Page 145 of Grave Revelations

Of course! The divide should have come down when Samael was defeated. The walls of Alaxia would have shattered, merging their realms, but they had not. Until all realms converged, they had not reached the end.

“Thank you, nasdaqu-ush,” he said, launching into the sky.

She shouted something after, but he hadn’t heard, intent on reaching Alaxia and warning the others.

He landed inside the gates, scanning the fields outside the palace. The souls were unchanged—sparkling lights drifting on the wind.Aniel’s wind,he thought. Wondering how he’d never realized before that Aniel had been their guardian, their protector all these millennia.

Had it always been meant for Aniel to suffer this fate to ensure he watched over them? It was cruel, but soon, very soon, Aniel would be relieved of that burden.

Gabriel reached the great hall and stopped inside bleached marble columns. Phanuel looked up from his map, spread wide across the long center table.

“Brother,” he said, striding forward to clasp forearms. “I have news. We aren’t at the end.”

Phanuel released him, turning back to his map. “I’ve come to the same conclusion.”

“We have two more princes to kill.”

Chapter 98

Rebecca

When Sophia had gone, Rebecca turned to Simon. “I can’t ask you to stay,” she said. “You sacrificed your whole life for me. You deserve an afterlife in Alaxia. At peace.”

Simon moved away from her, running a hand through his hair. “I’m at peace here.”

Rebecca looked left and right, raising an eyebrow. “Here?”

“Yes, Bec.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Here.”

When she continued staring at him for some time, saying nothing, he sighed. “I don’t know how to explain it. This place feels like home to me. The souls. They’re lost, like I’ve been for so long. They’re confused. I can help them. I want to help them.”

Rebecca looked to Asher again, who nodded. “He’s good with them. I told you.”

She blew out a breath. “You’d be alone.”

Simon’s eyebrows shot into his hairline. “When have I not been alone?”

“What?” Rebecca wrapped her arms around herself, a chill racking her.

Simon’s gaze darted to Asher as if he didn’t want to have this fight in front of the sphinx, but after a moment, he said, “Bec, my whole life, I’ve been alone. I was the only night-creature in most of my afterlife, the only non-Graves at themansion, the only one who knew your secret. I’ve had snatches of life with you in it, and the rest was a game of secrets with people I had to keep straight in my head. It was exhausting.”

Rebecca’s arms tightened around her biceps. She knew he’d had a terrible life at her expense. Why couldn’t he see that she was trying to relieve him of any more suffering?

“That’s exactly why I can’t ask you to stay here for me.”

“It’s not for you!” he shouted.

She bit her lip. He’d never raised his voice to her, never yelled at her like that. But Rebecca was reminded once more that perhaps he was finally showing her who he was. And it wasn’t someone unkind or cruel, but a man who had his own wants and needs.

“I understand,” she whispered.

Simon’s face crumpled, and he reached for her, lacing their hands together. She let him, staring down at their intertwined fingers.

“Please believe me. I need this,” he said. “There were so many people I could never help on Earth. I need to help these souls.”

Rebecca nodded, a tear forming on her lashes, though she wasn’t sure why she was crying. She only wanted happiness for him. If this would heal him, he deserved it. And even as Simon’s fingers curled in hers, she thought of how desperately she wanted to accept his sacrifice and join Gabriel.

She looked up. “Promise me, when it's over, when Sheol disappears or ends, or whatever happens to it, you’ll get on the boat.”

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