“As in the Almighty’s preordained plan for every soul throughout all of creation?”
“Yeah. That.” She peers up at me, slightly more alert now as she waits for my answer.
“Complete and utter bullshit.”
Her shoulders jerk, and her brows shoot up. “What?”
Chuckling, I press my lips to her forehead. “Humans have always had free will. The Almighty’s plans fell apart the moment Adam invited that snake into the Garden of Eden. Why do you ask?”
She chews on her lower lip for a moment. I would kiss all that worry away if I did not think I would lose my whole heart to her in an instant. Gently, I ease her up so her back is against the headboard, then take her hands.
“Whatever it is, you can tell me.” I have never been so desperate to know another’s thoughts before. Or to share my own. In my travels amongst humans the past two weeks, I talked to many of them. But I offered up nothing of myself. For Willow, I would lay my soul bare.
“My whisper took me back to the cathedral,” she says, her gaze pinned to our joined hands. “There was another page in the grimoire.” A single tear tumbles down her cheek.
“‘Refuse the call and your life ends here. Stop the search and your soul will sheer. Threads from the past can bind or break. The future is only what you make. When all is lost will come a choice.’There was at least one more line, but my whisper kicked me out of her head before I could read it.”
“Witches,” I mutter. “Always speaking in circles and rhymes. It has been this way since time began.”
“I have to find the Blade. If I don’t, the magic will kill me.” She’s crying now, tiny sniffles and hiccups, each one another cut to my battered heart. “But the rest of it… I don’t want to die.”
“Willow, look at me.” I nudge her chin up and use my thumbs to wipe away her tears. “If there is a way for you to take back your life, wewillfind it. Sinclair and Zoe have a plan. You said the Blade is somewhere to the east. There is a train to Chicago that leaves in the morning. We will take it, but we will not be alone. Maddox and Killian are on their way with Kàra and Ewan. Kàra’s sister, Mist is coming from New Orleans. Kunchin will be with us as well.”
“They’ll come after me,” she whispers.
“Let them come.” I straighten my shoulders, anger prickling over my skin. “We will end themanddestroy the Blade. There is no weapon in this realm more powerful than Lucifer’s axe. This plan will work. I believe so with all that I am.”
She holds my gaze, searching for something. Deceit? Uncertainty? Determination? Whatever it is, she must find it because she nods, and her shoulders relax slightly.
“What time do we leave?”
“The train departs at 7:00 a.m. If you cannot wait that long, we will make the first part of the trip by car.”
She blows out a slow breath. “I think I’ll be okay.” As if her body agrees, her stomach growls loudly.
“You need to eat. I have Sinclair’s credit card. What can I get for you?”
A hint of light returns to her eyes, though sadness quickly chases it away. “Pizza from Papa Balducci’s. Pepperoni, sausage, and extra cheese.”
For a moment, I struggle to understand her emotions. Equal parts joy and pain. Excitement and sorrow.
The truth hits me so hard, I cannot breathe. This is her favorite food in the city. And she’s certain that after tonight, she will never taste it again.
The evening passes too quickly.I order three extra large pizzas. Sin and Zoe join us not long after they arrive, Killian and Maddox a few hours later.
Willow peppers Killian with questions about magic until she’s so tired, she can barely keep her eyes open. I pluck her from the couch, ignoring her slurred protests, and carry her to the guest suite.
I pull back the blankets, but she wriggles out of my arms. “I have to brush my teeth and change out of these clothes.”
“I…will say good night, then. I asked Sinclair to leave a blanket and pillow for me on the couch.”
She stops me before I reach the door. “Gabriel? Stay with me. I don’t want to be alone.”
I want nothing more than to hold her in my arms all night. But the closer I get to her, the more of my heart I lose. It doesn’t matter. Not truly. I would gladly surrender it all to keep her safe.
Quickly, I shed my pants and dress shirt, slide under the duvet, then wonder if I am doing the right thing. Should I sleep in my clothes? Or ask Sinclair for a pair of pajamas? Fuck. The last thing I want to do is knock on the demon’s bedroom door wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs.
Before I can make a decision, Willow emerges from the bathroom. Fuck. She’s wearing nothing but a t-shirt that barely reaches her thighs. Her cheeks turn bright red as she hurries across the room and practically dives under the covers.
