I stared down at her for a long moment, studying her. She reminded me of a snakeskin, the shell of her body still holding, with the interior void of any and all life.
It was fascinating.
Appalling.
Terrifying.
And absolutely right.
She’s gone, I thought, unsure of how to feel about what just happened. I felt… detached. Much like her papery skin.
“Zaya?” Grigory’s raspy tone had me frowning.
Would he fear me now, knowing what I could do? He’d just witnessed me consume the soul of another being. Well, not consume. Destroy.
I really was the harbinger, just like Lucifer said. Not that I’d doubted it, but experiencing the reality was far different from just hearing it.
“Zaya,” Grigory said again.
I wasn’t ready to look at him. What if I saw fear in his eyes? Or worse, disapproval? I’d just… I’d just… I…
I swallowed.
Why me? I wondered. Why did you pick me? My question was for Lucifer. Of all the souls to re-create, why had he chosen mine?
“Because you’re strong,” Grigory whispered, his hands seeming to appear on my shoulders as he turned me to face him. I kept my eyes on his throat, watching as he swallowed. “That was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen, Zay. You were a beacon of light, reminding me of the heavens, not hell. You were like an angel.”
I blinked. An angel?
“Hell’s angel,” he murmured, lifting his hand to tuck a piece of my hair behind my ear. “That’s what you are, Zay. You’re a protector of the Underworld. And you just saved two kingdoms through the destruction of one soul. Do you have any idea how amazing that is?”
I wasn’t sure amazing was the term I’d use to describe it.
“Zay,” he said, his thumb touching my chin as he angled my head upward. “I’ve always known there was something magical about you. It made me want you from the start. You were like this unattainable jewel that I wanted to admire and touch. And now I realize you’re the rarest of diamonds, glittering with superiority and power. I… I’m in awe of you.”
His aura flickered between red and hues of blue, his eyes the darkest of black. But I felt the sincerity of each word. Heard the truth of it in his mind. Witnessed the adoration coloring his expression. And felt the intentions of his heart.
“I love you,” I finally said, my voice so soft I wasn’t sure it carried.
But the smile pulling across his lips told me he’d heard me just fine. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I replied, tears threatening my vision as an abundance of emotion overwhelmed me deep inside.
I’d taken a soul tonight.
Saved two kingdoms.
Displayed my strength.
And truly found my heart.
It didn’t get more intense than that.
“You know what this means, right?” Grigory asked, his palms cradling my face.
“That you’re going to kiss me now?” Because I would really enjoy that. Maybe after a shower, actually. I still had Napia’s essence all over me. And her tongue… I shuddered.
“I’m going to kiss you,” he said. “Just as soon as you say, ‘I do.’?”