Page 88 of Premonition of Peace

Could I really deny Sienna that? Deny Sasha a second chance?

Could I stand in the way of Kat’s happiness and live with myself?

I technically already had. I just never knew it.

I couldn’t do it again.

I expected Marcel to object, to find a reason to stop this from happening, but after a pregnant pause, he looked at me.

“Nathalie?”

I swallowed hard around the knot in my throat. I was going to be sick, but I still pushed the words past my lips. “What right do we have to stop her?” I sounded hopeless. It’s how I felt. “I don’t like it. I selfishly want to say no . . .”

“But,” Kat prompted, her voice gentle despite the years of animosity.

“You love her. You’ve loved her for years. You won’t accept no because I know you. You’re like me. I already . . . I was faced with it once. I made my decision because I wouldn’t accept the alternative.” I took a deep breath, feeling it stutter slightly. “I know if one of my mates were dead, I’d fight magic itself to bring them back or . . .”

“You’d join them,” she said, and I nodded. “And Marcel, what would you do if it was Nat?” Kat asked. “If it had been her that died instead and you who’d been visiting her in the veil. Would you give up your chance to be together, or would you take it?”

Marcel shook his head, brushing his hair back from his eyes. “You’re right. Fuck, do I hate you right now, but you’re right.” She took another step toward him, pain reflecting in her eyes. Pain for him. His sadness. “We’ll do it tonight at the Wicked Haunt.”

The words hit me like a physical blow, but I didn’t dispute them.

One way or another, Kat would find her way back to Prudence.

At least this way, we’d get Sasha back in return.

Sienna, who had been standing quietly at the edge of the room, suddenly rushed forward and enveloped Kat in a heartfelt embrace. The gesture was strained but sincere, and Kat awkwardly patted her back. Sienna’s tears soaked into Kat’s shirt as she choked out her gratitude.

“Thank you. I know you’re not doing this for me or for Sasha, but thank you.” She pulled away and stepped back again.

“I want to be there this time,” Piper said. She stared at me, and I heard the silentfor youadded on.

Anders nodded in agreement, “We should all be there.”

“We’ll hold a vigil,” Marcel said his voice steady but hollow. “Be there at 11:30 and not a minute later. I don’t want to risk anything going wrong because of the time.”

Time.

Everything came down to time.

It didn’t matter what I did. No matter how many times I’d run down the clock to protect someone or helped to save the fucking world with a minute to spare, time had a way of reminding me that I controlled so very little.

Immortality wouldn’t even change that.

Somehow, some way, time would always win because there was simply never enough of it.

twenty-seven

NATHALIE

“Are you all right, little witch?”

“Huh? What?” I swallowed, throat dry. “I–I’m fine.” My voice shook. Why was it shaking?

Lucifer narrowed his eyes. “You skipped over details in recounting what happened. You just sort of disappeared.”

My temperature was rising. I felt like I was being edged with physical affection.Affection. What the hell was that?

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