Chapter 87: Chapter Thirty-Eight

Cassius

The thought that I didn’t still have my immortality never crossed my mind, and frankly, I didn’t want to take any chances. I would call upon Sariel once Stephanie returned.

If she returned.

She would return.

The last few hours had been a painful reminder of the way she’d blocked me from her consciousness, her thoughts, her feelings, everything.

All I saw was a shield every time I tried to communicate with her.

The front door opened and closed.

Her scent hit me first.

Another door opened.

Curious, I waited; it was closed faster, more abrupt, as if she had thought about slamming it but decided against it.

Footsteps followed.

And then Stephanie was standing in front of me. Slowly, I lifted my head, unsure of what I’d find. Would her eyes be black? Was Darkness finally having the last laugh? Or was it truly a simple walk?

Genesis had gone to bed hours ago.

Leaving me by the fire.

Though it did nothing to aid the cold seeping throughout my body.

“I saw Timber,” Stephanie whispered. Her eyes were a clear blue. “He said some… things.”

“Timber likes to talk.” My eyes narrowed. “What the hell would he want with you?”

Stephanie crossed her arms in front of her chest, taking a protective stance against me, not only was I dealing with mental walls but physical too. “He hinted at something… and then Sariel…”

“Sariel.” I said his name. “Was he helpful?”

“He said—” She bit down on her lower lip, opened her mouth, then shut it. “You know what? I’m tired… why don’t we go to bed?”

The air filled with bitterness.

A chasm opened up between us, separating me from her, her heart from mine. My soul screamed in outrage.

Lies were like little walls shoved between someone you loved, eventually, you’d have so much separation, so much mistrust, that you’d become strangers.

Why push me away?

When all I wanted was to hold her close?

Was her connection to me different? I could hardly go five seconds without wanting to kiss her, make love to her, simply hold her in my arms and calm her racing heart.

“I love you.” Stephanie’s eyes filled with tears. “You know that right?”

I stood and pulled her into my arms. “I love you too.”

“So you also know that…” She sniffled. “Sometimes, when you love someone, you make sacrifices.”

I didn’t like the direction she was going.

I pulled back from her, just in time for a knife to slide between my ribs and stick.

With a gasp, I stumbled backward as a mixture of red and silver blood leaked out of the gaping wound. “Why?”

“I needed time.” She quickly pushed past me. “To figure things out before you followed me, and I figured, you can’t chase me if you’re bleeding. It will at least give me a few minutes.”

A few minutes where I couldn’t trace her.

“Stephanie.” I jerked the knife out of my ribs and held my hand to the wound as blood continued to seep between my fingers in a runny-sticky mess. “Don’t do this. Let me help you.”

“Ever think that maybe, what I’m doing, is helping you?” she countered. Then she ran out of the house while I fell to my knees and screamed her name.