Page 99

“I-I’ll take him,” Raven’s mother says with a sob, hand pressed to her mouth before she places her hand on Sebastian’s arm, guiding him farther away. “Abel, take care of her,” she adds, looking deep into his soul, and he nods in agreement.

“Excuse me,” he mutters, and it takes a second for us to realize he’s talking to the four of us crowding around our love. Our central point. Our universe.

“If you think I’m going to let you touch her after everything you’ve done, you’re fucking insane,” I bite, eyes burning with challenge.

He swipes a hand down his face, nodding in understanding before he meets my gaze. “I can heal her.”

My jaw clenches, my nostrils flaring, and the desire to tell him to go fuck himself is strong.

“Let him in, Brax,” Zane murmurs before rising to his feet, and the others follow after him.

I still can’t bring myself to move. Her father must sense it, too, because after a few moments, he drops to his knees on her other side and presses his hands to her chest. His eyes fall closed and his fingers twitch as the red stains covering her body grow smaller, but something doesn’t seem right.

“It’s not happening fast enough,” I grunt, and he shivers, the cords in his neck tensing as his breaths grow heavy.

“It’s draining me. I’m trying, but it’s taking everything,” he rasps, making my heart thunder in my chest.

“Then fucking give it to her,” I snap, desperation taking over. I don’t truly understand what it is I’m demanding, the consequences of my order, but when his eyes meet mine, it all makes sense.

“Abel,” Evangeline hollers. Hurried footsteps approach, but I don’t look away from the solemn look in this man’s eyes.

“Tell her I love her. Tell her I’m sorry. Tell her to stay strong. Please.”

A lump lodges in my throat at the rawness in his words, but despite the pain I can hear, I do what I have to. I nod.

“Abel, wait!”

He doesn’t hear her as he takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, lifting both hands to cover her open wound. He cries out, the sound is pained and tortured, before he collapses with a thud, lying side by side with his daughter.

One heartbeat.

One breath.

One life.

But whose?

THIRTY-THREE

RAVEN

Excruciating pain burns in my chest as I try to pry my eyes open. It’s harder than I expect and I struggle to wade through the confusion clogging my mind.

“Raven? Raven!”

I try to rush toward the sound, but I feel delirious. My mind is whirling, yet my body remains lax, which does nothing to calm the panic starting to take hold.

Get it together, Raven.

My brain finally wakes up enough to redirect my frustration, stopping it from blocking me from doing what I want, instead, using it to power me forward, and a moment later, I’m blinded by the light that surrounds me.

“Holy fuck, Raven.”

“Shit.”

“Thank fuck.”

“He did it. He fucking did it.”