“I see,” he murmured. “Good to know where we stand.”
“Can I interrupt?” Gabriel asked, his voice bored.
“Is this the part where you try to remove me from the picture so I won’t interfere with the Seraphim plans for my child? Because I think you’ll be in for quite the surprise.” Sethios sounded flippant, almost to the point of cruel. And from the trajectory of his voice, he stood on the opposite side of the room, near the door.
“No,” Gabriel replied. “This is the part where I suggest we help Caro, as she’s going into labor.”
Her eyes flashed open to meet his light green eyes, then widened at the realization that he was correct. “She’s early.”
Gabriel shrugged. “Only by a few days. I’ll go grab some towels.”
Sethios was at her side in the next instant, his touch gentle as he helped her onto the mattress.
“Oh, you don’t want—”
“I’ll replace it,” he replied, following her statement about ruining the bed without her having to finish it. “Just lie down.”
She did as he suggested and winced at the jabbing pain in her side. Still, she had to say something… “Sethios?”
“Yes?” Despite being near, his soft tone lacked the warmth she’d become accustomed to. As did his green eyes as she met his gaze. The note of concern was nice, but she wanted the other emotion he displayed, the one that helped her feel… cherished.
“I couldn’t—” She cut off on a cry as agony ripped through her stomach. “Something’s… wrong.” She exhaled the words but couldn’t inhale to replenish the oxygen.
“Caro?” His brow came down, then lifted at whatever he saw in her face. “Caro!”
She tried to respond but couldn’t. Her throat felt tight. Her lungs too. Everything refused to work, as if frozen in time.
Everything except her heart.
It beat frantically as she fought to breathe but couldn’t. Then shattered at the anguished expression pulling at Sethios’s features.
“Don’t do this to me, angel. Come on. Breathe.” Warmth caressed her cheeks and neck, but it faltered beneath everything else.
And then she was floating. High in the clouds. No. Too light. Maybe. She blinked back into the room, then back to the clouds, and then back again.
A familiar presence surrounded her. Sethios holding her? Calling her name? She couldn’t be sure. Everything drifted in and out, in and out…
This couldn’t be happening, not now. There was still so much for her to say.
Her thoughts about the blood bond.
Her thoughts about him.
About their future.
About the future of their child.
She wouldn’t choose one of destruction. And while, yes, she thought the abomination problem needed to be handled, it was more about Osiris than anything else.
Sethios isn’t an abomination.
Or maybe he was.
Either way, she still adored him. Maybe even loved him, if that emotion existed for Seraphim.
Blackness swarmed her vision, taking over the clouds and the room all at once.
Save her, she prayed. Save our daughter.
