“Goodbye...” she whispered, tears filling her eyes.
Cassiel’s hands quivered on her waist, and he planted a light kiss on her temple. “Be happy,lev sheli. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you … even if it’s not with me.”
Then he slipped out of her hold and walked away. He passed through the courtyard doors, going into the garden without looking back. Clenching her teeth, Dyna forced herself not to call out to him.
She had to let go, too. But she would never fall in love again.
Not the way she did with him.
Dyna opened the scroll and the tears she fought spilled. The letters were jagged and smeared, as if written by a shaking hand. Cassiel had left her everything he owned. Enough wealth to live the rest of her life without wanting for anything.
Why would he leave her everything?
Lucenna came to her with Keena fluttering at her side. “Are you truly going through with this?”
Pressing over the ache in her heart, Dyna made herself turn away from the direction her mate left. “I already caused Rawn to lose Fair. I will not let him lose his son, too.”
“Do you think Cassiel will be all right?” Keena asked her.
The question made her heart squeeze. Gods, she hoped so.
“Dyna ...” Zev murmured. He had moved to the windows that faced the garden. “He’s not all right.”
Her throat tightened. She blinked away her wet eyes and tucked the parchment in her satchel. “It’s only natural for him to pretend he’s fine with this.”
“No. I mean, something is wrong. I don’t thinkheis fine.”
Frowning, Dyna and the others joined Zev by the windows. Cassiel was only in the garden, sitting on a bench beneath a tree. There wasn’t anything out of place with that. She couldn’t see what was wrong.
Until she did.
CHAPTER 77
Cassiel
The world skewed on its axis. Cassiel’s lungs seized with the tightening in his chest, and he struggled for air. But he kept his composure until he was out of view. He stumbled into the garden and pressed a shaking fist over his racing heart. Sweat beaded on his face as he fought to breathe.
There was no fighting through the attack. He merely had to let it pass.
His vision swam, and the sound of his pounding heartbeat thudded in his ears. Cassiel heaved ragged breaths, but his ribcage splintered open, and there was no sewing it shut.
He thought he knew pain.
But he was served an incomparable kind when his mate chose another. It was a new sort of loss. One that stole the solidity of the ground.
Cassiel leaned up against a tree and shut his eyes, fighting back the burning rushing up his throat. But it lodged there, closing all his airways, stealing his air.
It felt like drowning.
He shut away the image of her taking Raiden’s hand. He buried it. He quickly threw up a shield and then another, slamming each one down, barricading himself and every shred of his misery from her.
He was alone now.
Everybody leaves.
Netanel was suddenly there, and he took him under his wing. “Breathe. You must breathe.”
Cassiel focused on his voice. He grabbed Netanel’s arm and grounded himself in the solidity of his presence. His throat became raw as he sucked in ragged breaths.
