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“No!” Sunday let out an agonized wail as her body curled in on itself.
“Stop fighting it. Do not make me reach inside you and pull that child out because make no mistake, Sunday, I will fucking do it. Nothing is going to stop me from getting what I came here for.”
I pulled on the hilt of the sword, working to free myself in a vain attempt to get to her even now. But I was stuck.
Helpless, I watched Sunday’s face pull into a determined grimace as she bore down, a panicked cry leaving her lips as she pushed. I knew it the moment our child came into the world. I would have regardless of the consequences. I felt her. Before I could revel in the wonder of it all, a pain unlike anything I’d ever known seared my chest as the final seal shattered, and all that love and completion I’d sensed was eclipsed by darkness.
War reached between Sunday’s thighs and lifted the baby?—our beautiful Eden?—into the air. How could someone so small and innocent bring about the end of everything? Eden sucked in her first breath before letting out an ear-splitting wail, the sound sending a thrill through me because I wanted her to live.
But then the earth gave a violent shake, the ground rolling in waves as War strolled down the aisle with my daughter in her arms.
“That’s it, little one. Herald the end and announce my victory to the heavens above. You’re just the sweetest little harbinger, aren’t you?” War looked at me, a wicked smile on her face. “You certainly made the end beautiful, didn’t you? All that temptation was too much to resist. Thank you for giving in. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Blowing me a kiss, War stepped out of the church, leaving me impaled on the door. With her gone, any magic she’d used to keep me in place vanished, and I was finally able to pull myself free.
“Sunday!”
“Caleb? Did you see her? Wasn’t she perfect? You need to go get her, Caleb. Please. You need to save her.”
God’s teeth, there was so much blood. The floorboards were soaked as her life spilled out of her. “No, my darling, I need to save you. I have to stop this bleeding. Fuck, there’s so much blood here. I can’t...”
“Save her, Caleb. Please. I need to know her father is taking care of her before I go.”
“You’re not going anywhere. Not now. Not ever. Do you hear me, Miss Fallon? You’re mine, and I’m never letting you go.”
A smile ghosted over her lips, but she was losing the battle. Her skin was pale and clammy, hair stuck to her cheeks, her eyes glassy. She was barely hanging on.
“Oh no, you don’t, wife. You don’t get to make me fall in love with you and then turn around and leave me.”
“Took you long enough to admit it.”
“Yeah, well. Some of us take longer than others to stop lying to ourselves.”
She laughed, but it was a sickly rattle. “We keep meeting like this, Father Gallagher. But this time, there’s nothing you can do. You can’t always be my savior.”
“Says who?” Without giving her a chance to answer, I tore open my wrist and shoved it against her mouth, making her drink my blood.
Except it wasn’t enough. The damage to her body was too great. She was hemorrhaging faster than I could stanch the flow with my vampiric healing. For every swallow, she lost three. I knew then what I would give. What Ihadto give.
Everything.
As quick as I could, I pulled my wrist from her lips and ripped open my flesh, slicing deep into my vein, quickening the rush before returning to her. My pulse was pounding, pumping my life force out and into her. Filling her. Saving her.
And with each beat, killing me.
Then again, the only reason my undead heart ever beat in the first place was for her. It was fitting that it not only started with her, but that it would end with her.
Sunday was the one constant in my misery-ridden life. The one bright spot. She’d been right about one thing—Eden needed her parents. But she didn’t need me. She needed Sunday. Who better to teach her to love than the woman who taught me I could?
I knew the instant Sunday started to heal because she fought against my hold, trying to shove my wrist away. She wanted to stop me, to keep me from giving her more than I could afford to lose.
I shook my head. “No,a stor, your wounds are too grave. You have to keep drinking.”
Her eyes opened, Death’s shadow still there, waiting. I saw the moment she realized what I was doing. Panic flashed, making her pupils flare wide.
Leaning forward, I brushed my lips to her forehead.
“Take it. Let me be your hero this time. You’ve already saved me more times than I can ever repay.” A tear trickled down her cheek as my heart slowed and hers grew stronger. “I’ve never been as happy as I am with you, Mrs. Gallagher. Being yours was the greatest part of my long life. I need you to know...” My voice broke as I tried to put together the right words. All of them seemed trite compared to the gravity of what she’d done for me. “I need you to know I wouldn’t sacrifice a single moment we’ve shared. Being your husband, being loved by you, it was... my salvation.”
