“And this is for my wife,” he snarled and slammed the blade deep into Gedeon’s beating heart.
Rory refused to look away until the bastard was dead. Caius’hand still gripped the knife, and when Gedeon’s pulse faded and his breathing stopped, he let go and helped her stand.
She buried her face in her husband’s chest, and he kissed the side of her head, murmuring his appreciation and admiration for her.
Suddenly, the ground shook, and they stumbled as Sam appeared out of thin air and slammed onto the floor in a graceful crouch.
TheAngel’seyes searched the room until they landed on Lauren crouching next to the maid on the floor. At the sight of the knife protruding from her chest, he released a roar so powerful that everyone fell to their knees, forced into submission.
Lauren scrambled out of the way as Sam crossed the room and scooped the woman into his arms. The maid turned her eyes to his, and her lips moved, speaking words only for him to hear.
Whatever she said, itbrokehim.
Three sets of golden wings flared from his back as he clutched the woman in his arms, and when he screamed to the aether, a golden light blasted from him, throwing the others back. As fast as it appeared, the light was snuffed out, smothered by what Rory could only describe as the night sky. A moving entity, black as night and filled with thousands of stars covered Sam, cutting him off from their view.
Rory felt the pressure holding her down dissolve, and Caius crushed her to his chest, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the mysteriousthing. “We need to help him.”
Lauren grounded her, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. “He is safe. You will see.”
She trusted Lauren, but it’s not every day the sky fell on someone. “What is that?”
Lauren looked heart-stricken as she stared at the dark entity. “That is a selfless man losing the only thing he has ever allowed himself to want.”
The woman was clearly important to Sam, and theSeraphimripped her away from him. Rory’s heart broke into tiny shards. Everything that happened over the last twenty-four hours was too much, and her body went limp.
Caius held her up, murmuring soothing words against her hair.
Could all of this have been prevented if she had never made her first kill? Would the pain and suffering have ended with Cora?
Adila and Dume ran into the room, and Rory turned slowly. Dume hurried toward her, and when he was close, Caius transferred her from his arms to Dume’s. “You’re okay,” she whispered, not trusting herself to say more.
He nodded against her shoulder. “So are you.”
***
Sam held Anastasia in his arms, watching the blood soak through her dress. He removed the knife and covered the wound with his hand.
He could save her. He had to.
“Son,” his father’s familiar voice said, and Sam looked up, staring at the man who had let this happen.
“She was innocent,” he shouted, and when he felt her body take a last, shuddering breath, everything ceased to exist.
He watched her essence flicker out, and her sunflower-yellow soul ascended toward the aether. The sound that tore from his throat was not of these realms, and the very ground he kneeled on trembled with it.
Not caring about the consequences, he held his hand above the yellow orb and pushed it back into her body. Pressing down on Anastasia’s chest, he forced his power into her, healing her wound and granting her a second life. It was forbidden, but he refused to watch her die.
He hung his head and cried with relief, his tears salting the woman who deserved life more than most. She wasgood. The type of person who tried to sneak stray cats home and risked her life to free a soul she had no connection to. He didn’t see her release Cora, but Lenora said as much, and the empty jar on the ground was proof enough.
His father observed silently, and Sam stared at Anastasia as her chest rose with the first signs of life.
“Thank you,” he whispered, unable to look away from her sweetface. His father could have stopped him,shouldhave stopped him, but he didn’t.
“I have watched you move through life as a shell of the male you used to be. I know having to kill Michael destroyed you.” His father’s voice cracked, and Sam raised his head. “But I never imagined you could not put yourself back together.” The king of Aravoth stared at Anastasia’s sleeping form. “I cannot watch you go through that again, and your mother would never forgive me for allowing your mate to die.”
Sam’s wings flared wide at his father’s words. “Seraphimdo not have mates.”
His father smiled sadly. “Every day, your mother visited the Hall of Fates to watch you, and every day her heart broke more and more. She knew a piece of your soul had died and petitioned Moira to grant you a mate. Her hope was that a mate would help you heal and give you a reason to live, not just exist.”
