Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 29328 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29328 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
She never left me.
I might have Enoch’s blood, I might be a werewolf, but nobody is coming to save us now—and they shouldn’t.
But I can save her.
I can save her from this Hell.
I can make sure she wakes up tomorrow remembering everything. I can give her the gifts given to me. What I always thought were curses and isolation, over and over again. I can give the last of me to the first of Creation.
I can finally breathe.
It’s like my soul knows it’s time to flicker out.
It’s like my body realizes that, in the end, maybe the best way to survive is to become the person who doesn’t.
I smile up at her. “Thanks for the orgasms.”
She shakes her head. “Again, not funny.”
“I thought it was funny. You know, good story. I’m a werewolf prince.”
“I know.”
“And we control the Earth, we protect it, we have special powers. I mean, I do since I have the blood of Enoch and that creepy angel dude. But do you know what else?”
Tears keep streaming down her face. “What? What else?” She presses her lips to my neck and starts sobbing. “What else, Tarek? Tell me.”
“We”—I look up at the dark ceiling—“can control the stars.”
She jerks back. “Nobody ever told me that.”
“You are Lilith.” I cup her face with my shaking hands. “You’ve been cursed to roam for too long without any sort of rest. It’s time, daughter of the Creator. It’s time to go home.”
“I have none.”
My hand drops against my chest while the other covers her face. “Of course, you do. It’s right here.” My heartbeat is off, but the gesture is the same. I always wondered what death would look like for me. All I saw was darkness, but now I know why it was dark.
Because I had to search for the star.
I had to look for her light.
I hold both hands up to the ceiling, close my eyes, and whisper, “I need one to fall. Choose.”
The room begins to shake as most of my strength leaves my body, and my essence pulses in mourning.
A bright light cracks through the ceiling and drops next to the bed, crashing into tiny little crystals. Then a beautiful woman with ebony skin and bright blue eyes walks toward us and kneels. “It is my honor to give you my light.”
Danu runs into the room with a blade.
But all I focus on is the beauty of the star of the light that pours out of her. Her willingness to give of herself no matter the cost. I know that once they fall, the Creator has a special place for the stars. And she does, too.
There is no war. There is no division. There is only sacrifice, followed by honor, love, joy.
Peace.
The world could be healed by someone like her. And now the first will be.
The star smiles and reaches for my hand. “Blood must always be spilled. A sacrifice must always be made.” She grabs Lilith’s hand and squeezes it. “It has been an honor to watch you.”
The blade Danu has goes directly into the star’s back.
As the first drop of blood descends, I grab it and press it to Lilith’s forehead.
My last deed.
My final sacrifice.
Everything goes dark as I hold the star’s hand.
Everything goes black as Lilith is finally filled with light.
Purpose.
Chapter Fourteen
Cassius
The Earth trembles.
The table beneath us suddenly breaks in half.
All of us jerk away from it.
“Something’s off.” Mason looks around. “Something is…” He looks down at his hands. They have blood mixed with a weird crystalline substance on them.
I know exactly what it is.
“He…” I can barely breathe as my wife grabs my hand. “He sacrificed.”
Timber collapses into his chair. “He called a star.”
“He’s gone.” Horus’s eyes blaze white. “He’s no longer of this Earth. He’s…” A tear runs down his cheek. “He fulfilled his purpose.”
“No.” Genesis, Ethan’s wife, walks into the kitchen and slams her hands down on the table. She’s been with her children and trying to make sure we remained fed. We attempt to keep everyone away from danger, but she’s always been one to run into it. Maybe that’s why she’s one of my best friends.
“No,” she repeats. “It’s me.”
“Huh?” Alex pipes up. “What’s you?”
“The beginning.” She starts to sob. “I was taking a nap with the kids and…” She starts shaking so hard I’m concerned I need to grab her or have Ethan pull her away from the situation. I stand. “Cassius, I swear, if you touch me or send me back upstairs, I will find a way to murder you.”
I hold up my hands.
Ethan backs away.
All of us are silent as we watch her regain some semblance of calm.
“Lilith is the beginning. Eva saved her—aka Eve. The minute I heard that sound, I had a vision.” She swallows and takes a deep breath as if regaining her composure. “It’s been predestined. We have to go back, all of us. Our entire families and the Council. We need to go back. We have one more task, and it won’t be pretty.” She jerks her head toward Alex and Horus. “Can you still move through time?”