Page 137 of To Ashes and Dust
Her hands were cold as they lifted to my face, and her smile wavered, as if she couldn’t force it anymore as she looked at Damien. “Where is he?”
Damien swallowed, and his mouth opened to speak, but he fell short.
“Damien?” Her eyes flitted between us, and my heart squeezed. “I can’t find Barrett. I heard Zephyr’s in recovery, but...”
When neither of us could speak, she continued, the words spilling out. “When he didn’t answer his phone, I checked his apartment to see if maybe he stopped there to change, but he wasn’t home. I heard the sirens, but I didn’t realize The Complex caught fire. I tried calling you all, but no one answered.”
Tears welled in my eyes, my chest threatening to explode. “I’m so sorry, Thalia,” I muttered, my voice breaking as my vision blurred.
She looked back at me as I reached for her, the denial in her expression breaking something inside me. “For what? He was just late for our date. It’s okay.”
“Thalia, I—”
“I don’t feel good, Damien,” she admitted, her breaths growing shallow as she swallowed, looking at him. Her hands quivered, her throat bobbing. She was so pale. “Something doesn’t... feel right.”
I cupped my hand over my mouth, trying to keep myself from breaking down.
“Where’s my mate?” Thalia asked, her eyes glassy, tears welling.
Where’s my mate?Where’s my mate?That single sentence burned into me, carving itself so deep into my soul, I thought I might break. My eyes burned, my chest throbbing. What could I say? What could I do? He was gone because of me.... because he’d been protecting me.
It was my fault...
“Thalia,” Damien said, turning to her. “I need you to sit down.”
She froze.
Damien’s voice thickened. “When the darklings attacked The Complex, Vincent, Zephyr, Cas, and Barrett drew the darklings away so I could evacuate everyone. They came out of nowhere without warning.”
My heart faltered as Barrett’s face danced across my thoughts, the smile he’d worn to his last moment.
“He...” Damien’s eyes fell downward, and Thalia stepped backward, her head slowly shaking in disbelief.
I wanted to hold her, to try to comfort her. “Thalia—”
“No...” Tears flooded her eyes.
“He ensured no darkling left that building,” Damien said, withholding the information that he’d been bitten. Only him and I knew that. Knowing what I did about Micah, I knew it would’ve devastated her.
It should’ve been me. Barrett and Thalia deserved so much more. They’d finally found each other, were finding happiness.
“Thalia, I’m so sorry,” Damien said.
“Please tell me you at least were able to recover him,” Thalia said on uneven breaths.
Damien and I flinched at the request.
Her eyes flitted back and forth between us when we didn’t answer. She cupped her hands over her mouth, her hands shaking. “No! If we don’t have him, I can’t lay him to rest. He’ll never find peace!”
The sob tore through me, and I tried to push myself up, but my shoulder protested, pain shooting up my back and ribs. Tears welled in Damien’s eyes. She turned, running out the door.
“Thalia!” Damien shouted, and he followed after her.
No! I groaned as I climbed out of bed, the monitors reacting, the beeps growing louder.
“Cassie!” Damien halted in the doorway, spinning back toward me as I stumbled.
I forced myself upright, gasping as pain shot across my upper back and over my shoulder. “Thalia, please!”
