Page 112 of Grave Revelations

“Says the seraph who twists the minds of her kin with pretty words,” Samael retorted. “My mate could have taken lessons in manipulation from you, sister. You wrote the book.”

Dina groaned as the pressure in her chest tightened. “I did… what… I had to… to stop… you.”

“Enough games,” Samael shouted. “You have forgotten just how powerful I am. You all have. Allow me to remind you.”

Dina screamed again as the bone at the base of her shoulder snapped free, and a myriad of silvery-white feathers glided to the ground far below.

The necromancer, Elizabeth, raced through puffs of white, disturbing their gentle progress.

Samael’s massive form bent, holding out a hand. “Thank you, my love.”

Through the haze of pain, Dina registered his words.Love. His love. Samael had only ever loved one being other than himself.

“Sanura?”

“Indeed.” Samael’s booming voice reverberated across the treetops, sending birds scattering from their roost into the night as he moved.

"How?"

They reached the cemetery at the edge of the Graves Estate, and Samael knelt, sliding the lance through the dirt until he had drawn a massive star. "Alexander. You aren't the only one who can manipulate humans. Astaroth gave him the spell to call Sanura into her body. Sanura did the rest." When the star was complete, he stood.

“Stop,” Dina pleaded. “You’ll kill them all.”

“And why shouldn’t they die?” he asked as he left the cemetery, reaching the fence surrounding the estate in two large strides. “We came first. We were Father’s favorite once. Before he madethem.”

With his free hand, Samael twisted the large gargoyle resting atop the fence, angling it to the east.

“Without them,” she panted, “You wouldn’t have your analogous umbra.”

His dark chuckle rattled her aching back, and she gasped again as his grip tightened around her, making her gag. There was another popping sound, and more feathers scattered to the ground as he continued along the fence, adjusting each gargoyle to face East.

“I wouldn’t have needed a vessel for half my soul if I hadn’t been forced to share it in the first place.”

Metal scraped as he moved the next statue.

“I was content with my soul intact.”

Dina’s head lolled to the side as his words came in and out of focus around the pain.

“I love her. Of course I do. And with my whole soul. But I didn’t choose this,” Samael continued. “Father ripped my soul in two, andyouwere the reason for all of it. You were the first to curse us all with your abomination. The firstNaphil.” He sneered the word as if his soulmate weren’t one of the very creatures he so detested.

Even through the pain, Dina’s chest seized at his words. Her first child, Lilith, had died in her arms. Even when Dina had shared a fraction of her soul to sustain her, it had been too late and she had slipped away, leaving Dina with only an aching memory.

Samael’s laugh was manic, crazed as he continued droning on about his devious plan to have Alexander commission the gargoyles to amplify his magic and bring about the end, but she was beyond caring. Dina’s vision drifted to a blurred mass of creatures surrounding the Graves mansion. Her brother was inside with his analogous umbra—the last Naphil. Nephilim had been born of her line, and it made sense that the line would die with her.

A circle. The only truly infinite thing. With no beginning and no end, a circle was unbreakable. Had some part of Dina known all along she was the true catalyst for the apocalypse?

Distantly, she thought of some way to help them, but as her body worked to heal itself and Samael squeezed again, a vision of Aaron filled her mind, and she wanted nothing more than to crawl into her mate’s arms and stay there forever.

Chapter 74

Azazel

Azazel spied the enormous shape of the Fallen trailing the fence, and in his tightly-fisted talons, Dina’s eyes were closed.

We have to do something,Rebecca thought.

It’s too dangerous for you.

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