Page 79

I reached out, placing my hand over his heart. “He feels everything so deeply it hurts, and yeah, sometimes that's a burden. But it's also what makes him the best fecking hunter I've ever known. Not because he's cold or calculating, but because he cares.”

Something flickered in Cade's eyes, a shadow of recognition, of longing. His gaze dropped to the vial in his hand, to the soulthat pulsed with increasing urgency, as if sensing its moment had come.

For a moment, it looked like he might change his mind, might hand the vial back and walk away. But then he took a deep breath, his shoulders squaring with resolve. Without warning, without asking for instructions or guidance, he pressed the vial to his chest, right over his heart.

“Cade, wait—” Cassiel started forward, alarm evident in his voice.

Too late.

The reaction was immediate and violent. The vial shattered, but instead of glass flying everywhere, it seemed to melt into Cade's skin like ice under a blowtorch. The soul inside, freed from its container, surged into his body in a blinding flash of blue-white light that lit up the entire balcony.

Cade's back arched in a rigid bow, his mouth open in a silent scream as light poured from his eyes, his mouth, even seeping through his skin like he was cracking apart from the inside. The mark on his chest blazed brightest of all, a supernova of light centered over his heart.

Then the scream came, tearing from his throat with such raw agony. His knees buckled, his body convulsing, and I lunged forward without thinking, catching him before he hit the ground.

“Cade!” My voice cracked with panic as I lowered him to the floor, cradling his shuddering form against my chest. “Cade, talk to me!”

The light continued to pour from him, so bright I could barely look directly at him. His skin burned against mine, hot enough that I half-expected to see steam rising from where we touched. But I refused to let go, tightening my grip as he thrashed in my arms.

“What's happening to him?” I demanded, looking to Cassiel who stood frozen, watching the scene unfold with wide eyes. “Fecking do something!”

The angel snapped out of his stupor and dropped to his knees beside us, pressing a hand to Cade's forehead. For a moment, Cassiel's eyes glowed with the same ethereal light, as if he was seeing something beyond human perception.

“The soul is reintegrating,” he said, voice tight with concentration. “Too quickly. Too violently. It should have been a gradual process.”

“Fix it!” I ordered, the fear in my voice making it sharp. “He's burning up!”

Cassiel's hand moved to Cade's chest, over the blazing mark. “I'm trying. But his soul is fighting against the barriers Zeryth put in place.”

“The wall,” I remembered with a chill. “Zeryth said not to let him knock on the wall.”

“It's already happening,” Cassiel said grimly. “His soul recognizes the artificial barrier and is trying to tear it down.”

“Stop it!” I begged, holding Cade tighter as another convulsion wracked his body. “If that wall breaks, all his hell memories will hit him at once. It'll destroy him.”

Cassiel's face contorted with effort, his palm glowing brighter against Cade's chest. “I can't rebuild what Zeryth created. Their magic is... different than mine. But I might be able to reinforce it. Temporarily.”

A surge of power flowed from the angel into Cade, visible as a wave of golden light that mixed with the blue-white of Cade's soul. For a moment, the two energies seemed to war with each other, clashing and recoiling like oil and water.

Then, suddenly, everything stopped. The light receded, sinking beneath Cade's skin until only a faint glow remained, pulsing once, twice, then fading entirely. His body went limp inmy arms, all tension draining away as his head lolled against my shoulder.

“Cade?” I whispered, fear making my voice break. He was so still, so pale. “Is he...” I couldn't finish the question, terror gripping my throat.

Cassiel pressed two fingers to Cade's neck, then nodded. “He's alright,” the angel said softly. “Just sleeping.”

I let out a shuddering breath, relief washing over me so intensely it made me dizzy. My arms tightened around Cade, pulling him closer, afraid that if I loosened my grip even slightly, he might slip away again.

“His soul?” I asked, voice hoarse from yelling.

“Successfully reintegrated,” Cassiel confirmed. “Though not as smoothly as it should have been. The wall is still there, but fragile. When he wakes...” The angel hesitated. “He may remember more than is comfortable.”

“But he'll be himself?” I pressed. “Completely?”

Cassiel nodded. “Yes. His soul is whole and where it belongs.”

I sagged with relief, the adrenaline that had been keeping me upright beginning to ebb. Exhaustion crashed over me, making my limbs heavy and my eyes burn. “We should move him to the bed.”

Together, we carried Cade from the balcony back into the bedroom, laying him gently on the mattress. I pulled the blanket over him, tucking it around his shoulders the way I'd seen him do a hundred times before. His face looked peaceful now, the lines of stress and emptiness smoothed away in sleep.