Cole
Her eyes gently closed, surrendering to the restorative sleep that claimed her the moment her head met the pillow on our bed. I tenderly brushed stray strands of hair from her face, the back of my fingers grazing her warm cheeks.
The anger and hatred that had been radiating from her seemed to dissipate as soon as her eyes closed. I was thankful for that; she needed to remain in the light.
She needed to let any lurking darkness become my burden, allowing me to absorb it all for her.
I quietly slipped out of the room, the door barely making a sound as it clicked shut behind me. A storm of trouble was brewing, but I had no choice but to send the Damned back to Helios.
Only they held the power to keep the gates closed, and, as Atticus had reminded me, they had been away far too long already.
My thoughts were abruptly interrupted when Atticus grabbed my shirt and flung me against a wall. His eyes were dark, and he reeked of fear.
âShe wonât wake up, get Olivia. I need to know what she did to her!â He demanded.
My fingernails dug into his knuckles before I forcefully pulled them away.
âGet your hands off me and donât tell me what to fucking do. You know damn well sheâs in a healing sleep. They both are,â I retorted.
He was terrified, and I couldnât blame him for that. He had already experienced this once, when he thought she was gone, and now he was forced to relive that pain again.
They werenât fated to be together, but that meant nothing to him.
Only two of the Damned returned, predictably empty-handed. A growl threatened to escape from my throat as they recounted the events of the chase and how there was no trace of him.
âYouâve reported. What are you waiting for? Leave,â Atticus snapped. They both just stared at him before their black fangs descended.
I raised an eyebrow, even though I already knew why they were reluctant to leave.
âWe will stay until the queen no longer needs or wants our presence,â one of them stated flatly.
âWhy would she want a couple of Damnedââ Atticus began, but he was quickly interrupted, and what they revealed shocked us both.
âLeon and Jack. Our names are Leon,â he pointed to himself and then to the other, âand Jack.â
âYou donât have fucking names; you never have,â Atticus spat out.
âQueen Olivia gave us all names,â the one called Jack shrugged. I couldnât suppress the smirk that curled my lips.
I remembered the look of horror on her face when I told her what they were called. I would never have guessed in a million years that she would name them all.
âShe is resting from healing Rayna, but you are free to stand outside her door,â I gestured at them.
The cool night breeze ruffled my hair as I stepped outside. The sun had already completely set.
The scent of war and bloodshed hung in the air, a foreboding hint of the future. Samuelâs final attempt to stop me was imminent, but I was ready for that, and this time, he would not escape.