Heir of Night (The Thorne Hill)

“Get her in now!” Paimon thrusts a hand forward, and black smoke binds my hands back, making it so I can’t fight against the demons, even if I could. Two demons grab me by the shoulders and lug me to my feet. My head is still ringing.

This is it.

This is where it ends.

I’m sorry, Lucas.

But then Julian jumps forward, landing in the circle. His dagger falls from his hand, and his arms are jerked back.

“Nooo!” Paimon yells, and the black smoke tightens around me.

Bright blue light glows from the inside out, and Julian’s head goes back, eyes glowing so bright it hurts to look. He took my place and is burning up his divinity so Paimon can’t use the spell on me. But he’s not a Nephilim like me. Divinity is all he has. Once his divinity is gone he’ll be gone.

“Julian!” I scream. “Julian!”

The sounds of the night disappear, and everything is so quiet I can hear my breath whooshing in and out of my lungs. Julian’s body rises, being pulled up by his own grace. It burns as bright as the sun and then explodes, sending little particles flying in all directions. The demons in the circle drop to the ground, black mist rising before sizzling out. Julian slumps, unmoving, to the ground.

Paimon’s projection is in the same spot, and he glowers at me with wide eyes. Screaming, he disappears and takes his black smoke with him. Shaking off the dead demons, I claw over to Julian.

“No, no, no,” I say. “Julian!” I put my hands on his chest and shake him. “Julian, wake up!” He doesn’t move. Doesn’t heal. There are scorch marks around his eyes and mouth. “Dad!” I cry, tears falling down my cheeks. “Dad! Help!” I shake Julian again.

He’s going to be okay. He has to be. He’s an angel. He can’t die.

Only, he can. Archangels can be killed—I saw it with my own eyes when my father killed Remiel in order to protect me.

But not Julian. “No, please, no.” I fall forward, sobbing.

“Callie,” Lucas says softly and drops to his knees next to me. I snap my head up, needing to make sure it’s really him. “We need to get out of here. The Horsemen…they’re still here.” Lucas’s eyes are wide, and he looks down at Julian.

“He hasn’t healed yet.” I put my hand over Julian’s heart. “Maybe I can help.” I close my swollen eyes. “Heal. Heal!” Nothing happens, and Lucas puts his hand on mine.

“He’s not going to heal.”

“Don’t say that!” I jerk my hand back. “He’s not…he’s not…” I can’t bring myself to say it. A horse whinnies in the distance, calling out to another. The explosion of Julian’s divinity knocked the Horsemen back but didn’t get rid of them.

Lucas takes my hand, face twisted with grief. “He’s dead.”

Chapter 38

Lucas stands, gently pulling me with him. “We need to go.”

“I can’t leave him,” I say, fingers sliding across Julian’s arm as I get to my feet. “He deserves to be buried.”

“I’ll come back for him,” Lucas tells me. He looks around the yard and then cups my face in his large hands, kissing me. “He died so you could live. You need to live.”

Tears pour from my eyes, and my heart is ripped right out of my chest. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper to Julian. My entire body shakes as I cry, and Lucas picks me up, running with vampire speed through the woods. He doesn’t stop until we’re at the Covenstead door.

Scarlet is there, still in hellhound form, and lets out a long, pitiful whine when Lucas sets me down.

“He’s not coming,” I tell her, throat tight. Scarlet pushes her giant head against my hand, and I feel the familiar tug on my heart. Binx, Freya, and Pandora are almost out of the pocket dimension and are on their way.

“Open the door,” Lucas tells me. I nod, body going on pure adrenaline at this point, mind still in shock over everything that transpired. I close my eyes, and more tears spill out.

“Invoco elementum terrae,” I start, “Invoco elemuntum aeris.” A strangled sob escapes, and I have to pause, sucking in a breath. He died so you could live. I need to live. “Invoco elemuntum aqua. Invoco elemuntum ignis.” The door appears between two large trees. I wipe blood from my forehead and touch it to the ground. Lucas can enter with me, but I’m unsure about Scarlet. The spell will burn anyone who tries to enter but isn’t permitted, and a hellhound can’t be burned to death.

I’m not losing anyone else tonight.

“What are you waiting for?” Lucas asks.

“My familiars. They’re close.”

He takes my hand and waits a beat. “Go through. I’ll wait for your familiars.”

“No,” I say with a shake of my head. “I’m not leaving you or anyone else. If I go through, you can’t promise you’ll follow.”