Page 95 of Fated In Forever
Wolf growled low in his throat. “Sabine, this is no game.”
“Games?” She whirled on him, and he went very, very still, pupils shrinking down to pinpoints. “You think I don’t know about the rift, the ley line, about Ravok? That I haven'tspent the last three days researching every possible way this could go catastrophically wrong?”
“I called for you almost two weeks ago, Sabine,” Nikolai said, with teeth grinding patience.
“Two weeks, two years, two days…you know time is just a construct,” she tossed her hair, a haze of wild energy dancing around her. “Beatrix needed my help. But I’m here now, which means nowisthe right time.”
“If you don’t intend to help us, then why are you even here?” I demanded, stepping closer. I didn’t have time for theatrics. Every minute we wasted here was one Evie did not have.
Sabine smiled, and it was like watching a blade slowly being unsheathed. “Because, darling, I'm just as foolish as the rest of you when it comes to lost causes.” Her expression softened slightly as she stared at her brothers, “And I've seen what broken bonds do. It's not a death I'd wish on anyone.”
She turned back to Nikolai, her demeanor shifting to something more businesslike. “But this favor comes with a price, brother dear. A steep one.”
Nikolai sighed. “What do you want?”
“Oh, the usual.” She grinned, and I caught a glimpse of sharp intelligence behind her eccentric facade. “You'll owe me anything I want. A blank check, as it were, until the time comes when I cash it in. And considering your growing tab with me, you might want to keep better track.”
“Fine.” Nikolai said, a vein throbbing in his temple. “But Sabine?—”
“Have Ieverfucked you over, dear brother?” she said, her voice suddenly serious. “No, I have not.” she looked Blake and me up and down, hands on her hips. “We leave in an hour, take only what you need, dress warm, bring snacks, nothing steel, it does not fare well during the crossing.”
Sabine studied my face for a long moment, then, “I shall endeavor to bring you all back alive, but if anything goes awry, well…”
“Well, what?’ Blake snarled, so close to losing his shit, I was already braced to tackle him to the ground, but I had a feeling Sabine might beat me to it.
“Well, you’d better get used to dark days and colder nights. And pray your snacks hold out.” Her eyes shone with a wicked light, and a sense of rabid anticipation that was not entirely encouraging. More like she couldn’t wait to shove us off a cliff.
“For the love of….” Nickolai looked like he was on the verge of having a stroke. “I swear, Sabine, must you set the world on fire, just for the sake of seeing it burn?”
In no mood for a sibling argument, I turned my back on them, had barely cleared the door when she answered?—
“But how else would I ever have my fun, dear brother?”
Evie’s handfelt like ice in mine, so fragile I was afraid her bones might shatter. She’d fallen into an almost-stasis, breathing too slowly and shallowly for even a sleeping vampire, that web of dark veins pulsing beneath her translucent skin.
“Evie,” I leaned closer, measuring those circles beneath her eyes, so much darker than even a few hours ago. “I need you to listen to me, love. Try to hear what I’m saying.”
Her eyelids fluttered, and I pressed her cold hand between mine.
“I'm right here.” I swallowed hard, forcing down thewords that wanted to spill out—keep fighting, don't leave me, please don’t leave me because I don’t know what I’ll do. Instead, I said what she needed to hear. “Blake and I know what's wrong. We know what you need to get better.”
A ghost of a smile crossed her lips, then I heard her voice, a weak, faint echo inside my head.Always... taking…care…of me.
And I always will, Silver. Until the end of time.
“The bond,” I said, my voice cracking despite my efforts to stay strong. “The bond with Malachi—should have remained sealed off. Now it’s draining your life force and...” I couldn't finish. Couldn't say out loud that her soul was slowly unraveling without its other half.
“We're bringing him back.” The words tumbled out in a rush. “Blake and I are going to the Underworld. We'll find Malachi, bring him home and once the bond between you is restored, once he is close again, you’ll get better.”
That was the theory, anyway.
Fiona and Sylvester, Brendan and even Nikolai agreed, as well as the parade of healers and witches we’d had through here these past days. Once Malachi was back, once the bond was restored, her magic would begin to refill, her strength would return, and her drained body would heal.
She would never return to France again, and Blake would take her far away from here.
Evie's grip on my hand tightened, her breathing sped up.No, resounded inside my head, followed by—Dangerous. Too dangerous.
“We don't care.” The vehemence in my own voice surprised me. “Do you hear me? We don't care how dangerous, or if we have to tear apart every realm between here and there, or if we have to drag that asshole back by his horns. This is happening. We are not going to lose you.”
