Page 28 of The Death Dealer (Sentinels of Magic Book 2)

The instant the fight left Soleil and her soul abandoned her body, the compulsion to kill left Trevor. As he stared down at her pale, still face, with its single teardrop trailing toward her hairline, horror filled him.

“Soleil?” He touched her bruised throat, feeling for a pulse. Unable to find one, he linked his fingers and began chest compressions. “Don’t give up, Dalli! Don’t give up!”

But she had, and she was gone.

He could feel the absence of their link and her soul.

Each press of his joined hands wrung a sob from him.

“Come back, Dalli,” he begged. “Please come back to me.”

He was a mindless machine as he performed CPR, attempting to blow air through her crushed trachea and declaring his love for her with each breath.Part of her had to hear him, right?He hadn’t possessed the power to decimate her soul, and if she transitioned to the Otherworld, part of her had to be aware of what was happening on this plane.

“You must move, Mr. Blane,” Jordon Brothers urged softly. “I can’t treat her if you don’t move, sir.”

Rough arms dragged Trev away, and he fought like a madman to return to her side.

“Dalli!”he cried.

A glowing light extended from Jordon’s palms to the entire column of Soleil’s neck as he tried to repair the damage Trevor had inflicted.

Ceasing to struggle, Trev stared at his hands, disbelieving of the devastation they’d caused.

Red Guards rushed him, but his Sentinel teammates formed a line, blocking them from reaching him for an arrest. With his back to the wall and arms resting on his raised knees, he stared at Soleil’s unmoving form through a curtain of moisture.

“Trevor.”

Hearing Mattie next to him, he turned his head, but his unseeing gaze remained locked on Soleil.

“Trevor, you need to ask your friends to stand down.” Her statement was kind and filled with compassion. “It will be worse for everyone if they don’t.”

“Stand down,” he croaked. Mainly because he didn’t care what the fuck happened to him now. If the Authority decided to end his life, it would be a blessing. There was no recovering from what he’d done.

Amid angry protests but no physical scuffles, the Red Guard dragged him to his feet and shackled his arms. A sympathetic look from Brooke Ellis made him want to vomit. He didn’t deserve any kindness. He was a stone-cold killer.

“What’s going to happen to him?” Simon demanded to know. “Dad? Where are they taking him?”

“For reprogramming.” Ben’s voice was rough, and his pallor gray. “If theydecidehe canbe rehabilitated.”

From his father’s grim statement, it wasn’t likely the Authority would favor reprogramming over an end-of-existence sentence. The truth, they both knew, was Death Dealers were expendable. They were too dangerous not to be.

“That’s ridiculous! Trev!” Simon fought the crowd to get to him, shoving his way through the Red Guard. Knowing what hewas capable of, the fainter-hearted ones stepped back to allow his brother access.

“It’s okay, Si.” Trevor’s throat ached with all the words he wanted to say but couldn’t. “Tell”—he inhaled deeply—“tell her family… I didn’t mean it. I loved her, and the monster who did that to her wasn’t me. Tell them, okay?”

Simon nodded jerkily as he cast a desperate glance Damian’s way.

The Aether was granite-faced, giving nothing away as he coolly observed them.

Trevor choked back his need to beg forgiveness. It wasn’t due to someone like him. A man who possessed a black hole of a soul, constantly consuming and destroying everything within reach.

“If they can’t bring her back, Si,make surethey rule against reprogramming, okay? I don’t want to live in a world without her.” When his brother would’ve protested, he cut him off. “If it were Evelyn, you’d feel the same.”

“She could pull through, Trev.”

“She could, but she’s lost to me either way now.”

Damian would never let him close to her again, should Trevor manage to escape the Authority’s brand of justice. But the truth was, he’d murdered an innocent in front of a roomful of witnesses, and his dayswere numbered.

“You’re the best brother a person could have, Trev,” Simon said through his apparent grief. “Thank you for all you’ve done to ensure I had a normal life.”

“I’ve done one thing right, at least.” They pressed their foreheads together in their shared understanding. “I love you, little brother.”

“I love you, too, big brother.”

Trevor cleared his throat and growled, “Now get the fuck out of here and get home to Evelyn. Fuck this place and all in it.”

Simon’s mouth twisted into a semblance of a smile, but it never reached his eyes. “I can do that.”

“Don’t look back. Ever. Remember Lot’s wife.”

“That’s a bedtime story to scare kids and the self-righteous pricks of the world.”

“That’s a true story born of a very talented Death Dealer,” Brooke said from behind them. “We need to go, Mr. Blane.”

Trevor let his gaze linger on Soleil one final time. Her coloring leaned toward gray, and he wished he hadn’t looked. The sight of her lifeless body was a commotio cordis blow to his heart, and he bent double in his agony.

“Trev!”

When Simon would’ve assisted him, Brooke stepped in his path. “I”m sorry, sir. You’ve said your goodbyes.”

“But—”

Trevor slowly straightened and used his forearm to swipe at the dampness on his cheeks. “I want to speak to my father first. Will you allow me to do that? Please, Ms. Ellis?”

“Make it quick.”

She gestured Ben over. Her generosity earned her a reprimanding look from the Council, but she lifted her chin in defiance. Trevor frowned as he watched her. Either she knew something they didn’t, or she felt terrible for the trouble they’d caused him. Both would see her called on the carpet and punished if she didn’t do her job to the fullest.

Feeling he owed her a warning, he said, “Don’t risk anything on my account, Brooke. They don’t fuck around when it comes to disobedience.”

“I’m well aware, Mr. Blane. But I’ll run my command as I see fit. You have two minutes. Don’t waste it.”

She stepped back to allow him privacy.

