Page 294

And then Travis did something he’d never done before—not for any girl.

He brushed the tear off her cheek with his thumb. The physical contact caused her heart to accelerate, and his was soon doing the same when she leaned into his touch instead of pulling away, his palm forming to the supple curve of her cheek. Her skin was soft and warm, despite the raw night.

“I’m not ready,” Jewels said, her voice breaking.

Travis’s chest tightened. He knew she wasn’t just referring tothisend—the one they were facing now.

She was not ready to die at all, whether it was from the collision of two warring dimensions or a disease that had no cure.

Fleeting and fragile—that was what life was. Not just for mortals, but for everyone. And he had taken it for granted. All of it. His health, his freedom, his immortality, hislife.He longed for another chance—just one more. For himself, and for Jewels. Max. The others.

Why had it had taken something like this for him to realize it? To appreciate all that he had? This wasn’t the first time he’d faced the prospect of death, but for some reason this was hitting him harder than the others. Maybe it was because of his brothers. Maybe it was because the only other Devil who was here with him was Max. Maybe it was because he’d had longer to think about it this time around, to realize,Oh shit, I’m actually going to die.

Maybe it was that. Maybe it was all of those things.

“Come here,” he said quietly. He wrapped an arm around Jewels, pulled her against his side, and rested his cheek on the top of her head. It took her a moment, but eventually she wrapped both arms around his waist and leaned her head against his shoulder.

They stood there awhile, gazing out at the ruins of Yveswich. Just breathing together, for what might be their very last night.

“Just for the record,” Jewels began, sniffling in the cold, “if I could spend my last minutes with anyone…anyone in the world…” She tilted her head to peek up at him. “I would choose to spend them with you, Travis.”

The confession struck him dumb.

He was about to stutter through some lame-ass reply he’d jumbled up in his head when the front door of the house swung open behind them. Footsteps thundered down the steps.

Travis turned?—

Dallas and Max were sprinting across the yard, their shoes crunching in the frosted grass.

Max cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, “Get the hell in here!”

“What’s going on?” Travis called.

“Phones are working again!” Dallas exclaimed. She was beaming.

Travis’s jaw dropped, and he glanced at Jewels. “Holy shit,” he breathed.

She let out a startled laugh, her face alight with hope. “Well, would you look at that?”

Travis knew exactly who they had to thank for this…miracle. That’s what it was—whatAtlaswas. A miracle.

He took Jewels by the hand, and together they ran into the house.

97

Heaven’s Gate

ANGELTHENE, STATE OF WITHEREDGE

Roman paced across the kitchen.The others—everyone, including the kids—were crowded around the table. Most were gathered around Tanner, who sat before his laptop. The hacker was wholly focused on his screen, ensuring communications stayed up.

If they were cut again… If Travis didn’t have a chance to call…

Roman stiffened as he felt a gentle hand glide down his forearm, fingers circling his wrist.

It was Shay.

“He’ll call,” she said softly. Her touch freed the breath in his lungs and melted the tension right out of him. “Give him a chance.”