It flowed out of me and into her wound, but it dispersed inside of her… unable to mend a tear to this extent.
I could see through her body. Her injury was too great.
“No. No. No.” Natasha’s whispered sobs came from behind me, and I stood, wrapping her in my arms to block her from the jarring sight. Trying to save her from the hurt of seeing Isis like this.
“She’s okay, right? She’s okay.” Tears left Natasha’s eyes, but she looked up at me, begging me to say yes.
“I’m sorry.”
Natasha shook her head, trying to hold back the sobs. Taking a calming breath, she held my arm as she walked past me to her second mom. The woman who had raised her.
“Hey…” Natasha smiled, kneeling next to her while André stood with me, his muscles tensing from the pain taking over him too.
When he looked at me, I shook my head, she wasn’t going to survive this. She had minutes.
Whipping the tears as they escaped her, Natasha carefully observed the injury. Like mine, her hands trembled over Isis, trying to find a way to close her wound.
We had none.
Our mate glanced up at me, suddenly hopeful. “Will my blood…?”
André shook his head, his jaw tightening as he tried to remain strong for her, while he felt her heart breaking along with his.
The sobs Natasha had been trying to hold back escaped her, but she looked down at Isis, caressing her hair. “You are going to be okay.” Emotion clogged her throat, forcing her to swallow. “It will be okay,” she promised barely able to speak.
Isis just stared at her, like she desperately wanted to believe her.
Quiet cries came from behind us, and I realized we were surrounded by our friends, the people who loved her. Vanessa and Alice came to our side, standing at my left.
“I love you…” Natasha whispered, still caressing Isis’s head. “Thank you for being my mom when Anastasia couldn’t. For being my best friend, for always defending me, and for getting into all kinds of shenanigans with me.”
That brought a weak smile out of Isis, and her mouth opened. “I-I…”
“We love you too, Isis,” André offered.
I nodded, unable to say the words I had just shared with her a few minutes ago. My jaw clenched furiously as I tried not to cry in front of her.
Natasha kissed her forehead, tears freely falling from her eyes as Isis’s troubled breathing worsened.
Commotion came from ahead, and I lifted my gaze to find my dad, Zeline, Garion, and Luane pinning theDark Oneto the ground. Gustav crouched over him from the other side, his hands swiftly gripping theDark One’shead. Powerful red energy shot out of him and into the demon, draining him of all supernatural power until it killed him.
TheDark One’sall-black eyes widened with terror when he felt the assault, Gustav’s Overlord power overtaking him until he began to desiccate. His sickening green body crumbled, becoming red ashes that fell toward the sand. The red ashes scattered along the ground as though pushed away by a nonexistent wind that didn’t lead anywhere.
Turning black, last of him finally faded into the scorched sand.
Bjørnblinkedto Isis’s side at the same time, a man again, collapsing to his knees when he saw she was dying.
“I—” Isis tried to speak, but he shook his head.
“Don’t…” Lifting her hand to his mouth, he kissed it, his light amber eyes briefly closing with the feel of her skin. “I have a confession to make… I fell in love with you.”
Isis smiled; the gesture marred by the blood staining her lips.
Bjørn’s jaw trembled as he tried to continue smiling for her. “You are the best thing that ever happened to me… There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Luv.”
Tears left her eyes as she looked up at him, squeezing his hand while a millionI love yousswirled in her gaze.
André and I knelt at either side of Natasha, wrapping an arm around her to give her support.
