Page 137 of The Vampire’s Embrace

“I can and will,” she fired back. “I want The Wheel. Make this easy or make it difficult. Either way, I will have your essence.”

Paris scoffed, rolling his shoulders. “Divine parasite.”

She moved back a step. “You will wait here until I am ready for you. There is no escape from Heaven. Flying out of the clouds will not work, trying to kill yourself by jumping will only deliver you right back here. The true exit is only for a deity to know. And I don’t mean Selene. That’s one thing she cannot meddle in.” She winked. “Now, I will leave you to explore. Feel free to snoop all you like.”

She vanished in a cloud of purple.

“Well, fuck a duck,” Paris said. “What the hell are we going to do now?”

“We’re not staying here.” I pulled him against me, cradling his head against my chest.

He wrapped his arms around me. “Damn right we’re not.”

I kissed the top of his head.

“I can meddle, and I have,” Selene said.

I clutched Paris tighter in surprise.

He lifted his head to look up at me. “What is it?”

“Selene,” I whispered.

“Caer’s correct to say I don’t know how to exit Heaven,” she continued. “Yet there are two deities trapped here who do. Remember, only The Wheel can bring them true death.”

Fenrir and Melusine. The deities of werewolves and mer.

“I’m sure they will be delighted to help,” she added. “I can sense their anger. They want revenge on Aidan. It is a dangerous route to take, but I think you can strike up a mutually beneficial deal.”

Once again, it all came down to the games deities played.

I explained this to Paris before letting him go.

As much as Selene meant well, and she’d helped us so much, we were still at the mercy of divine scheming. Paris was right to say we were puppets, because we did nothing more than dance on the end of strings.

“I’m sorry,” Selene whispered in response to my thoughts.

I had no answer for her.