And then I jolted awake, shivering in Ethan's arms.
"What did he do? Meet you in a freezer?" Ethan swore, gathering me against him, wrapping blankets tightly around my body.
"S-sorry." I shivered. "I didn't realize how cold I was."
"He thrives on the cold." Ethan rubbed my shoulders. "And clearly forgets himself if he put you in the middle of a blizzard."
"It was a snowstorm… I think… but pretty."
"Oh well, as long as it was pretty," Ethan hissed.
I tucked my head against his chest, focusing on his warmth. "We need to have a child."
Ethan's hands stopped moving. "Cassius told you that?"
"It's part of the prophecy, right?"
"Yes, but—"
"So that will make it come true, right?"
"No," he said, sadness evident in his tone. "I wish that were true, but no, Genesis, we won't know until…"
"I no longer exist." I trembled. "He said there's another way—"
"No!" Ethan yelled. He gulped in a breath released it then said more softly, "No, it isn't an option."
"Maybe if you told me."
"It's forbidden."
I pretended to be satisfied with that — but I wasn't. If there was a way to fix the balance of things, I was going to find it. Not just for me, but for Ethan — for Mason, who'd lost the love of his life — for Cassius, who seemed lonelier than Death.
If I could save them—
I had to try.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Genesis
"READY?" STEPHANIE POPPED HER GUM AND hooked her arm in mine. "Ethan gave me his credit card with no limit, meaning we have damage to do."
I nodded, forcing myself to smile. Something felt… wrong. I'd spent the night in Ethan's arms, yet I felt like my balance was off, like I was straddling a line and was about to get pulled over to the wrong side.
Stephanie directed me toward a white Lexus hybrid and practically shooed me inside.
"So I'm thinking Downtown, since it's close to work."
She nodded. "Work? Why would you want to work anyway? I'm just curious."
I shrugged. "I need a purpose."
"But Ethan is your purpose."
"Right, but Ethan has a job too. It's not good to be idle, you know? Plus, I'm not really good at anything… other than reading… so why not work at a bookstore? It helps out Drystan, and so far I like it."
She snapped her gum and shrugged.