Page 98 of The Eternal Mirror
The trouble is, I don’t know what I’m doing here. This isn’t my world. I was born in Hell. But I suppose it used to be my father’s—before Khronus twisted everything. Lucifer had land and a beautiful home here. I asked Hecate once what happened to them. She said when Hell was created, Lucifer’s estate had vanished from mortal sight. Still there but veiled in shadow. A wound the world refused to look at.
Maybe that’s where I belong. In the shadows.
The sun slips lower. The light turns syrupy. I lean back on my elbows and close my eyes, letting the warmth bleed into my skin. Maybe if I stay still long enough, I’ll vanish.
Of course, that’s when I feel him.
He doesn’t make a sound, but I know he’s there before I open my eyes. The mate bond tugs like thread wrapped tight around my ribs.
I don’t look at him.
He lowers himself beside me without asking.
We sit like that for a long time.
Then I say, “After we killed Lucifer and got out of Hell, I had this plan.”
He turns to me. I can feel it.
“I was going to take you to Hawaii.”
“You mentioned it before.” He frowns. “But I have no clue where that is.”
“It’s an island in the Pacific Ocean. Really beautiful. It’s got golden sandy beaches and warm blue sea.” When I was at Lissa and Pete’s, I used to dream about going to Hawaii when I was grown up, after I’d found my lovely family. Hah. “You can get cocktails in pineapples. It’s perfect.”
He’s still looking at me. “And you were going to take me there?”
“Yeah.” I smile, bitter. “Sunburn and fruity drinks. Maybe a bed with an ocean view.”
Silence.
Then he says, “Why not?”
I blink. “What?”
“Let’s go,” he says.
I turn and stare at him. He’s not joking.
“Let’s play hooky,” he says. “Just you and me. One night without monsters. Without maps. Without destiny breathing down your neck.”
And the worst part is—I want to say yes.
So badly it hurts.
He takes my hand. “You need something to remind you that life can be good.”
I swallow. “But when we come back, everything’s still broken.”
“Probably,” he says. “But maybewe’llbe a little less broken.”
I close my eyes.
And I nod.
Because even if the world’s on fire...I could really use a drink with a tiny umbrella.
Chapter 35
