Page 180 of Living Legend

Jonah looked up at me with the same look he'd given me so many times, a look that said he was in awe of me but was concerned for me at the same time. I was never one who condoned favorites, but I came to the understanding that I was clearly one of his. I never understood why. I always considered it was because I was justthatgood at what I did. I worked hard enough for it, but maybe it was more than that.

"Just let her help you," I said, frustration in my voice.

Jonah let out a strangled chuckle. "It's alright, Nicholas." He reached his arm up and squeezed my forearm. "Markus was right. I shouldn't have been so afraid of my father all those years. I should have done more. I'll have to live with that." He looked over at Natalia, who nodded her understanding, but the look on her face said he didn't need to apologize.

He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, his eyelids hooded. His amber eyes looked into my dark brown ones, his look stern. "Tell your father I did what he asked, I tried my best, and I hope it was good enough. That I'm sorry." I raised my eyebrows. "Tell him that–" his words trailed off a bit as he caught his breath, his eyes closing ever so slightly. "She deserved so much better."

I watched as the last words left his lips and he shut his eyes, looking as if he was going to sleep, but I knew he was gone. Gold light filtered around him, but light illuminated around us, almost blinding me as wisps of gold bounced off him. It swirled above him and dispersed, as if it was never there. When executives died, they tended to replace them like any other job, your magic just elevating with you, but high executives were an entirely different story. Jonah had his position bestowed by his father, his magic going to him when his father died, so without an heir, his magic would go…where?

I was stunned at his death and whatever came with it, but also stunned at his words. I didn't understand them whatsoever.

She deserved so much better.

I felt a hand brush my shoulder. The smell of cinnamon filled my nostrils through all the sweat, blood, and utter fucking depression that covered this place. "Do you know what he was talking about?" Dani asked.

I shook my head. I didn't know shit.

"Fuck, that burns,"I said through my teeth as Natalia rubbed a healing salt along the back of my bicep. When she lifted my shirt sleeve a few moments ago, raised reddened skin caught her attention. She told a few of the healers from Oculus to bring her what she needed. Other healers had turned our infirmary into nonstop chaos.

Natalia had given Jonah one last sullen look before she told us she would portal to Oculus and bring us what we needed. The infirmary attendants here would be out cold with the rest of the angels and asking them to take over and fix our wounds would be asking too much. Soon after she left, the High Priestess returned with ample help and a furious looking Zane at her side.

"I told you going alone was dangerous, but did you listen to me?" Zane rambled on as Natalia tuned him out. She swiftly turned around, placing her palm up against his chest, causing him to halt.

"I was just involved in a very thorough fight and found out my relationship was a complete and utter lie. Not to mention, she got away. So can you please just do as I say? Leave your ‘I told you so's’ for another time." Zane let his large chest puff out, as if he wanted to argue but didn't, following behind her as she turned around to continue out of the room.

Everything had been a blur as we helped the angels from the Ethereal Bastille gain their footing again, retelling the story as best we could while trying to understand it ourselves. I took Natalia to our infirmary as she gave orders to her people. Powders, salts, and liquids in various colors and smells filtered in as they saw every one of us. Elise grumbled about not needing help from useless witches the entire time. Reese gave me a confused look as he got a wink from the Enchanter with the piercing blue eyes I had met when I’d found Elise, but he’d followed him to an empty room anyway. Then there was Dani, who let the healers guide her to her own room, but everything about her told me she was thinking, calculating, trying to figure something out.

Ariel sauntered into the room moments after Natalia finished rubbing the burning salt into my skin and had me tell him the story. He looked dirty and dazed, his haughty attitude never changing as he talked about how stupid Markus had been to think that plan of his would have succeeded. That if he had known what was going on, he could have stopped him. I had to hold in my smirk at the idea of this ass-wipe doing anything but pleading for his life. Natalia let out a hushed giggle behind me as she re-examined my coverings.

"I’ve already told them to take Jonah's body to a separate room and clean him up until we can have a proper ceremony." I looked him in his eyes then, but my mouth didn't form any words, so I just pressed my lips together and nodded. Natalia squeezed my shoulder, careful not to disrupt my healing wraps.

I heard footsteps thundering down the hallway and a voice I recognized all too well, a voice I had heard my entire life.

"For the love of all that's ethereal, Nicholas!" my father shouted as he stopped at the door and saw me. I knew I looked like shit and probably smelled even worse, but he jogged over to me and pulled me into the tightest hug I've ever gotten. When he pulled back, his eyes were glassy, but he held it back enough to be able to speak. "You're alright?" He looked up and down my body, as if making triple sure I had all my limbs.

I gripped my dad's arms, looking him in the eyes. "Yes, I'm fine. A little beat up, but I'll live."

Ariel cleared his throat and we both looked at him. He only looked at me, though. "I'll speak to you once we have retained some order." He gave my father a once over and sneered, turning away and out the door in seconds.

My father huffed. "He's still jealous, even now."

"Figures."

"I heard about Jonah," my father said in a low voice. Natalia seemed to make herself busy on the other side of the room.

I licked my lips. "Yeah, Ariel just told me we’re going to have a proper ceremony for him when things start cleaning up."

My father looked a little pained at the mention of a ceremony, but not like he didn't want to have one. It was like it hurt him to think about having one in the first place. I had grown up with this man my entire life, but he always seemed to throw curve balls about his past at every turn. After everything that had happened, things my father still won't tell me, he still looks sullen over the death of his…friend.

"Dad, he told me to tell you he did what you asked, that he hoped it was good enough. He said he was sorry. What does any of that mean?" I was practically pleading for answers.

He furrowed his thick eyebrows as he ran his index finger over his mustache. "I told Jonah a long time ago to look after you, that's all. I told him to give you the chances you deserved but to keep you close."

"Keep me close? Dad, what does that…" I cut myself off, pushing those thoughts aside and bringing up something more interesting to me. "Dad, he said she deserved better."

The color from my father’s face drained and his eyes narrowed. He moved his eyes over to Natalia, who was keeping busy, but I knew she was listening. "Nicholas, people say a lot of things when their time is ending, things that don't make sense…"

"Maurice, did you find him?" Daya rounded the threshold and sighed in relief. A girl who could be her twin popped up behind her. She had long, dark, glossy hair pulled into a high ponytail, randomly placed purple streaks throughout it. Her skin was the same golden complexion; her eyes glowed with the same whiskey coloring. She had a septum piercing in her nose that glinted with white jewels.

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