“Never in a million years,” he muttered.
But no one had been there to hear him say it. It might as well have never been said.
Thirty-Five
Isabella
“I stopped you,” I answered Julius’s question.
I glared as he stalked toward me. Sebastian was there within a heartbeat, by my side, and as much as it warmed my heart, I knew I didn’t need his protection. At least not from this monster anymore.
Julius held malice in his smile when Sebastian grabbed his head and gasped. “What’s wrong?” I touched his shoulder as he continued his hold with his eyes pinched shut. When I looked around, I saw that his family was doing the same.
“You only prevented it from happening today,” Julius informed me, completely sure of himself. “Even if I couldn’t complete it with the vortex, the end was awoken because of it.”
“It’s true,” Sebastian whispered as he dropped his hands and scowled. “I saw it. Ifeltit. If you want to know the very day, I know that too.”
My heart dropped.
“Time to go, Isabella,” Julius dared to say. “All that’s left to do is wait, and now that you survived,” his sickened gaze moved over my body, “I want you with me on the other side.”
“You so much as touch her,” Sebastian growled. “You’ve done enough. I’ll protect her from you until there’s nothing left of me!” My blue-eyed Reaper stepped in front of me as a protective shield.
“Which will be soon.” Julius grinned.
Five swords pierced Julius’s chest at once. He looked down at his chest, then around him as Sebastian’s siblings blocked his sides, clutching their weapons. “Don’t worry, I’ll leave, and you guys can spend however much time there is left comforting each other or whatever it is you Reapers do. I just want Isabella.” Pain didn’t bother him if the bored-like tone he had with five swords through him was any indication. He stretched an arm out. “Come to me.”
I did, and Sebastian reached for me. Taking his hand, I reassured him with a smile. Seemingly confused, he reluctantly let go but stayed a breath behind me just in case he needed to touch me. I brought my hand up to Julius’s face and slid my hand down until he frowned. “The darkness no longer accepts you.”
“No!” he roared, and my smirk grew wider. The darkness never stirred. It was through with him. “I control it.”
“Icontrol it,” I corrected him. “The darkness and I have grown close over our mutual attraction to a certain blond-haired Reaper.”
If Julius was angry before, he was livid now. I even had Sebastian’s siblings smiling as they stood around him. “You’re mine,” Julius hissed. Something warm flooded my veins at their smiles.Acceptance.
“No, I belong to me.” I turned away as Julius screamed.
I felt the wind move as Sebastian swung his scythe the moment I stepped away. I jumped just as Julius’s head tumbled at my feet. He was still screaming.
“I’ll get rid of this,” Grim said as he picked up Julius’s head. He was no longer fading in and out. “Too bad we can’t kill him, but we can at least send him somewhere else for now.”
“I’ll take the body to The Den,” Payne muttered. “I’m sure they’d get a kick out of having Harvest cut up like that.”
“I’ll take his head to the city,” Grim added, but just as quick as they said that, Julius’s body vanished from their grasp.
Barron cursed. “Should have fucking known.”
“I wonder where he’ll rejuvenate?” Maureen wondered. “Should take him at least a day after losing his head, anyway.”
Someone gasped behind me. Fear iced my veins. What could be wrong now? I turned around quickly and came face-to-face with Sebastian’s mom. She was covering her mouth with her hand. When she dropped it, she revealed a smile. “Sebastian,” she whispered. “Look on her shoulder blade.”
“What—” he started, then stopped. I swiveled around to face him officially worried. He looked like a deer caught in headlights his eyes were so round.
“What is it?” I asked quickly. His eyes were as bright as the smile on his face. I tugged at the spaghetti-strapped top Sebastian had materialized on me to wear. “You’re freaking me out.” I just wanted one of them to tell what was wrong with my back. It wasn’t like I could see myself without a mirror.
“I told you our touch meant something, Izzie. You are my one and only.” His words warmed the darkest parts of me.
“You have a snail on your shoulder blade, that’s what,” Maureen informed me, and I blinked up at Sebastian.
