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The glimmer in Asher’s eyes draws my attention to him, and I watch as those tears fall and his shoulders sink.
“It’s okay,” I whisper to him and gather the strength to lift my arm and wipe his tears away. “You have someone else you need to protect outside these shadowed walls.”
This may prove that the first time around, he must not have walked into the beam of red light, but instead, his teammates made the sacrifice that allowed the rest of the team to achieve their official acceptance.
Then, because he stayed back to wait for me, he has to do this all over again to gain an emblem he’s already acquired once.
All these sacrifices. The repetitive turmoil. Only to fail?
It’s insulting…
“I don’t have anyone left behind,” I whisper to him, and his confusion makes me smile before I take a steady breath. “Guess Alaric still wins.”
He barely hears my words, but it leaves him more baffled by my words.
His eyes are begging for me to elaborate on what I mean—to reveal what I was holding back from him—but it doesn’t matter what I say before him and the council of cloaked beings watching in the depths of the shadows.
“Make sure you have no more repeats,” I encourage him as I proudly lift my head. “Go to your classes and stick around Hades. I know he’ll never lead you astray.”
“Ophelia.” He struggles to hold back a sob.
“Be kind to Blair. I may not have known her long, but I feel as though we would have been the best of friends. She’s been through a lot, and I’m sure it’ll take years of healing for her to be okay, but I think she has untapped potential waiting to blossom and aspire,” I urge. “Azrael is a mystery, yet he’s shown enough to prove how polar opposite he is to his brother. Just let him know that I thank him for being willing to give me a sense of vengeance at the risk of his own expense.” I’m trying to gather something about Kali, but it only makes me smirk. “Tell Kali I still don’t like him.”
That’s so fucking funny, we both snicker and struggle to hold back sobs. Composing ourselves quickly, I swallow the lump forming in my throat as I realize I’m really going to die.
The blood Alaric was desperately trying to obtain so he could rise to the society of royals was already in their domain. All of this was but a perfect setup to bring me to the very school my sister hoped to lead me away from.
Now, my death will, once again, benefit these hidden faes of royals and gods, and I’m sure deem Odessa and me completely useless for their continued advantage.
At least we’d die together… right?
“It is time!”
We do our best not to flinch at the booming command, and I look to Asher as he struggles to summon a weapon. It takes a minute for his trembling right hand to finally manage to weave out a blade out of shadow magic.
Ironic.
“Sweet Cruella…” I know he’d never be able to finish what he wishes to express.
“Let’s meet again in our next life, Silly Dalmatian,” I quietly urge and hope one day we will meet again.
In a world where we’re just two normal students attending university and getting lost in the lustful joy of learning and falling in love.
My ears ring as I await the single blow that will surely stab me in the exact place Alaric did to Odessa.
Straight into her chest… above her beating heart.
The gasp that leaves my lips surprises me as my eyes widen to their full capacity. The pulsing agony that washes over me is like nothing I expected, while the droplet of blood begins to drop on the black cement floor.
No words can escape my trembling lips as the shock begins to settle in, leaving me to quiver in place and accept that death is about to take its toll.
Except it’s not upon me.
“The most precious person to me is Ophelia Minerva Guinevere,” Asher declares proudly as blood pools in his mouth. “And the second most precious person in my life is me.”
“A-A-As…” I can’t even get his name out before I’m grasping his cheeks and lowering my gaze to his chest.
Confirming this man just stabbed himself.
