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Kneeling behind him is Des, who doesn’t have a fleck of blood on his clothes, nor a strand of white blond hair out of place. Other than the torn, bloodied edges of his clothes, he looks utterly untouched.

I glance around us. This must’ve once been a grand castle, but now all I can see of it is its foundation and bits of furniture that weren’t completely obliterated in the explosion.

Beyond the castle walls, the dark evergreen trees that surround it are utterly untouched.

Des did all this. I shiver at the sight of all of it.

The Bargainer raises his head, his eyes locking with mine. “The King of Fauna is no more.”

Des comes upto me, his hands sliding under my body as he lifts me up.

I let out a small, pained noise. Everything aches, my scalp, my teeth, my bones, my toes—my heart.

Especially that last one.

“It’s alright, cherub, it’s alright.”

I make a choked sound and turn my head towards his chest.

It’s not alright at all. I can feel the tips of my wings dragging along the ground. A faint dusting of scales cover my arms, and I have claws.

Monstrous. Just as monstrous as my captors. And now I’ll always carry the reminder.

The only thing that tempers my revulsion is my will. I’m struggling to stay conscious.

Des keeps casting worried glances down at me. “Stay with me, love.”

I force my eyes to remain open.

“Good girl,” he says, stroking my hair back. “We’re going home.” His expression is filled with such agony.

It’s painful for him to even look at me.

Perhaps it was better when he was simply out of my life. Then it was a single blow I managed to live with. Seeing him look at me this way over and over again—each moment is a dagger to the gut. In response to my anxiety, my wings tense, ready to lift.

“Be calm, love,” Des says.

Slowly, I force myself to relax my back, my wings going limp again.

He bends his knees, tensing. A moment later, we shoot into the sky.

I stare at the stars, the beautiful, desolate stars, my body at the end of its rope. My eyelids close.

“Callie…”

But not even Des’s voice brings me back from the darkness.

Chapter 30

I wake tothe sensation of a hand petting my back.

I wearily blink my eyes open. I don’t immediately recognize my surroundings. Not until I notice the bronze wall scones and a Moroccan archway.

Des’s room. I lay splayed out on my stomach in the middle of his bed, nestled amongst all his sheets.

Why am I on my stomach?I never sleep on my stomach.

“Cherub, you’re awake.” The Bargainer’s smooth voice raises goosebumps across my skin.