“What?”
“Jarod is part Nephilim, and they won’t allow Nephilim souls to beharvested.”
“Nephilim havesouls?”
I stole a breath, then retained it until the pain eased. “Theydo.”
Her large eyes grewlarger.
“You were right, Celeste. Our laws—yourlaws . . .” They were no longer mine. “They need to be reassessed andreformed.”
Her pupils swelled indisbelief.
“Will you help mesit?”
She wrapped her fingers around my shoulders and began to lift me but let go when Iwinced.
“No. Goon.”
She hooked her fingers around my shoulders and peeled me off the downypillow.
My bones felt as though they were being broken, one after the other, as though Asher’s fire had welded my vertebrae together and they were popping apart. The hotel room vacillated andvanished.
When it reappeared, it was cloaked in darkness, and Celeste was nestled beside me, her soft snores filling the quiet space. I shifted underneath the sheets, taking inventory of my body. The flesh on my back still tingled, but there were no fiery jolts ofpain.
I edged away from Celeste, then eased my legs off the bed. The room spun but eventually settled. I pushed up and stood, one hand clasped around the headboard in case gravity stole my equilibrium. When several minutes passed, and my body hadn’t collapsed, I walked to the bathroom. I shut myself in, then felt the wall for a switch. I flicked it up, temporarily blinded by the sconces beside the mirror. I blinked, and peach marble—not white quartz—filled myvision.
Peach suddenly became my favoritecolor.
I turned on the tap, splashed cold water over my face, then stared at my reflection. My eyes looked sunken, and one of my sickly pale cheeks was marbled by a bruise. I lowered the straps of the navy nightie Celeste must’ve salvaged from my closet in the guild, tucked my hair over one shoulder, then let the silk slide down andturned.
Two purple angular crescents marred the skin over my shoulder blades—a reminder of what I’d given up to return toJarod.
Although I didn’t regret my sacrifice, proclaiming their absence didn’t weigh on my heart would’ve been a lie. If only I could’ve kept themandJarod.
But that hadn’t been anoption.
Readjusting my nightie, I tiptoed back inside the bedroom and opened the closet, but it was empty except for Celeste’s black boots, a pair of terry slippers, and a bathrobe. I slid the slippers on and pressed a kiss as light as icing sugar to my friend’s brow beforeleaving.
When I reached the lobby, I realized I had no money. No cell phoneeither.
Oh well . . .I’d sort this out once I reached Jarod’shome.
I passed by the hotel lobby, thankfully deserted at this late hour. The concierge manning the night desk looked up at me, then down at my slippers, his browfurrowing.
“Bonsoir,” I said, blustering past him and out through the revolvingdoors.
The valet attendant blinked atme.
“Can you get me a cab please,sir?”
After another quick sweep of my odd outfit, he raised his gloved hand and whistled, and a cab glided beside thecurb.
“Where to?” the woman driver asked once I’d settledin.
“Place desVosges.”
She glanced into the rearview mirror several times during the drive. “I don’t know how close I’ll be able to get to it. It’s been a circus aroundthere.”