His father eyed everyone as if he wanted to explode their brains in one fell swoop as he closed the distance between them.

“Don’t let them fuck with my head, Dad. Please.”

“I’m not going to take your life, Trevor.”

“I’ve never asked you for anything, but I’m asking now.” He cleared his throat. “I’ve seen what their rehabilitation is like. Seen how others return. Saw how you did.” Trev swallowed hard. “It’s no better than a lobotomy. I don’t want that.”

“You’ll still be alive,” Ben snapped.

“But at what cost?” he asked softly. “She’sgone. You and I both know they aren’t bringing her back. Not without help from the Goddess. And if there’s nothing in it for her, why would she?”

He hated the begging in his voice, but his father was the only one with the power to end his suffering.

“If I take your life, I take your soul, Trevor.” The tortured expression in his father’s eyes was reminiscent of when their mother died, and hewas forcedto endure Ben’s explanation of why. “I can’t do that, son. You need the chance to be reborn if you can.To live a normal existence.And what do I tell Simon?”

The truth was a punch to the head.

There would be no swaying him. Not if he thought he had to answer to Trevor’s brother.

“Yeah, okay. Thanks anyway.”Ashe shifted to tell Brooke hewas done, his father embraced him.“I love you, Trevor. If there was any other?—”

Trev jerked away. “Don’t say you love me when you can’t be bothered to show it, Benjamin,” he replied coldly. “We both know there’s only room in your heart for one son, and it’s not me. It never was.” To Brooke, he said, “I’m donehere.”

As they ledhis eldest away, Ben fought the urge to demand they come back.To grant Trevor his last request.Denying his son anything, especially when he was tortured by what he’dbeen compelledto do, was unbearable. But he wouldn’t go against his promise to Gloria. Since her death, he’d been a shell of his former self. His primary reason for remaining on this plane was the care of his sons, although they weren’t aware of it. He’d do whatever it took to make their lives better, fuller. Remove any strife from their path if it was within his power to.

Resigned to his current course of action,Ben met the Aether’s obsidian eyes.The manalwayspeered into his soul and pulled the best out of him, even when Ben believed he had nothingleftto give.This time,hewould do whatever Damian demanded because the stakes were higher than ever.He also needed to break Deni”s hold over Trevor. If it meant killing a roomful of Authority members, so be it.

Ben jumped into action as soon as his son cleared the doorwayandhis back was to the room. Knowing it was now or never, he rushed to Soleil’s side. Pressing one palm to her chest and the other to his,hedrew out the spark he’d stolen from her the first time he’d healed her. With great care, he infused it back inside her, bonding it to her cells.

Soleil woke, gasping and choking as she sucked in a breath. Her eyes flew wide as they locked with his, and her hands flew to her throat to feel for damage.

He ignored the disbelieving exclamations of those around them and smiled down at her. “Welcome back, child. We have work to do.”

“What? How?” Her focus left him to dart around the room. “Where’s Trevor?”

“He’s been detained.” He touched a finger to her third eye, transferring all that had transpired while she lingered in another realm awaiting recall. Leaning in, he askedin a hushed voice, “What was the keyword Denillia used to trigger Trevor?”

“I don’t know.”

“You do. Think hard. You heardtheirthoughts.” When she shook her head, he helped her to sit and conjured a cup of water for her to drink. “Sip it slowly.”

She did as ordered, leaning into him. Instinctively understanding his desire for secrecy, she lowered her voice and said, “I didn’t hear anything, but he looked odd after her speech, didn’t he? It happened the last time, too.”

“You share a link with him, hon. What was he thinking?”

“Obliterate.” She appeared tormented. Lips compressed, she shook her head. “That’s it. Both times.”

“Okay. But if you can recall anything either said aloud, please let me know immediately.” He helped Soleil to her feet, giving her added energy as he led her to Damian. “Get her out of here and somewhere safe, Dethridge. Somewhere those three will never find her.”

“Consider it done, Ben. And thank you for your fast thinking both times.”

“Yeah, well, I suspected if Denillia tried her magical hypnosis once, she’d try it again. I felt it was better to secure Soleil’s essence the first time.”

She looked between them, confusion on her pretty face. “I don’t understand.”

Ben smiled at her, hoping she’d be Trevor’s perfect mate when all was said and done. His son needed someone grounded and sweet like her. Although different in looks, she reminded him of his Gloria, and to a degree, he suspected her calming energy was what appealed to Trevor more than anything else. It helped that the girl had spunk. His son wouldn’t abide a pushover.

“Let’s just say I anticipated the second attack,” Ben told her. “In case Trevor’s magic restored itself, I wanted to ensureyour beautiful light wasn’t snuffed outfor good.”

Gratitude was reflectedin her eyes, and a wide, warm smile curled her lips.“I adore you, Benjamin Blane.”

“I’m glad someone does.” He hadn’t meant his comment to sound all woe-is-me, butnevertheless,it did. Compassion transformed her face as she cupped his jaw. “Be good to Trevor, hon. Can you do that?”

She winced.

“He wasn’t himself, you know. And whatever it takes, I’m going to breakherspell,” he said.

“We both will,” Damian assured them.

Soleil touched her throat. Her haunted expression caused his stomach to clench and anger to fill his soul. Today’s events had instilled a fear of Trevor inside her. Ben only hoped a future without incident might put that fear to rest.

“It’s my turn to face the Authority’s punishment. Avoid Trevor until we resolve all this, okay?” he urged.

She nodded, and her sadness damned near broke his heart.

Looking at Damian for reassurance, he addressed her again, “All will be well, Soleil Stephens. Have faith in this wily ol’ Death Dealer, my dear. I still have a few tricks in my hat.”