Page 49 of Where the Light No Longer Follows

Gabriel’s heart sank below the very water they stood upon when she turned to look at him. No words were spoken, yet all of them at once. “Perhaps…it happened so—”

“Do not say it.”

Silene looked away again, refusing to show him her face as she whispered, “Stupid, silly God.”

His smile only seemed to set her off more because she hurled all sorts of insults at him. All which only made him smile harder.

Twelve o' Clock

Silene had aged the rest of her day and all night after collecting her last death staring out of her window at where Gabriel had stood across the river, sitting by the edge, his head hanging between his knees.

“Look up at me,” she whispered as the sunless dawn started rising in her world in lilac hues. “Look up at me, please.”

And as if he’d heard her, he did.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, pressing her hand to the window, trailing his faraway silhouette, wishing she could just touch him just once more.

Again, as if he’d heard her, he shook his head, a look of utter defeat falling over his eyes as they left hers again.

“Tell me goodbye,” she begged. “At least come and tell me goodbye.”

The candle on her vanity burned alive, and she turned to find a letter beside it.

No more than just a sentence written across it.

My beautiful, beautiful demise, live long and well.

“Coward,” she murmured, tears clinging to her eyes. “You coward.”

Ink started appearing on the letter, new words forming. I am.

“Come here.”

Not if I am to ever let you go.

“Then don’t.”

I love you.

Her knees gave to the ground, her body merely a pile of bones surrendered to the grave she’d opened in her own chest.

Silene had done something she thought she’d never do—she’d asked for a bargain.

And Azriel had done the most senseless thing she’d ever seen him do—he’d accepted.

With her new debt in hand, she made her way towards Asador, almost climbing the stairs to his home two at a time, too impatient and afraid of losing precious minutes to take the lift.

She’d not even waited for her breaths to even out before she’d rasped her knuckles against the door as loud as she could. Even when he’d stood there, eyes red and tear stained, astound at her presence, she had not waited before she’d thrown her arms around his neck and held him as tight as she could.

“Silene,” Gabriel breathed in panic, trying to move away from her, but she only held him tighter, tighter than she’d held onto anything before.

“It’s okay,” she breathed over his skin, smiling when the pain only crippled her heart. “You can’t hurt me.”

“What?” he shakily asked, putting an unsteady hand at the back of her head and pressing his nose to the crown of her head, inhaling her so deeply as if he was taking his first ever breath. “How…how is this possible?”

“I asked Azriel for a favour.”

That’s when he moved away, pulling back from her as if she was on fire, panic turning his blue eyes a dark sapphire. And she helplessly, wordlessly watched as he drowned behind them. “My brother grants no favours. What have you done, my ruin? What have you done?” he asked, crumbling to his knees and pressing both of his hands to his face. “What have you done?”