Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Just as she prepared to become dust on the wind, Elijah and Odette her last thoughts, a sudden blinding golden light forced her to slam her eyes closed in death.
Was this how it ended?
So, it was true.
When you died … there was only light.
31
Elijah was blinded by golden white light.
A light that blasted out of every inch of him as he roared in desperate grief at the sight of William pushing the wooden stake into Echo’s chest.
When Echo and William had fallen from the window, the rest of them had attempted to follow suit, only to realize William had somehow trapped them inside it with a spell. Fionn was taking too long to counterspell it, so Niamh and Rose had taken them all one by one by using the gift to travel. Elijah had never deliberately attempted traveling before. The first and only time he’d done it, he hadn’t realized he’d done it. Frustrated with his own inability to break the spell, Fionn had finally gripped a hold of Elijah and traveled for them both.
Only to appear at the end of the alley with the others to witness the worst thing Elijah had ever seen in his life.
His mate about to die.
Elijah had become nothing but energy and rage, grasping for something within himself to end William before he killed Echo.
The light blasted out of him in answer.
His eyes wet with tears, every inch of Elijah shook as the light faded and the world returned to him again.
Before him, Echo stood gaping down at the pile of ash at her feet.
William.
Dead.
She turned to Elijah who was vaguely aware of his companions lowering their arms from their faces against the blare of sunlight he’d unleashed. But his mate had all of his attention.
Alive, he thought, sucking in a ragged breath.
A breath that caught when his wide-eyed Echo flinched and looked down at her chest.
The stake protruded from it, and she brought her hands up hesitantly.
“Don’t!” Fionn called out from his side, marching toward Echo. “That stake is most likely centimeters from piercing your heart.”
Elijah hurried after the large fae, pulse throbbing in his ears. Terror gripped him, but he tried to hide it for Echo’s sake. “What do we do?”
“Magic has more accuracy than we ever could.” Fionn held Echo’s frightened gaze. “I need you to stay supernaturally still while I use magic to remove the stake.”
“Okay,” she whispered, her mouth barely moving.
Elijah felt fingers intertwine with his and glanced up in surprise to find Niamh. She squeezed his hand in comfort. “Fionn can do this.”
He gulped and nodded, his attention moving back to Echo. Everything was in her eyes. Everything she hadn’t gotten the chance to admit.
Elijah hoped she sensed that he knew. He knew everything she couldn’t say.
Something softened in her expression and she held her breath as Elijah felt the tingle of magic fill the air. Part of him wanted to look at the stake, to make sure Fionn was pulling the damn thing out as slowly and steadily as possible with his magic, but he held Echo’s eyes instead.
I’m here.
I will always be here.
“Done.” Fionn tossed the stake away and Echo immediately reached for Elijah. She cupped his face in her hands as if he was the most precious thing she’d ever seen.
Niamh let go of him, and Elijah wrapped his arms around his mate.
He knew he held her too tightly, a bruising embrace, but he was almost afraid to let go. Elijah buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her familiar scent, groaning, and shaking in relief.
“You saved me,” Echo whispered. “That light came from you.”
“Yes.” Elijah lifted his head to meet her silvered gaze. “It just … blasted out of me. Like Niamh said it could.”
“Nice timing,” she teased, the silver bleeding from her irises as her passions calmed.
But he saw the darkness in the back of her beautiful eyes.
“I killed William.”
She flinched. “He would have killed me. Maybe one day I’ll have a breakdown about that, but today is not that day.” Echo turned in his arms. She kept her hold on him even as she faced the others, eyes on Fionn. “Thank you.”
He nodded. “You’re welcome. But we’re drawing attention, and Elijah just unleashed a level of power that will bring all kinds of curious supernaturals our way. I think it’s time we leave.”
“What about …” Echo nodded solemnly to the pile of ash.
“Ashes can be used in spells, so I think it’s best we dispose of these completely.” There was a question in his voice.
Echo lifted her chin. “That monster tried to kill me. Do whatever the hell you want with what’s left of him.”
One day, Elijah was afraid Echo would remember that William raised her … and what happened here today would torture her.
As if she sensed his concerns, she turned to him. “I’m okay,” she promised.