Falling to her knees Natasha covered her face while my throat burned with the pain. André’s form jerked next to us, and losing his hold on the sunlight, he slumped into me.
The brightness of day blaringly returned the next second, almost blinding us all.
“I can’t hold it anymore,” he panted.
“It’s okay,” I assured, holding him to me.
“I’m sorry,” Natasha’s lips quivered as she kissed him. “Are you okay?”
André’s arms wrapped around her. “I’m fine.”
“They are not coming…” she whispered, glancing down at Dante, who seemed worse each second.
Shadows suddenly burst from thin air, rushing toward us.
André and I moved away but Natasha leaned over Dante, holding his hand as the shadow bands reached them. They swiftly swirled about her like a caress before they began to wrap themselves around his body. TheTwilightshimmered inside them when they covered his entire form.
Hecate had sent them for Dante.
“You are going to be fine,” Natasha whispered to him relieved, lightly kissing his lips.
Dante slowly nodded, his eyes falling close when he felt their embrace taking him home… and then they were gone.
Feeling strength return, André pulled Natasha into his arms, giving her comfort before helping her to her feet. My heart began to calm as I repeated to myself that Dante would be okay. The twilight had him now.
Standing too, I searched the dunes for theDark One. My hands fisted at my sides; my chest filled with rage for what he had done to our mate.
Screams reached us, and I whipped around to suddenly see him become visible. I charged toward him, transforming into the Beast as I ran. Before I could reach him, theDark Onepushed Bjørn to the ground and vanished again.
“Are you okay?” I asked, helping him stand.
His body was beaten up but not as badly as Dante’s had been—being the same kind of supernatural helped him hold his own in the fight.
“We can’t kill him while he is blocking. It makes him too strong,” Bjørn answered instead, holding onto my shoulder while trying to catch his breath. “He’s still a bit hurt from when you guys attacked him, but his ability helps him endure.”
His side bled from a large gash, but he shook his head at me like he would be okay.
“I’m sorry about Dante. I tried to get him out of the fight when I returned from the castle, but theDark Onesnuck up on me and almost killed me. Dante intervened. When herealized Dante was important to me, he set his rage on him just to punish me.”
The pain that constricted his face, constricted my chest too.
“It’s not your fault.”
“I am his focus,” Bjørn warned. “He’s trying to destroy?—”
New screams echoed along the dunes, and we turned to see theDark Onereappearing where I’d stood not too long ago… taking Isis into his clutch.
Pure terror rippled through Bjørn’s face.
“Isis!” he bellowedblinkingas he ran toward them.
TheDark One’smouth stretched with a sinister leer when he realized he’d hit the right spot to hurt Bjørn. He vanished once more taking Isis with him.
“No!” I yelled after them.
Bjørnblinkedback where they had been only a split second later.
“He’s got her!!” I shouted, and Bjørn desperately searched through the Ethereal veil,blinkingtoward them the moment he found them.
