Really?
“Yes, but only because it’s something new. But it’s also something wonderful. Do you miss your family?” At his sullen nod, she took his hand. “They’ll be on the other side of that light, waiting for you.”
My parents? And sister?
“I don’t know about that, but trust me, generations of family are waiting to greet you.”
He bowed his head. I don’t think so. I did something bad. I played with matches.
“Is that how you died?”
And my sister.
“Oh, sweetheart, don’t you worry. Your family loves you. There is eternal forgiveness in the light.” She turned to the glow, where several adults and a young girl stood, all smiling. “See? They’re waiting.”
Tension mounted as he stared into the light, his chin quivering and tears rolling down his face. He kept shifting his feet, stamping them like a colt that was about to bolt. Finally, with a giant sob, he ran, straight into their arms. As he turned to wave to her, the spirit light faded.
Hers remained.
When she turned to Lore, his eyes were as large as the boy’s had been. “Idess. My… God.”
“You saw?”
He nodded numbly. “Must be the bond or something, but yeah. Wow. That was… beautiful.”
She laced her fingers with his. “It’s my turn.”
“I know. Eternal forgiveness, right?” His smile trembled, but he was trying to be strong for her.
Eternal forgiveness. She hadn’t lied to the boy. She felt it in her heart and soul, and for the first time since the light had come for her, she wasn’t afraid.
Slowly, he dipped his head and touched his lips to hers. “I love you,” he murmured. “I love you so much.”
“Be good,” she said, even as her heart split wide open. She wasn’t afraid, but she was in pain.
Before she could change her mind, she pulled away from him and walked into the light.
She didn’t look back.
Lore watched her leave, and the moment she disappeared and the gate slammed shut so it was nothing but dark, cold rock, he dropped to his knees and screamed.
Screamed until medics came. Then Eidolon. Then there was a prick in his biceps, and mercifully, the world went black.
Twenty-five
Lore was going to kill Deth. Okay, sure, he said that all the time. But after two days of doing nothing but sit in his hovel and drink, Lore realized he didn’t have anything better to do anyway. And if Lore died during the attempt, so be it. He couldn’t care less about himself, because the best part of him was gone.
The bond with Idess had broken. Which meant she was dead.
You fucked away your purity and can’t Ascend. You’ll probably be destroyed.
Rami’s words had been clanging around in his skull since the moment she’d disappeared into the light. She’d lied about being summoned to get her wings, damn her. Lore had been stupid enough to believe it, and now she was dead. So yeah, if he died, too, so what. And if he survived, Sin would no longer be at the mercy of that evil bastard. Idess had helped him forgive himself for what he’d done to Sin, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to keep trying to make it up to her.
Lore just hoped his sister was all right. She hadn’t contacted him, nor had she answered his texts or returned his calls. If Deth had hurt her…
Soul-searing anger joined the black hole of grief that no amount of white lightning could fill.
You shouldn’t have left Sin behind again. You shouldn’t have let Idess go. They’re both dead because of you.
He took a swig of alcohol, relishing the raw burn in his gullet. If he couldn’t scour away the grief, at least he could savor the pain. He raised the bottle into the air.
“To you, Deth. One of us will be dead by morning.”
Lore hit the demon bars at midnight. He knew exactly who he was looking for, and sure enough, he found the tiger shifter, Sunil, at a poker table, doing his best to scam a vampire, a Sora, and an orange, horned thing of unknown species.
“Hey, man, can I talk to you?”
Sunil threw down his cards. “I’m out anyway.” He followed Lore to a corner table. “Heard you’re free. Congratulations.”
“Yeah. How’s Sin?”
“Haven’t seen her.”
A chill throbbed through Lore’s veins. “What do you mean, you haven’t seen her? How did you know I’m free?”
“The new Sem told me. He came to me for some healing after Deth was through with him.” Sunil shook his head, making his long, tawny bangs swish across his eyes like wiper blades. “The bastard waited until Tavin was crazed with lust, and then he brought in a whore. Turned Tav loose and watched the show. I don’t know what happened to the female, but damn, Tav’s broken. Afterward, Deth kicked him to me to patch up.”
That sick son of a bitch. Lore would take revenge for Tavin as well as for Sin. “Can you get me into the den?”
Sunil knocked back a swig of his beer. “Fuck that.” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I like my head on my shoulders, thank you very much.”