“I know.” Cupping the back of her head, I pushed down the apprehension in my gut. “I know. I know everything.”
This wasn’t over.
He’d pay for this.
Creating a portal, I stepped through the shadows, not wasting a single second before taking her home.
“Are you sure about this?” Kairos asked, all of us crowdedaround my office. Luna was wrapped up in a blanket and sitting on the small couch.
As soon as she’d stopped shaking, I’d taken her back to our rooms. Bathed her and cleaned each of the nicks where branches snagged her skin. Where teeth and claws had bloodied her perfect porcelain complexion.
It was all I could do not to go on a violent rampage.
I was so angry I was practically seeing red. But I couldn’t leave her alone. She wouldn’t let me out of her sight. Like she knew what I wanted to do as well.
“It’s what we have to do,” Luna said. Her voice was hoarse from screaming, and it made me sick. Knowing that this was my fault. “Our powers, combined… that’s the only way this ends. I’ve seen it all. And I know what we have to do.”
“Okay.” I took a deep breath. “But I need you to stay hidden until the last possible moment. Can you do that?”
My wife—my beautiful, enchanting wife—nodded.
“Asura and Lilith will be with you.”
The two demons agreed, Lilith’s fingernails already pointed, sharpened into weapons of lethal destruction.Ready.
“If anything goes wrong—” I said to them, ignoring Luna’s protests. “You have to get her out of there. Keep her safe. Do you hear me?”
“I won’t let you sacrifice yourself for me,” Luna said, an angry pout on her face. “Either we die together or not at all. You hear me?”
“Neither one of us is going to die,” I said with a growl. “Don’t even think that.”
Tell me you love me.My thoughts were a plea in her mind.
Her eyes narrowed and then softened.
I need to hear it. Just once.
No.Her thoughts were a soft caress against mine.I can’t say it like this. So you have to win. We have to beat him.
My forehead pressed against hers, my hands tangled in her hair as we carried on our conversation mind-to-mind, no one else moving in the room. Like they all knew exactly what was happening. But this wasn’t the end. This wasn’t goodbye.
I will,I promised her, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.For you, Moonbeam, I’d do anything. For our future, I’d tear down the world and rebuild it, even if it just meant one more day with you.
She nodded, silver rimming her beautiful green eyes, but she didn’t let the tears fall.
“Ready?” I asked the room.
Luna answered by summoning the moonlight in her veins, and I knew we’d never have a moment like this again.
My father was right where I’d left him, the picture of calm as he lounged in the throne.
“So, you found her.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, scowling. “It wasn’t hard.”
He smirked. “Who said anything about that?”
“Why did you take her?” I asked again. “What is so dark and twisted inside of you that you’d do this? That you can’t bear for me to be happy?”