Page 279 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

To my surprise, there isn’t anything remotely insidious about his statement and it makes me gain a new appreciation for him. I don’t think any other male would have so willingly jumped on a female’s back and allowed her to save him.

In Aperion, a male would rather face death than suffer such ignominy.

I glance at Mine’s carefree expression and exuberant smile, and I find myself sharing his sentiments, too.

This is amazing. He is more amazing than I ever dared to imagine my mate would be.

Because that’s what he is, whether the fates will it or not.

My mate.

“Oh, fuck,” he mutters when we come to a halt. He jumps off me, grimacing as he looks around.

It’s dark out, the air frigid and cold for the mere mortals walking the streets at this hour. A church looms ahead, its dome tall and proud as it scrapes the skies. All around it, there are other majestic buildings displaying stunning architectural opulence.

A long bridge extends over the river, dots of light making it seem almost ethereal in the way it connects one part of the city to another.

I may not have intentionally decided on this location, but now that we’re here, I am not mad.

Mine does not seem to share the sentiment.

“What’s wrong?” I frown.

“We went too far and in the wrong direction.”

“I don’t understand.”

He points to the imposing church in front of us. “That’s the Frauenkirche. And that”—he nods to the building next to it—“is the Semper Opera House.”

I still don’t understand why he is so concerned about that.

Turning to me, he presses his lips in a tight line. “We’re in Dresden.”

“And that’s bad because?” I raise a brow. “We can just take the train to France as you said.”

This city is comparable to London in its beauty—well, before the bombing. But it’s clearly a cultural center, so I am sure it is also a hub of transport. If anything, we probably ended up in therightplace.

“Not so easy, I’m afraid.” He takes a deep breath just as the wail of sirens rip through the air. The piercing sound shatters my optimism since I know fully well what it means. I have experienced it before.

“This city is about to be bombed.”

FORTY

The loud soundof a plane flying close overhead resounds in the air.

“Hop back on. We have to leave,” I tell him.

I’ve experienced enough bombing in London to know how dire the situation will get. This area will be teeming with lost souls, demons who seek to prey on them, and messengers trying to get them to cross over.

And where there are demons, there will also be Aperite warriors hunting them down. The last thing I need is for someone to recognize me and later comment on my whereabouts.

“Mine?” I repeat, but he’s not listening to me. He’s not even looking at me. His gaze is focused on the skies as more planes abound. The air becomes a cacophony of engine noise and loud booms rippling all around.

The city is not about to be bombed; it is currently being bombed. And we need to leave as soon as possible.

“Mine!” I call out to him again. “We must leave before—” A bomb dropping over the church, mere feet away from us, cuts me off.

I grab him by his sleeve and pull him behind me while I summon a shield around us.

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