Page 156 of The Star's Sword

Tears filled my eyes at that. “Only peace from now on, then.”

He moved the covers down slightly so we could sit up together and look at the window. Sam loved watching the graveyard and in particular the large, swaying willow outside his room.

Where Cayne’s grave had been.

Gently releasing me, he moved out of bed and walked over to the window, putting both hands up against it.

I got out of bed to go over to him, but stayed a few feet back, because he looked lost in thought.

“I remember when I came here, as a young incubus. All I wanted was to be a demon like Cayne, but with my inner rogue, and more importantly, my ninth-realm blood, no one wanted us around. Everyone liked Cayne. His dad was one of the highest-ranking blood mages. But I was just a reminder of his wife, my mother. And he hated ninth realm celestials.”

“I see.”

“I was young when we came here, and when Cayne gave me this room, it was my first very own window that looked out on actual trees.”

That broke my heart for him.

“I grew up in cramped darkness. Any window in the camp huts was inches tall and viewed only a cloudy sky that taunted anyone watching with freedom.” Sam put a hand on the glass reverently. “From here I could see so far. Misty ruins. Mountains in the distance. My very own tree.” He inhaled slowly. “This place was freedom.”

I moved in closer, and he turned and put out an arm to bring me in against him so we could look out the window together.

“The reason I’m telling you this, is that how I feel right now is a lot like how I first felt when I saw this window.”

“How so?”

“Like I’m safe and free and the world is okay for the first time ever,” he said. “Only it’s not just for me, now. It’s for everyone. I don’t have to lie awake at night thinking about the cages I can’t find and the demons I can’t free.” He looked at me and then turned to look out at the world again with wonder. “For the first time,he’sgone.”

My throat got tight at that and I grabbed Sam and pulled him in against me, and he held me tight, lowering his head onto my shoulder, so warm and real and safe that my own heart felt as relieved as his was.

I could only imagine what Sam had gone through at the hands of his father. I could imagine the child in him, who had been terrified, could finally stop watching over his shoulder.

“I’m sorry he was able to take you,” I said. “Due to Vasara.”

“It was a shock,” Samael said. “But I wasn’t scared this time. In fact, it kind of made me realize that after everything I’d survived as a child, there wasn’t anything he could do to me anymore.” He grinned. “Plus, I have a very protective girlfriend and she just happens to have elder god powers so I wasn’t worried. I knew you would come.”

I nodded. “I killed Vasara fast so I could hurry to find you.” I frowned. “I hope you know what a sacrifice that was for me.”

I was teasing and he knew it, so he laughed. “I can imagine you would have killed her slowly and magnificently,” he said.

“I had some ideas,” I muttered. Then, as my hand moved around his waist and clung on, it hit me all over again.

It was over. He was mine. He was safe.

We all were.

The world would never be the same again, but we were all back safe.

“I’m sorry you lost your celestial powers,” I said. “If you want, I can try to study my creation powers, see if we can bring you back.”

He looked down at himself. “I’m enough of an alchemical miracle as it is, thanks to Simon. And you, for never giving up on me. But honestly, it’s a relief. I never liked being a celestial. Now, I’ll never have to see the face that reminded me of him ever again.”

“I’m glad for that,” I said. “How do you feel since the transformation?”

“Like my incubus,” he said. “Normal.”

“I’m so glad.”

“I can’t believe it’s over,” he said. “It seems like only yesterday I brought you back to the cathedral.”

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