Page 89 of Bellamy

Phoenix lifted a hand to his neck. “When you cut me that day in your room. You used my blood for a spell.”

“Clever little mutt, you are. So you see?” Asa chuckled. “If you would’ve obeyed me, this wouldn’t have happened. You really did ruin him.”

“I…” Phoenix looked at me. “I didn’t know.”

The demon between Asa and Belphegor placed his hand on each of their shoulders and disappeared. Light Bringer went with them.

Vepar released Lazarus before flying out the window. Purah shot off after him. The three angels still alive leapt into the air and trailed them. Unlikely they’d catch them though.

Everything was falling apart.

Our mansion burned, the fire out of control. Soon, the ceiling would collapse. Galen grabbed Simon and dashed to the side before a fiery beam fell right where they’d been standing. Gray helped Mason stand before rushing out too. Kyo and Daman grabbed Castor and followed behind them while Warrin grabbed Raiden, who was still paralyzed from Purah’s poison.

Alastair sat on his knees in the center of the room, head bent down as the flames snaked along the walls.

“Come.” Lazarus touched the top of Alastair’s head.

“I failed,” Alastair whispered.

“We all failed.”

Alastair peered up at him. “The captain goes down with his ship. Perhaps I should just sit here and let the flames consume me too.”

Lazarus crouched down in front of him, more tenderness in his expression than I’d ever seen in the thousands of years I’d known him. “Not all battles can be won. True failure only comes when you stop fighting.”

“Asa has Light Bringer. What point is there to keep fighting when the end will be the same?”

“I taught you better than this.” Lazarus grabbed him by the jaw. “Now, stand up.”

Alastair did as he said. He took one last look around his study before turning toward the exit. Lazarus left with him.

“We need to leave,” Phoenix said, grabbing my arm.

I yanked from his grip. “Go fuck yourself.”

“Bell—”

“Just get the fuck away from me.” I shoved past him and left the study, my throat tight and my eyes stinging. I would’ve rather torn my own heart from my chest in that moment than feel the pain twisting inside me.

He’d betrayed me.

***

The home I had built with my brothers burned before us, the flames rising high in the air as it crumbled away. There was no saving it. No way to salvage anything inside.

Gray cried in Mason’s arms, his sobs heavy and heart-wrenching. Mason had regained some of his strength and hugged my brother to his chest.

Galen held Simon and stared at the flames, no emotion on his face. But I felt his rage.

Raiden fell to his knees in the grass and watched our home burn. Watched the memories be swept away by the fire. The paralysis from Purah’s poison had lost its potency, but he was unmoving anyway.

We all were.

A car sped down the road toward us, the tires kicking up rocks as it came to a sudden stop.

“Oh my god!” Clara slammed the door and ran over, her eyes on the mansion. “What happened?”

“We got our asses handed to us,” Castor said, leaning against Kyo, who sat behind him in the grass. “That’s what happened.”