Chapter 18 — Sad Endings?

Cassia:

I burst through the rooftop door with Nevaeh following behind me. “Cassia, wait!” Nevaeh calls out. I turn to her as my tears pour down my face. “I’m sorry, Nevaeh, I need to go. I…I can’t do this right now.” I croak out. Nevaeh’s face pales with sadness.

“Please, Cassia, you can’t do this. I know Mathias loves you.”

“No, Nevaeh, he doesn't love me. If he did, he wouldn’t have stood in front of the woman he really loved without giving me a second thought. I’m done with this. He has hurt me for the last time.”

Nevaeh moves back with tears gleaming in her eyes and enfolds me in her embrace. Tightening my arms around her, I nod to Mikhail. “I know you mean well, Nevaeh, but Mathias and I are over.”

I’m about to leap from the roof’s edge when a large form rams my body and tackles me to the ground. I recognize the hellhounds instantly. Lukan is here. Within seconds the roof is crowded with angry hellhounds. One of them tries to take Nevaeh, but Mikhail attacks before he can reach her. I kick one of them in the face when he reaches for me, but another one takes his place. Grabbing me from behind, I stomp his foot and headbutt him. Unfortunately, we’re outnumbered. Two hellhounds throw Mikhail down and knock Nevaeh unconscious. Mikhail struggles within their hold, screaming for Nevaeh, but the hellhounds keep hitting him until he slumps into a faint.

As one of the hounds lifts her in his arms, I try to get to her, but another hellhound grabs me by the neck and slams me on the floor. My vision blurs, but somehow I manage to stay conscious until the hellhound hits me one last time and the world disappears.

A sharp pain quakes through my head as I try to open my eyes. Blinking rapidly, I strain until a bright light comes into focus. Groaning, I swallow hard and try to move, but nothing happens. Gazing around, I struggle in place until I realize that I’m tied to a chair. My shoulders burn, and my arms cramp from being tied behind my back.

A sound alerts me to the fact that I’m not alone. Searching my surroundings, all I see are white tiles and bright fluorescent lights, similar to a hospital room. My eyes quickly adjust at the sound of a body shifting nearby. Nevaeh is struggling in her restraints, a terrified expression on her face. Another sound resounds nearby. Eyes wide with fear, I observe as Lukan steps inside the room. He looks at Nevaeh’s struggling form with a hateful snicker, then focuses back on me. “Hello Cassia, good to see you. Did you like the little gift I sent to your loft? Poor Mathias, he’s ready to mate with you, and then his long-lost love shows up. How providential.”

My lip curls with horror.

He set Mathias and me up. Somehow he and Marael conspired against us. It makes no sense considering that we thought Marael was dead. How is this possible?

“You resurrected Marael?” I take a guess. The gleeful smile on his face is answer enough for me. “Oh, no, my sweet little daughter. I didn’t just resurrect Marael. Marael has been alive much longer than that. You see, Marael and I knew each other “intimately” before she met Mathias…” Lukan says, making air quotes.

“However, I needed her to keep tabs on Mathias, so I told her to make him happy. I needed her to infiltrate the Council, and when Mathias was of no further use to me, Marael was taken out of the picture. Of course, I had to kill her to make it real, but the Lazarus tears brought her back, and now, here we are.”

Mouth dry, I swallow hard. “You made him think she was dead. You’re such a sick bastard.” I cry out heatedly.

But Lukan is unperturbed by my outbursts. The man is a heartless bastard. He has always been heartless. “You still defend him. Even after he turned away from you in favor of Marael. You stupid girl.”

Tears gleam in my eyes at his stinging words, but I refuse to let them fall. Lukan squats down in front of me, his sinister eyes hooded with satisfaction. “Poor Cassia, always second best. Maybe, I’m doing you a favor by taking your wings. Mathias will be free to move on to someone that fate had not forced upon him.” He strikes a chord there. For years I’ve feared not being good enough. And to hear my father say it hurts.

However, I don’t let him see my pain. I keep a blank face the whole time. I guess this was not the reaction Lukan expects from me because he quickly loses his smile. My throat catches, and my heart stills as he raises his hand to touch my face. Before he can, I shift as far back on the chair as I can and give him a defiant glare, “I know what you want, Lukan, and I’m not going to give it to you.”

Bemused Lukan snickers and caresses my face. His cold fingers tighten around my chin with a nearly painful grip and gestures to a defiant Nevaeh. “Do you see little Nevaeh over there?” He points at Nevaeh.

I nod my head stiffly, my throat clogged with emotion as I turn my face away.

But he refuses to let me look away. “Do you see that sweet little glow around her?” My heart speeds up at his words. Feeling dread, I glance back at Nevaeh and close my eyes tightly. It can’t be. Bile collects in my throat.

I want to pretend that I don’t see it, but Lukan continues. “You know what that means, don’t you, my daughter? Oh, come on…you know what it means. One thing that angels know is how to tell when a female is breeding. It looks like our little Nevaeh is having a baby. Poor Mikhail is going to be so sad when he finds her cut to pieces.”

Nevaeh stops struggling, shocked at Lukan’s words. She shakes her head vehemently as she struggles in her restraints. It’s hard to hear her behind her gag, but I can tell that she denies Lukan’s words. Yet I know it’s true. She’s glowing because she’s having a baby.

I cry out as he pushes my face back and strides over to Nevaeh. “No, Lukan, don’t hurt her!”

