I found a bottle of water in the fridge and drank, then made my way back over to the couch. Sariel hadn't returned. I wasn't sure if Aziel was supposed to be my guard or just a punishment.
"What's with the chains?" I asked, taking a seat next to him, careful to be out of his reach just in case he decided to put the same hands in chains on top of me, forcing my legs to go to sleep.
"A punishment." His eyes went white as snow. "For my sins."
"What did you do?"
"I wanted."
"What did you want?"
His hair became more visible. Pieces of black and white tendrils fell across his face. "I wanted."
"Okay…"
"Haven't you ever wanted so desperately you'd do anything to have it?"
That was how I wanted Ethan, but it wasn't just want. To say want almost seemed selfish — I needed him.
Just thinking about him had my heart racing. My entire body trembled with a need to just be in his arms.
"I wanted," Aziel continued, "so I took."
"And you were punished?"
"Very much so." Aziel nodded. "I can no longer fly." He shrugged. "I'm grounded with chains, and now I must watch history on repeat until the balance is restored."
"Until humans stop dying," I clarified.
"Yes."
"Is it me?" I was afraid to ask but needed to know. "Will I bring balance?"
"We could have waited to discover the truth." He ignored my question. "Better this way — to get it over with. I pushed Sariel to pursue it, though he'd deny my involvement. I smelled her on you. And I knew we needed to try."
Great. So I had two people to blame for my captivity.
"Soon." Aziel faded into the air briefly before flickering back. "Very soon now."
The sun had already set, casting a pink glow across the sky.
Ethan was out there somewhere… I wished in that moment I could communicate with him, tell him not to come for me. I didn't think it was a trap, but something in my gut told me things wouldn't end well, and I'd rather sacrifice myself than see him hurt.
I swallowed the fear.
Cassius had made sense when we'd talked earlier.
Fear was selfish. It kept me thinking about me and not about others. It kept my heart safe, because if I stayed afraid, I wouldn't risk losing.
But for Ethan? I would risk it all.
My life.
My soul.
My heart.
"So the Vampire has decided to work with the Dark One." Aziel clapped his hands together, shooting me an amused grin. "Perhaps you are worth the trouble."
Sariel walked through the door, eying Aziel briefly before making his way toward me. "They're close. Shall we begin?"
I took a step back.
"Fear?" He smiled mockingly.
"Let's try excitement."
His mocking smile faded into a real smile. "Ah, that's better."
"What?"
"I can see why my son was so enraptured with you."
"Aziel?" I guessed.
Sariel glanced to the couch and shuddered, "No."
"Then I'm confused."
"My son…" His eyes went from blue to icy white. "Cassius."
Ethan
Cassius was irritated that we had to drive, but not everyone could simply appear out of thin air. Part of his angelic heritage made it so that he could, in essence, fly, though he preferred not to discuss it with anyone. Just another reason Dark Ones couldn't be trusted. There were parts, dark parts, they kept hidden that we would never understand.
His blood continued to ice my veins, taking away some of the pain at having Genesis ripped from me.
I'd only experienced this type of pain once before.
When I'd had to kill my own mate.
It had taken me fifty years to stop craving her.
Every evening when I went to bed, I'd dream of her only to wake up in a cold sweat, craving her taste, her smell — everything about her.
The only way to exorcise it from my system was to starve myself of blood, allow her blood to leave my body. It was a battle, possibly with my own bitterness at her betrayal.
"He will not kill her," Cassius said once we reached the Sound.
I snorted. "You think that's what I'm worried about right now?"
"Yes."
I looked away, clenching my teeth, unable to speak because I hated that he was with me, hated that I needed him at all.
"I never took your mate," Cassius said in a detached voice. "I tested her. I never stole her from you. Her betrayal was not my fault."
"You still touched her," I whispered.
"After she begged me," Cassius fired back. "You know I would never force myself on a human."
"You took my mate and my daughter."
"I will say this only once," Cassius growled. "You have no daughter."
"She was more mine than yours."
Cassius ignored me and continued driving. "When we arrive at the house, try your best not to charge the archangel."
I rolled my eyes. "You make it sound like I have no self-control."
"When it comes to Genesis, I believe self-control is something you seriously lack, brother."