastian.
I remembered what I had done, and I knew why he was here. And instead of drowning in guilt, my eyes swam with tears because I was so fucking thankful for him. He wasn’t going to let me go. Just like he promised. I loved him. And I thought he would be okay with that.
“Sebastian,” I cried out for him.
Agonizing pain rippled through my body and I screamed. It felt like any second, I might burst. I had to do something.
Sebastian came for me. He needed me.Me.
I tried to move my arms and couldn’t. The vortex held me locked in an awkward pose I couldn’t seem to move out of even though there was nothing on my body. The darkness that was once dimming was now restless and bursting with the need to get to Sebastian. I gritted my teeth and pulled at one of my arms until it popped free and I was able to move it. Next came the other. Lastly, my feet. The shadow working with me instead of against me made the effort easy until Julius popped up between Sebastian and me.
“You have to stay,” Julius warned me.
Instead of a hum, his creation roared at him. And the next thing that happened surprised the hell out of me. Instead of taking control of me or letting Julius have me the moment his hot iron grip smacked my shoulder, my gloomy shadow gave up control. To me.
Not to Julius.
Not to itself.
Not even to Sebastian.
But me.
Because we both wanted the same thing.
Sebastian.
As I took control of what had always been inside of me since Julius put it there, I felt its desire for something other than pleasing Julius. I felt its uncontrollable want for Sebastian Reaper.
Even my broken body couldn’t stop the smile on my face. “You’re not real.” Then I slipped through the mirage of Julius and bent down to the skeleton lying partially out of the barrier.
I grabbed his boned fingers and just like all the times before, ecstasy rolled through me like waves. His turquoise-colored essence burst back to life around his bones as he lifted himself to his knees, cupped my cheek, and said, “Izzie,” just as he melded back into flesh and blood. He was naked, but I wasn’t complaining because I was too.
Breathing heavily, I simply stared at him, then myself as his sin began to heal me. What was a curse for him, worked in so many ways for me and my darkness. “You didn’t have to save me,” I told him honestly.
“And miss the chance to wine and dine you?” His left eyebrow went up playfully despite the situation.
I laughed lightly at his words. “But I’m glad you did,” I whispered, holding his eyes captive, hoping my own, conveyed everything I felt and wanted to say but hadn’t yet.
“I haven’t saved us yet.” He stood up, holding my hands as he helped me to my feet. “If we don’t stop this vortex from ripping into the human world, no one will be left and the survivors… well, they’d wish they were dead.”
He was right. Julius had informed me of his plan and my part in fate right before he dragged me under his control.
“What do we do?” I asked him.
“First,” he materialized clothes on himself, then me before turning away from me as he took off his cloak, “we get outof here. Hop on my back. You won’t make it inside the vortex if I don’t hide you underneath my cloak.” I did as he said and placed my arms around his shoulders, followed by my legs around his waist. Pressed snugly against him, I lay my head against the nape of his neck and let him cover me with the cloak. I felt the tug in the front where he held it closed with his hand. “I’m gonna run.”
