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It was as if the sun did not even shine on this side of the wall.

“What is this?” I asked, my brows pushing together.

“This is The Golden City.”

Chapter

Forty-Three

Inever thought I would go back to Midgrave, but this place reminded me of it. The familiar crumbling stone structures, the fallen buildings, the rats scurrying in the streets.

Wolf and I walked silently around the perimeter of the wall, looking for any signs of life, of angels, of anything.

Death.That had been the ticket into The Golden City. That had been the one thing we needed to get beyond that impenetrable wall.

This whole time, the goddess herself was the final test.

Our wounds had been healed, though my bones still ached from the trauma. We tried not to think about who else might lurk in The Golden City, who might wait for us.

Everything was wrong.

There were no glamorous lights waiting to greet us, no comforts or luxuries. This place was filthy. It reeked of death and decay.

And vampyres.

I followed Wolf as he turned down one street, pushing through a door and entering an abandoned dwelling.

He shut the door behind us, barricading it with an armchair.

Then he turned around and ran his hands through his hair, cursing under his breath.

“What are we supposed to do now?” I asked, trying not to panic. “This can’t be it, right? There has to be some mistake; there’s no way this is The Golden City.”

He closed the distance and placed two hands on my shoulders. “We’re going to figure this out, Huntress. You’re right, there’s no way this is where we end things.”

“We should see the archangels, at least. They must be here somewhere!”

Wolf nodded, something dark flashing beneath his eyes. “Yes, you’re right.”

I exhaled, allowing myself to relax for the first time since before that battle.

And then I stepped forward, wrapping my arms around Wolf. He tensed at first but quickly moved to hug me back.

“Does this mean you forgive me?” he whispered against the top of my head.

I gasped, stepping away. “You heard that?”

He shrugged, sliding his hands to my face and bringing his lips close to mine. “And my heart belongs to you, too, Huntyr Gwenevive.”

A sob of relief wrecked my body. Not just at his words, but at him.

He was here, warm and solid against me, holding me, talking to me.

“I thought you left me,” I whispered to him. His forehead pressed against mine, his hot breath on my lips.

“Careful,” he teased, that playful flirt back in his voice. “It’s starting to sound like you care, Huntress.”

I laughed, tears streaming down my face, and kissed him.