A long agonizing silence passed between them. Then, Maura untangled herself from David’s arms, and told him everything . . .
“Fucking bastard!”David’s fists clenched, veins bulging as if they’d explode in a fury as well. “He’s fucking dead! I don’t care what it costs. Iwillfind a way to kill him!” He stalked back and forth in the garden.
Honey followed, pacing in the air like an angry hummingbird.
Maura’s face slumped into her hands, defeated.
“You can’t,” she said, voice a shallow rasp. “He’s too powerful and only getting stronger each day. I—I don’t know how, but he is.” She let out a heavy sigh. “I didn’t come here for you to serve justice on my behalf. I came because I need your help. I don’t have much time left, David.”
A dark shadow flashed across David’s face as his eyes snapped to Maura when her words sunk in.
“Maura, you can’t go back!” His arms outstretched wide in desperate plea. “I won’t allow?—”
“Shhh!” Maura cut him off. She faced the moon, soaking in its cool light as if it could somehow heal her cruel destiny.
“It’s my fate, David.” Her eyes glistened with the tears of an apology she wouldn’t speak aloud. “It’s written.”
David shut his eyes. The one ember of hope snuffed out.
“So that’s it?” he breathed, pausing. “You’re just going to give up?”
Maura’s fate may have been tragically sealed, but her future child’s wasn’t. At least not yet.
“No, I’m not,” she said, stronger now. “I think there’s another way.”
“How?” David shook his head in disbelief.
Her cheeks flushed, anticipating the awkwardness of what was to come next.
“I need you to do me a favor.” She darted her eyes away. “And you’re not going to like it.”
David’s brows furrowed as he stepped forward, sensing the turmoil inside her.
“Whatever it is,” David vowed, straightening, “consider it done.”
The two of them were soul-connected, kindred souls, forever intertwined. They’d known that the moment they met, the feeling of old friends meeting for the first time. And for her—for his greatest friend—David would doanything.
“I killed someone.”Maura cringed at the words. “The Skells will be on high alert.”
Honey turned, a wicked grin spreading across his adorable face.
Maura huffed a laugh. “Of course you’d be impressed, you little devil!”
A chuckle escaped the Cherub’s plump mouth as he opened a velvet bag, pulling out a violet gemstone ring. Slowly, he slipped it onto Maura’s finger.
“It’s beautiful.” Maura rubbed her thumb over it, then raised an eyebrow at him.
Honey tapped the ring, then pointed to himself, waiting.
“Oh.” She paused, understanding. “A Semita Stone? You’ll always be able to find me.”
Honey winked.
“Thank you,” Maura said, squeezing the Cherub’s hand. “I’ll never take it off.”
He squeezed back, then rifted her to Hallow Land.
A ragged screambroke the air from the dungeons and echoed through the stairwell.
