Chapter 148
AMELIA
“Yes. I didn’t know that was the last smile I saw in you. I died that night, too, Amelia. I lost the will to live.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I became a walking corpse. Our people were massacred, men, women, elders, children. My father died. You died in my arms. My mother barely survived. Your father left, and I never saw him again.” He chuckled despite tears rolling down his eyes. “We didn’t manage to consummate and complete the rituals of mating, but we were married, and you were my wife.”
“Who attacked us? Who killed me? Who did those horrible things and how could I not remember a single event of that night?” There were too many emotional minefields right now. My stare was challenging. I needed to know, and he was the only person who could answer me truthfully.
“I later found out that it was a retaliation against your father that no Nephilim should live in this world. Chaos erupted in the underworld and mostly feared and turned their back on your father. They were brainwashed that Nephilim was an abhorrence. Remember the story of fallen angels who rebelled against God. That’s the propaganda they used.”
“You haven’t answered my question, Lucius. Who killed me? Who attacked your pack that night?” A flash of anger tightened my stomach.
“The director and his father.”
“Goddess.” I sucked in a breath as I stared at him. “I’ve been at the SEO for about a year and they’ve been feeding me lies and using me as their soldier and a killer, and I have no way of knowing he was the one who killed me. Is that why I never saw his face?”
“I’m so sorry.” He sounded sincere. “Have you ever wondered why SEO has operated for over the centuries under the radar? Because they’re the best. And you’re an agent for what? A year? Don’t blame yourself.”
“Why did I come back without memory?”
“Amelia, you’re not reincarnated. You’re reborn.”
“Aren’t they the same?”
“Reincarnation is a rebirth of a soul to another body. In your case—”
“I’m still me without memory.”
“Yes. Since you’re a part angel, the only way for you to live again is to sacrifice a life.”
“You sacrificed someone for me to come back?” I was more horrified. “That’s not right.”
He gripped my hand. “It wasn’t my choice. My mother sacrificed herself for you. She believed you have a bigger purpose.”
“Did I? Do I have a bigger purpose? She must have been so disappointed in me.” I cried and threw myself at him. He pulled me closed and lifted me so I could sob on his lap, in his arms. “Why did she do that?”
“She believed we could still have another chance.”
“And then you found me with another man, Lucius. That must have been hard for you. I’m so sorry. I know it’s not enough—”
“You don’t need to apologize. Yes, it fucking hurts watching you kiss someone else, and he got to have you first after I searched for you for another twenty years, only to find you at the SEO, the very same organization that tried to kill you twice. Do you know how many Amelia are in the US? More than ten thousand. Then your fucking mate rejected you and broke your heart. If I could only kill him, but I know you will end up finding out that I took his life, and you will hate me for the rest of my miserable life.” I felt every word he said, but the way he held me was quite the opposite. He was so gentle with me.
I wiped my face and sniffled. “So you’ve been telling me about how you met me but it was my previous life that I couldn’t remember?”
“Yes. It took me a while to find Nick. You know, unlike today, it’s easy to search for someone on social media. And he went off the grid after dropping you at the hospital bed.”
Mystified, I asked, “He dropped me off at the hospital?”
“Yes. He knew about Dr. Shae and her husband, a good werewolf with a son. She was just new to her profession, but he was pretty confident you’d be in good hands.”
“Wait a minute. I’m confused. Nick literally delivered me, right?”
“Yes, on your first birth and when you magically reborn, he took care of you for a few months. He was your mom’s teacher. Your father’s best friend.”
I paused for a moment, trying to sink it all in, and I still had a lot of questions. “Why wasn’t I resurrected or I woke up the same age and we could be together?”
“I buried your body after I took your heart. It was the only way to get you back.” His words broke in the end and swallowed hard. “I can’t do this anymore, Amelia. Please, stop asking.” He sniffled. His eyes were red as he looked away.
I held his hand, squeezing it, caressing it until his heartbeat calmed down. Minutes had passed, and nobody wanted to break the silence between us.
Then he spoke again. “My mother did the ritual for three days. After that, she killed herself. Despite all my sacrifices and that I knew you would come back to me, I still lost my will, every damn day, I went to your grave, and nothing changed, no signs of you. My mother didn’t tell me how it worked or if should I wait for how long. And it drove me mad. Nick didn’t know either, but he kept your heart in his lab.”
“So the director attacked us twice when I was born and on our wedding night. Why?”
“Because you survived. Your father might have seen the future. He might have known who killed his wife all along, the very same people he once trusted, but couldn’t win against them. Until now, I still wonder why he let me marry you despite me being one of the SEO agents. I never saw him again after that. Now, it’s your responsibility to end the slaughter, Amelia.”
“And I have a strong feeling he’s gonna try to kill me again for the third time. “If he hadn’t already tried.” My fingers tightened around his hand. “What is he, Lucius?”
“His father is a Nephilim like you, but the director was born from darkness.”
“What do you mean?”
“There were two kinds of Nephilim, the light and the dark. And he’s the dark while you’re the light. He consumes blood to survive.”
“Like a vampire. Why?”
“Because he doesn’t have a soul anymore. He also consumes human essence.”