“Shhh.” I stroked his hair. “Just try to be still.”
I met Adam’s gaze over my father. He shook his head. There was nothing we could do to help him. Even if we could remove the brass spike, he’d bleed out before Adam could attempt a healing spell.
“Daughter.” Tristan’s throat clicked and a breath rasped out of his pale lips. I looked down through the tears I refused to let him see. “Proud.” A trembling hand rose and pointed at my heart. “Stronger together.”
Blood spilled from his lips. His blue eyes rolled back in their sockets. The hand he’d raised convulsed.
And fell to the ground, lifeless.
Chapter 39
My father had stormed into my life less than a week earlier and now he was… gone.
The sob I’d been fighting finally escaped. The tears blurred and refracted the image of my father’s corpse. Someone in the distance was screaming like a banshee. Muted pounding echoed in my head and the sizzle of spent magic tainted the air.
“Red?” Adam said, his tone quiet.
I shook my head and curled into myself. Heaving gasps wracked my body as the tears fell like rain.
“Sabina, look,” Giguhl breathed.
I blinked and looked up. Through the veil of moisture, I saw a light escape from my father’s chest. I caught my breath and watched it rise up into the sky. It hovered above the garden throne room for a moment, as if my father’s spirit was taking one final look at everyone he was leaving behind. And then, Tristan Graecus’s soul zoomed through the sky like a comet.
“Wh-where’s he going?” I demanded, watching the streak cut across the sky.
“His soul is returning to the Adamantine Gate,” Giguhl whispered. “He’ll reenter Irkalla as a spirit now.”
“And then he’ll head to Hekatian Fields?” I asked.
Adam put his hand on my shoulder. “Probably.”
I blew out a shuddering breath. But a loud whimper caught my attention. I looked over and saw Nyx drooping in Cain’s hold.
Oh shit, she’d just watched the man she loved die. Telling her he would at least find comfort in the arms of my mother probably wouldn’t do much to relieve Nyx’s guilt or sadness.
I turned and saw Phoebe inside Lilith’s circle. Her eyes were on Cain. Their depths weren’t shadowed by pain or sadness but glowed poison green with rage.
I took a cue from my mother, realizing that tears wouldn’t make me feel better.
But making Cain pay would.
I rose slowly. Whatever Cain saw in my eyes made him step back. But then he raised his chin and called out to Lilith. “Honey, I’m home.”
Lilith’s face paled. She summoned her powers and threw her hands in the air. “Elu.”
A shimmering wall erected around the goddess. Nice of her to protect herself and leave the rest of us defenseless against a foe we couldn’t kill.
Cain laughed and stepped forward. “What’s wrong, love? I thought you’d be happy to see me.”
The instant Lilith’s circle rose, the one around my mother and sister disappeared.
Maisie raised her head and the determination I saw there gave me hope.
“Maisie?” I said.
“Sabina,” she breathed.
“Ah-ah-ah,” Cain said. He opened his jacket to reveal a holster filled with more brass spikes and a gun. “No talking.” He moved between Maisie and me. “Can’t have you two conspiring against me.”
I tilted my head. Something about his tone told me he was genuinely worried about Maisie and I teaming up against him.
“Sabina—” Lilith began.
“No cheating, dearest.” Cain’s tone was threatening. He kicked Lilith’s circle. The barrier sparked but held firm. “Open the circle, Lamashtu.”
“No!” she said.
I frowned at Cain. He didn’t want Lilith helping me either. Why? If I’d failed the test and prevented Maisie from becoming the Chosen, why was he so worried?
I jerked my gaze toward my sister. She stood with her head bowed again. Obviously, her fear of Cain still lingered even though her death meant he couldn’t hurt her anymore.
Cain punched the barrier now, shouting and threatening the goddess if she didn’t bow to his demands. Lilith withstood every insult and name, her eyes jerking back and forth between Maisie and me.
“Sabina,” Phoebe said. “Remember what Tristan said.”
“Shut up, bitch!” Cain shouted. He threw a blade at my mother. Phoebe didn’t flinch as the dagger flew, useless, through her spirit.
I tilted my head and frowned at her. She ignored Cain’s shouts and watched me. Her eyes were pleading, as if she was begging me to put pieces of a puzzle together. “What do you mean? About being stronger together?”
“I can say no more.” She nodded toward Maisie and then to me. “The rest is up to you.”
Frowning, I looked at Maisie.
Stronger together.
Flashes of memory played through my mind. How Maisie’s birthmark warmed whenever I was about to face danger. How I’d told Charon that the thing I craved most was balance. How Vinca’s soul tried to hitch a ride with mine.
Then I thought about how my sister and I had always been two sides of the same coin. Together, Maisie and I would have made the perfect being. Her with her nurturing spirit and skills at prophecy—the powerful mage. Me with my thirst for blood and fighting skills—a vampire to the core. Her love of life and my talent for death. How together, we created a perfectly balanced dark race being.
My stomach dropped. Oh shit! Was that it? Was that the answer?
Maisie? I reached out to my sister with my mind.
No response. I wondered if she really couldn’t hear me or if her fear of Cain made her too scared to respond and incur Cain’s wrath.
Maisie, if you can hear me, show me some sign.
I watched my twin closely, but she didn’t move.
But then, a spot on my left shoulder—exactly where her birthmark resided—began to itch. The skin warmed and tingled just like it had all those times she’d helped me.
I’m going to try something. I need you to trust me.
The heat intensified. That was as close to a yes as I was going to get.
I glanced over my shoulder and met Adam’s gaze. I winked and his eyes widened. A slow grin spread across his handsome face. His mouth formed the words, “I love you.” Then he leaned over and nudged Giguhl. The demon jerked and leaned down to listen. He nodded once and turned to say something to Nyx. Whatever happened, I trusted they would do what they could to help. I just prayed if everything went south, they’d also have the smarts to run like hell.