Page 121 of His Atonement
"That's the thing. The soul I collected was promised to The Caster of Shadows directly. He has no access to the souls like yours because they are not His jurisdiction. Until a soul is tinged black it cannot be obtained by Him or any of His spawn but because this was a deal done in secret—"
"The Maker has no idea and She won't be able to stop Him from taking Frankie's soul to The End,” Colt grunts. "Jesus, Zan."
"I know. I know, it makes me a bastard, more than almost anything else I've done, but I have a plan. One that will hopefully set my darling girl free and allow her to spend eternity in The After."
"Which is why you need your name,” Cora sighs. "Zan…"
I hold up my hands. "It is the only way, the only way I can think of. If I am at full power,he who shall not be namedwill know and he will come for me. He will come to collect what is owed to The Destroyer and punish me, but because the deal is done he cannot kill me before my soul is returned and I am set free. Which is why I will summon him myself, give up my own soul and freedom to keep Frankie's instead. If I can do that then my mate will be safe."
"And if he doesn't agree?" Colt asks as he begins to pace.
"Then I shall hopefully have bought enough time to draw the attention of The Maker and She will be forced to intervene on my mate’s behalf. Frankie's soul rightfully belongs to Her and if She knows Her brother or His spawn are fucking with it, She will have to intervene."
Cora begins crying again. "You're going to perform The Sinner’s Sacrifice for Frankie."
I nod as Havok and Colt look to her in confusion.
"It's a fae thing.” She wipes her nose on the back of her hand. "It's the ultimate sacrifice for the one you love and it basically means Zan is going to sacrifice his soul and freedom in exchange for Frankie's, but if that doesn't work then he's going to make a deal with The Maker to… if he doesn't do whatever She asks of him, he'll become a Fallen One, one banished to The Desolate Plane where he'll be stuck in a sort of limbo and riddled with a madness caused by the most profound love he has experienced until The Maker brings about the final days. Then he'll be unleashed to purify the world before She starts over again."
“Fuck," Havok grunts. "So you either sacrifice your soul and freedom for Frankie, basically take her place in The End so she can go to The After, or you get stuck in The Desolate Plane, a place we aren't even sure exists, until The Maker hits the reset button on life as we know it."
"That's the long and short of it,” I shrug. "I don't know if either party involved will want me in any capacity. I am a disgrace to demons so The Destroyer may not believe my soul is worth keeping, would not want me enslaved to Him any longer or stuck with Him in The End. Since I'm not fae and have lived a life full of mayhem and destruction, The Maker may not even see me fit to become a Fallen One."
"So the deal may just go as it was intended and Frankie will be stuck in The End instead."
My eyes snap to Havok's. "Not if I can help it. If those two options do not please The Creator and The Destroyer then I will use all of my power to keep her soul right where it is.” I point to the center of my chest. "I will refuse to release her to them and fight to the death if I have to in order to do so."
"And I lose you no matter how you look at it.” Cora sniffles. "Fallen One, damned to The End, or the deal as agreed. No matter what the outcome is I lose my brother, because if this doesn't go the way you want you'll still be crushed over losing your mate and eventually succumb to the madness because your guilt will bring it on."
"This is my only regret over my plan, my most precious gem. No matter the outcome, it hurts you and I hate that more than you could know."
She nods and gives me a very sad smile. "But it's for Frankie. I'd do it for Havok no matter the outcome too. There is nothing like the bond between mates, so nothing is out of the realm of possibility when it comes to saving them."
"You are absolutely right, my gem. Nothing is off the table for my mate and I am sorry for the pain it will cause you."
"I know.” Cora nods, pushing to her feet. "And for the record, your soul is just as pure as ours, Zan. If it wasn't, you wouldn't have been able to love me, love our family, or Frankie the way you do. Just because it's not inside your body does not mean it isn't working. Your soul is beautiful just like your heart, demon status be damned.” Then she comes over, wraps me in a hug and whispers, "Which is why I, Cora Eliza, Queen and only remaining member of the fae kind, sworn by blood as a member of the Dragovihk Clan, release you from my control. No longer shall I have power over you, for with your name I return it. It is my will and so shall it be. Your given name is gifted to you. Ueltorrhzan, I set you free."
Blue light explodes around us, slams into my body so hard I'm knocked to the floor, my breath stilling in my lungs as my vision sparks white.
The most intense rush of adrenaline surges through every inch of my body; my skin aches, my markings burn, everything tingles right down to the soles of my feet just before it settles into the high I used to crave, that euphoria that was untouched by any before it, but has been put to shame by the only one to come after it.
My name fills me once again, races through my veins, pulses through my muscles, licks up every single nerve ending, fills me so full I could burst.
And when my heart rate takes on that erratic speed it does when I collect a soul, I push up to sitting and look around only to find everyone staring at me.
"What?" I blink several times as they do the same. "What is it?"
"Is that how you always look?" Havok blinks yet again as a slow smile spreads over his face. "You're quite fancy."
I arch a brow then grin when I remember that they have yet to see me as I truly am.
I am not likehe who shall not be named, not in the least. I maintain my human form always, but when I have my name and am at full power, I look slightly different from thetattooed surfer thugmy mate described me as.
The relatively muted shimmer to my skin is more intense and my markings, the souls of those I have collected before, almost take on an iridescent glow as they move and shift over my body. My teeth sharpen and remain that way, my tongue becomes forked and I have black horns that start just above my temples and curve back into a bit of crown that now frames my mohawk. The vibrancy of my eyes is startling and they reflect silver, though they do not turn the color completely unless I'm in the midst of using my power, high, or orgasming. Something I won't be doing ever again, most likely.
And that thought gets my head right back in the game.
"This is my true appearance, the way I look when I have full control over myself, which means it is time for you to go.” I get to my feet then walk toward my sister who has remarkably remained silent this entire time. "Allow your mate and the wolf to escort you home. I do not do well with goodbyes but—"
