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Octavia winced as if the words gouged into her, inflicting physical pain.
I wished they had.
Brushing past Octavia who’d dropped her head in apparent defeat, Veronica stepped toward me, her hardened exterior about to crumble from the overwhelming emotions surging through our soul link.
I wrapped my arms around her and Kit, supporting the weight even though she was more than capable of carrying her friend on her own.
Had I still been a reaper, I could have collected Kit’s soul and sent her on her way to everlasting peace. Hell, I probably could have stopped both witches without too much effort.
As a reaper.
Instead, I was forced to watch my mate’s heart break and wait for someone else to do the job. Not only was I powerless to protect her, but I also couldn’t do much to ease her pain.
I fought to keep my feelings of failure from leaking through our bond. She didn’t need to deal with my doubt right now.
“I’m so sorry, Veronica.” There was nothing else I could say. Nothing that would make her pain go away. I grieved, but my pain was nothing compared to Veronica’s.
She stared at her best friend’s face. “I’ve never heard her use the nickname Angie before. We need to find her.”
The sound of rustling wings preceded an arrival. Six angels landed directly on the greenhouse floor, courtesy of the blown-out windows. A handful of reapers stepped out of teleportation circles and surrounded Octavia, who wisely didn’t resist.
A red-headed angel approached us. It was Jessa, who had watched over Veronica for years after her parents’ death. She placed a hand on Veronica’s arm. “Please set her down.”
I stepped back so that Veronica could kneel and lay her friend on the ground. Jessa reached into a pouch attached to her waist and withdrew a glowing gold orb—a soul. My jaw went slack with sudden understanding, but Veronica blinked at the angel in confusion.
“Kit came to me before she left,” Jessa explained as she knelt on the other side of Kit’s body. “She guessed that her mother might try something like this and asked that I store her soul until she returned. Just in case.”
My mouth ran dry. Had Jessa misplaced the soul—as unlikely as that scenario was—Kit’s soul would’ve faded until she ceased to exist. A terrible risk to take, and only because her mother craved control.
I frowned. “If you had her soul, how did Octavia control her?”
“We left a sliver of her soul within her, just enough for her mother to use.” She focused her blue-green gaze on Kit’s face. “I tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn’t budge. For once, I’m glad someone didn’t listen to me.”
Jessa winked at Veronica, whose wide eyes showed she might have been in shock. The angel placed the golden orb on Kit’s chest, where it sank beneath her shirt, spreading into her skin.
The witch’s body emitted a yellowish glow as the soul restored her life. Hovering her palms above Kit’s stomach, Jessa applied her divine magic to push the glass shards out and close the wounds.
Kit’s eyes flew open, and she grabbed at her chest with a giant gasp.
Veronica’s mouth dropped open a moment before she threw herself across Kit. “Sweet Mokosh, I thought I lost you.” She sobbed, her body shaking with each breath. “You’re not allowed to die before me. We both know I can’t handle it.”
Relief loosened my tensed muscles, and I released a deep breath. Kit had quickly become a close friend over the last few weeks; losing her so soon wasn’t something I’d envisioned happening.
Grumbling beneath Veronica, Kit pushed her away and sat up. “Let me breathe, woman. It’s not every day I die and come back to life.”
Lena held out her hands and helped both women to their feet, her eyes glistening with tears. “You’re almost as much of a durak as this one.” She tilted her head toward Veronica.
Kit scoffed as she brushed loose dirt and leaves from her jeans and t-shirt. “Not even close to V’s level.”
“Welcome back,” I said, grinning at her eye roll. She hated being the center of attention.
Bound in iron chains and flanked by two reapers, Octavia approached her daughter. Her face had regained some color, but her skin was taut with emotion. “You would rather die than be with your mother?”
Kit stared at the woman, a coldness seeping into her steely gaze. “I don’t have a mother.” She turned her back on Octavia.
A reaper hauled the woman away and into a waiting teleportation circle. With any luck, Adam would ensure she never saw the light of day again. She would never see her daughter again; that was for damn sure.
Veronica pulled Jessa into a tight hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! It’s also so good to see you.”
