Page 99 of Grave Revelations (Prophecies of Angels and Demons #3)

Chapter 98

Rebecca

When Sophia had gone, Rebecca turned to Simon. “I can’t ask you to stay,” she said. “You sacrificed your whole life for me. You deserve an afterlife in Alaxia. At peace.”

Simon moved away from her, running a hand through his hair. “I’m at peace here.”

Rebecca looked left and right, raising an eyebrow. “Here?”

“Yes, Bec.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Here.”

When she continued staring at him for some time, saying nothing, he sighed. “I don’t know how to explain it. This place feels like home to me. The souls. They’re lost, like I’ve been for so long. They’re confused. I can help them. I want to help them.”

Rebecca looked to Asher again, who nodded. “He’s good with them. I told you.”

She blew out a breath. “You’d be alone.”

Simon’s eyebrows shot into his hairline. “When have I not been alone?”

“What?” Rebecca wrapped her arms around herself, a chill racking her.

Simon’s gaze darted to Asher as if he didn’t want to have this fight in front of the sphinx, but after a moment, he said, “Bec, my whole life, I’ve been alone. I was the only night-creature in most of my afterlife, the only non-Graves at the mansion, the only one who knew your secret. I’ve had snatches of life with you in it, and the rest was a game of secrets with people I had to keep straight in my head. It was exhausting.”

Rebecca’s arms tightened around her biceps. She knew he’d had a terrible life at her expense. Why couldn’t he see that she was trying to relieve him of any more suffering?

“That’s exactly why I can’t ask you to stay here for me.”

“It’s not for you!” he shouted.

She bit her lip. He’d never raised his voice to her, never yelled at her like that. But Rebecca was reminded once more that perhaps he was finally showing her who he was. And it wasn’t someone unkind or cruel, but a man who had his own wants and needs.

“I understand,” she whispered.

Simon’s face crumpled, and he reached for her, lacing their hands together. She let him, staring down at their intertwined fingers.

“Please believe me. I need this,” he said. “There were so many people I could never help on Earth. I need to help these souls.”

Rebecca nodded, a tear forming on her lashes, though she wasn’t sure why she was crying. She only wanted happiness for him. If this would heal him, he deserved it. And even as Simon’s fingers curled in hers, she thought of how desperately she wanted to accept his sacrifice and join Gabriel.

She looked up. “Promise me, when it's over, when Sheol disappears or ends, or whatever happens to it, you’ll get on the boat.”

He ran his free hand through his hair, not meeting her eyes. “If there’s room for me.”

Rebecca squeezed his fingers. “There will be.”