“Ilu’s letting me say goodbye.”
He froze. “No.”
“Yes. But Ilu won’t destroy the world. We made a bargain, and it can’t be broken. A life for a life, Khent.”
“Ilu can have mine.”
“Vampires don’t have lives like humans. You can’t?—”
“But I can,” Talon said, inserting himself between Khent and Val.
“No.”
“Yes. Please, Val. This is why I’ve lived so long with you. To be here when you need me.”
“Talon, no.” She cried harder. “You’ve been through so much already.”
“Yes, and I deserve a chance to see Ava again. Hecate made me a deal.” He wiggled his eyebrows while tears tracked down his cheeks. “I miss her so much, Val. We have the kind of love you and Khent share. You know it hurts, so much, to have to be apart. But I’m close to seeing her again. That’s if Ilu would have me.”
Ilu returned to look him over. “Offered freely? Such a powerful shifter, aren’t you? Yes, I would accept. But that will not negate my tie to Valentine. I will be with you and yoursalways.” Ilu stared at Khent. “And that is not negotiable.”
Khent staredinto Ilu’s smoke-filled gaze, aware this was why Shai had told him to accept his fire. Valentine was the last of her line, the only one Ilu could cling to. The only one who could perpetuate the deity into another lifetime. If he killed her now, Ilu would be a threat no more.
And a threat she was. Not just an ancient deity—and referring to Ilu as female didn’t quite fit either, but inside Val, the descriptor would have to do—but Ilu had a powerful presence, one filled with a primeval chaos Hecate would never approve.
And neither would any of the gods, since Ilu felt so much…more.
The deity seemed to know it, even to expect death.
But Khent would never, ever, hurt his mate. Call it a biological imperative to protect his future child or a conditioned response stamped into his forefathers. He didn’t care. He onlyknew that life was not worth living without Valentine by his side. A fact he could never have predicted.
He still loathed most humans. Still thought them weak and less than useless. But not Valentine. She was worth everything. His life, his pets, hell, his lab.
“I told you before I would give you my life for hers, Ilu. If you remain in Valentine, you will also have a part of me to add freely to your bargain. For all that I am and all that I can be, Valentine Darkmore is my mate. In this life and the next.”
Ilu studied him and smiled. “I feel I will come out the winner in this bargain.”
“If that makes you happy.”
Ilu laughed, surprising herself, from her expression. “I do believe I am happy, reaper. But I will need the shifter.”
Ilu—no, Val—wrapped her arms around Talon. “I love you so much. I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too. But Val, this is right. I get to see Ava again.” He pulled back, and they watched Talon, even as his eyes filled with smoke. Blackness overtook his body until he faded away, smiling until the end.
Val dissolved into more tears, and Khent held her, feeling her sorrow as his own.
Something in her settled, and Ilu faded until the deity remained a buried piece inside his mate, there but observing. That would take some getting used to, but Khent would do anything to keep Valentine close.
He wished Talon well then realized this mess wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
Rolf and some female were arguing and battling each other when not striking at a continuous assault of demons. Vladimir argued with Nergal, both of them fighting over the staff. And that shouldn’t have been an issue since Nergal could kill everyone in his domain with a snap.
So why was Vladimir not dead yet?
CHAPTER
FIFTY-ONE
