“You bastard!” I bellowed in anger and hate. Dom’s arms, which had been tightly wrapped around me, unfolded, setting me free.
Rage torched my insides, turning the world around me red; hatred grasped my entire being and exuded from my pores, squeezing the air from my lungs, trying to render me weak. Every negative emotion wrapped itself tightly around me, suffocating, gripping my heart and compressing it to the point of depleting every ounce of good left in me.
I wanted nothing more than having the pleasure of killing him and watching him suffer.
I charged toward Lucifer, crying out with every ounce of anger and pain I had inside me. I raised my trusted dagger above my head, hoping it would aid me in finding its mark, and sink itself deep into Lucifer’s vile, amoral, merciless heart.
Samuel had also charged forward, but Lucifer had anticipated his move and thrust him to the side. He hit the bannister, cracking a few of the rails.
I pressed forward and dove for Lucifer, my blade aimed directly at his heart. As soon as the tip touched his flesh, he burst into a million black flies. They swarmed around us, biting at our exposed flesh, then disappeared up and out through the hole he’d entered.
I scrambled to Kade and saw his eyes roll back into his head. He couldn’t be dead. I dropped down next to his body and felt for a pulse. It was faint, but there was one. He was still alive, but barely.
Blood pumped out from the wound in the side of his chest.
“You can’t die. Please, you can’t die,” I grieved, the pain in my heart aching to the point of bursting. I pressed my hands against his injury to help slow the bleeding.
“Alaine,” I screamed, as blood soaked my hands. Samuel and Dominic knelt next to me. Dom laid his hand on his shoulder.
“Fight brother. Don’t give up,” he said as tears welled in his eyes.
“In a few seconds Alaine bounded up the stairs and knelt down beside me. After examining his would, her eyes pressed shut.
“Where is the potion? We need to get his potion,” I yelled.
“His potion isn’t going to help a fatal wound inflicted by an immortal blade,” Alaine said with tears spilling down her face. “I’m so sorry, Emma.”
“What are you saying? You can’t heal him?”
Her lips quivered uncontrollably as she shook her head, and brought a hand up to brush his hair back.
“I’m sorry,” she sobbed.
Samuel came up behind her. Alaine jumped up and wrapped her arms around him.
“I thought I’d lost you,” she wailed.
He didn’t respond, but held her tightly.
“Help me!” I bellowed, pleading with anyone. “There has to be a way. He can’t die. We can’t give up! Is there some magic I can use to give my life for his? Something? Anything?”
The true love of my life, my first bonded, my protector, my Guardian, was dying right before my eyes and there was nothing I could do about it. I was helpless, watching him quickly fade away. The horrifying dreams were becoming reality.
Then I remembered the last dream I had… the one where my kiss saved him.
I leaned over and kissed him. “Don’t die. Please don’t die,” I spoke against his lips, hoping my words would travel down to his heart and magically heal him.
But they didn’t.
In absolute horror I helplessly watched him take his last, weak breath and was gone. Just like that. I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. I didn’t even have a chance to tell him how much I loved him.
My heart burst in agony, hot tormenting tears burned my swollen eyes.
He left me.
I had a chance to say goodbye to Ethon, why not my Kade?
“Kade,” I wailed, clawing at his shirt. Trembling, I lay over his lifeless body. No one should ever be allowed to feel this kind of pain.
His body started to glow brightly, and I watched as he dissolved right from under me, disappearing in a fine mist.
He was gone from my grasp, and I lay alone in a pool of his blood.
“Where is he? What happened?” I frantically pleaded.
“His family must have called his body home,” Dom replied. “I’m so sorry, Emma.”
There wasn’t much more I could take. My body, my mind, my soul was in utter anguish and disbelief. I was exhausted to the point of collapsing.
Strong arms lifted and cradled me.
“You’ll be alright. I promise.” Samuel pressed his lips to my forehead. I rolled my head onto his chest, and closed my eyes, too weak to move.
“You just need to sleep, my Emma.”
With his words, I faded into darkness, hoping never to awake.
MY EYES WERE BLURRY WHEN I woke in my bed. Someone had cleaned my bedroom, and fixed the door. The room was dimly lit from a lamp next to my bedside.