He turns back towards me, madness contorting his expression. “Well, now, what will you give me in exchange for your friend’s life?”

I know what he’s angling for. He wants me to give up my wings so that he may live. How a father can do that to his own daughter is unthinkable, but Lukan is a monster with no conscience.

“Why? Why are you doing this?” I plead.

Narrowing his eyes, he reaches into his shirt and removes a small vial from his pocket. “Well, before that little bastard Mikhail stabbed me through the heart, I took a sip of this. I was dead for a little while, and then I was alive. The downside, though, is that my resurrection has an expiration date, and that’s where you come in.”

He twists my hair and yanks my head back. “You see, little Cassia, I have some plans to get my immortality back. And for that, I need your wings.”

I try to pull my hair from his grip, but he doesn’t release me. Instead, he moves his face closer, his angry spittle splashing across my face. “So I’m going to make this easier for you. In exchange for your wings, I will let sweet Nevaeh and her baby live. However, if you don’t, I will rip her into little pieces.”

Chest heaving, I look over to a struggling Nevaeh. She’s shaking her head as if trying to get me to refuse Lukan’s offer. But I don’t see any other way. I can’t let her be hurt.

“If I give you my wings, I will die.” I try to reason.

Lukan nods his head. “Yes, you will. But think of it this way, your friend will live.”

My brow furrows with disbelief. He really doesn’t care if I die. “Don’t you care, Lukan? I’m your daughter.”

Lukan throws his head back with a mocking laugh. “Oh, little Cassia. I’m sorry to tell you this, but the only use you have as my daughter is the immortality you can give me. Now, what is your decision?”

I look at Nevaeh, who is shaking her head and screaming “no” through her gag, and give her a sad smile. She and Mikhail are so happy and in love. I can’t let them be hurt because my father is a selfish bastard. I have to make sure she’s safe. “How do I know you won’t kill her after you take my wings?”

“That’s a risk you’ll have to take.” He states firmly. A snort escapes my lips. I don’t trust him. There’s no way that I’m going to give him my wings without the reassurance that Nevaeh will walk away from this unscathed.

Shaking my head, I tighten my lips and firmly reply. “No! I will only do this if we do the Sanguis Pactum, a blood pact.”

He thinks over my words for a moment. “Very well, I agree to a Sanguis Pactum. What are your demands?”

“In exchange for my wings, you will let Nevaeh and her child go free. No one is to hurt her in any way. I also ask that I go with Nevaeh.”

His lips curl with derision. He makes me feel like I’m a bug on a windshield. “And how are you going with Nevaeh if you’re going to start dying after I remove your wings?”

I bite my quivering lip in hopes to find the strength I will need to sacrifice myself. “I know that I’m going to die, but I don’t want to die here. I want my mom to get my body. Therefore, I will let you remove my wings, but you will not get my immortal powers until my body is dead and out of this place. If it makes you feel better, you can follow us and make sure that I’ve died. You know that the Sanguis Pactum will be binding. If you don’t do what I ask, our deal will be nulled. Do we have a deal?”

Lukan looks towards a crying Nevaeh, then back at me. Jaw clenched, I watch as he takes out a knife and releases me from my bonds. “Very well, we have a deal. You give me your wings, and I will let Nevaeh, and you go. As soon as you die, your powers will be mine. I hope sweet Nevaeh has strength because she will have to hold your dead body until you step out.”

Using the same knife, he cuts his hand and observes as I do the same Our agreement is bound in blood. Lights flash where our hands meet, completing the blood pact. Once it’s done, Lukan steps back and signals to a camera in the ceiling. After a moment, a hellhound appears, holding a sword in his hand.

“If you’re mortal, how are you controlling the hellhounds?”

“Well, my dear, I had a witch cast an obedience spell on our little friends here, which lasted beyond my death. Now let’s get on with this.”

Giving Nevaeh one last look, I kneel down on the floor and soothingly mutter. “It’s okay, Nevaeh. This is my decision. Take care of your family, and live a happy life. Please, tell…tell Mathias that I’m sorry I couldn’t be what he wanted...” Tears gather in my eyes and glide down my face. “…and tell my mom that I love her.” Nevaeh nods tearfully, her shoulders shaking with her sobs.

Tired of waiting, Lukan shoves my head down. Excruciating pain explodes across my back. My vision blurs, and nausea gathers in my stomach as my wings are being cut from my body. I try to stifle my screams, but the pain is unbearable. The metallic taste of blood saturates my taste buds. It's excruciating. Falling forward, I try to straighten my arms, but they buckle. Choking on my blood, I give Nevaeh a reassuring look, but my vision blurs, and my body quakes. The sound of something falling near my shoulder startles me from my pain. It’s one of my wings. Vision wavering, I crawl to Nevaeh and touch her foot. My hearing dims, and my body feels heavy as I struggle to breathe. Lukan must free her because she wraps her arms around me and tries to lift me up.

I struggle to help her, but I’m dying. My body is fading. Lukan says something, but I can’t hear through the thrumming in my ears. Nevaeh puts her shoulder under my arm, trying not to hurt me further and begins to usher me to the exit.

We stumble through an empty hallway. It’s an arduous task because I can barely hold myself up. My strength is gone. At some point, Nevaeh is dragging and carrying me. The sound of a door opening and the heated feel of daylight against my skin is the last thing I hear or feel before I breathe my last breath and die.