Starla turned back to me, batting her lashes innocently. “Does this mean our deal is off the table?”

  I blinked slowly, noting the delight in her expression. Gone was the usual mask of indifference. Not to mention the fact that Az had been her only ally in this. The one giving the orders as far as I could tell.

  If he was dead—

  “Who are you, really?” I asked, already dreading the answer.

  Starla grinned wide as if she’d been waiting for me to ask all along.

  “I’m your judgment, Gemini Hawkins.” As she spoke, her voice began to change. Drop. The masculine drawl lengthened, and I recognized the baritone with a shudder of terror.

  “Raguel,” I breathed.

  Starla’s face fell away, and in its place, still attached to her very female body, Raguel grinned back at me.

  “How,” I choked out.

  “You didn’t think you were the only one special enough to shapeshift, did you?” His voice was light. Teasing. But the murder in his eyes was anything but.

  “What have you done with Starla?” I asked.

  “The same thing I did with Az. She was his weak point, would you believe that? In love.” He snorted. “My kind just can’t seem to help themselves.”

  Az and Starla were together?

  So, it hadn’t been Starla and John?

  And that’s why Starla had been so adamant about keeping Az out of it, even when it came to healing Adrik. She wanted to protect him.

  Raguel went on, ignoring my shock. “Once I removed her from the equation, he wasn’t so difficult to deal with. Speaking of difficult, you’re quite the challenge, Gem. I admire it, honestly. Have you ever considered joining me? Together we could—”

  I screamed, letting loose a burst of power that leveled the park. The bench behind Raguel cracked and broke in half. The sidewalk split, fissures opening up in the concrete and the ground below it.

  Someone screamed. A human.

  I didn’t look over to try to understand what they saw. With the glamour, the pedestrians probably thought it was an earthquake.

  All I cared about was Raguel.

  And destroying him.

  But I knew better than to go for him directly.

  Another blast slammed through me, up and out straight into the sky.

  Like a bug zapper, it electrified the demons above me, and they dropped from the sky like Azrael had.

  Raguel’s smile slipped.

  He stared at me in surprise for a full three seconds before rage took over.

  “No,” he breathed. “You can’t possibly— I am your judgment, Gemini Hawkins. You will answer to me.”

  His power gathered around him, seeping into the very air I breathed. And I knew, whatever crazy-ass Neph energy I’d just used on him, it was nothing compared to what he was about to do to me.

  I was brave, not a dumbass.

  “Run,” I said, and Milo didn’t hesitate to comply.

  We both turned and sprinted for the car. Behind me, low, masculine laughter rumbled as the sky darkened with more and more blue-skinned demons.

  For a terrifying moment, I wondered if this was it. The moment Raguel came for me. Ended it all.

  But his power never released itself. Instead, he only laughed, his voice booming behind me as if it alone were chasing me down. “We’ll see each other soon,” he said. “And there’ll be no more Nephilim left to save you.”

  Milo and I didn’t stop running until we made it back to the car.

  Finally, we made it to the public lot and slid inside. I fumbled with the ignition, gasping for breath.

  “You almost…had him,” Milo said.

  I leaned forward, scanning the skies to see if we had aerial surveillance to worry about. But the skies were clear. With shaky hands, I started the engine, willing my heart rate to slow to something out of the heart attack realm.

  “He shapeshifted…Starla,” Milo managed and then stopped.

  I glanced over, knowing how he felt. What was there to say?

  “I mean, he’s Nephilim,” I said. “If I can take other forms, it makes sense that he can too. No supe is more powerful than one of them.”

  Milo went pale. “How long do you think—I mean, you don’t think he’s been her all along, do you?”

  “No, she could have killed me too many times for that to be true.” I put the car in gear and pulled out of the lot, keeping a watchful eye on the sky. We’d have to drive for a while to make sure we weren’t being tailed.

  Milo didn’t answer. When I looked over again, he was staring blankly ahead.

  “Milo?”

  “Starla. She was at my mother’s that day…. What if Raguel knows where my family lives?”

  I grabbed his hand. “He doesn’t. I think he killed Starla at the same time he killed Az.”

  “So, recently.”

  I nodded.

  “How in the hell did he kill a Nephilim? Aren’t they supposed to be unstoppable?”

  I didn’t answer. It was the question I’d been asking myself since I’d watched the friendly Nephilim fall from the sky.

  “And why didn’t he just kill us? He had us, right there in the open. Defenseless.”

  I shuddered because Milo wasn’t wrong. He also wasn’t helping my nerves, pointing out how vulnerable we’d been back there. But that blast of power I’d conjured…it had scared him. I just wish I knew why. And how to get it back again.

  “And Adrik.” Milo’s expression looked haunted. “What will we do now?”

  “I don’t know,” I admitted. “But Raguel’s last words were about making sure no more Nephilim were left to help us. I think he means Raphziel.”

  Milo’s eyes widened. “You think he’s waiting to kill us because he’s going after Raph first.”

  My stomach knotted. “Yes.”

  “We have to warn him,” Milo said.

  I handed him my phone. “Call my mother.”

  “Why?”

  “Tell her to call Raph. Have him come to the Underground.”

  Milo dialed the number and put it on speaker.

  “Gem?” my mother answered. “I was just about to call you again. Did you get my messages?”

  What messages?

  “Mom, I need you to call Raph,” I said.

  “He’s already here, darling.”

  Relief poured into me. “Good. Tell him we’re coming. Tell Luca he’s on our side. Don’t let them hurt him.”

  “Of course not. Luca understands. Sweetie, you should hurry, though. I’m not sure how much time Adrik has like this, and I know you don’t want to miss it.”

  “Time?” I shook my head, confused. “What are you talking about, Mom?”

  “Adrik.” She sounded matter-of-fact. “He’s awake.”

  Everything just…stopped.

  Shock paralyzed me. I nearly forgot to turn the wheel and almost plowed right into a Krispy Kreme.

  “Gem,” Milo warned, and I blinked, yanking left at the last second.

  He exhaled audibly, gripping the dash.

  “Gem?” my mother said uncertainly.

  “We’ll be right there,” Milo told her and then ended the call.

  I concentrated on the road. Shock, fear, hope, excitement—the possibilities were too overwhelming to name. Adrik was awake.

  Raguel hadn’t won.

  “Hang on,” I told Milo, taking the next turn on screeching tires.

  “Let’s maybe try to get there in one piece,” Milo said, gripping the oh-shit bar like his life depended on it.

  Instead of answering, I pressed my foot to the floor and prayed I was fast enough.

  Chapter Eleven

  I shoved my way through the people crowding the hall outside Adrik’s room. Jax, my mother, Luca— Behind me, Milo called, “Coming through, make way,” but I couldn’t wait for manners to kick in. When I finally made it to the door, it stood open, and I stopped, feeling waves of emotion crashing over me at the sight of Adrik staring back at me.

  My breath caught, and my heart dropped into my stomach.

  For a moment, the world held completely still, suspended in time.

  There was only this moment.

  A dark Nephilim.

  An impossible future.

  And my relentless love.

  More than ever before, I knew I’d do anything, including die, to save him.

  “Gem.”

  The moment he said my name, it all hit me.

  The fear, the worry, the uncertainty—my shoulders sagged with it. I surged forward, dropping to my knees beside his bed. Tears filled my eyes, threatening to spill over.

  His gaze softened, and he lifted a hand to my cheek. I grabbed it and held it there, pressing his skin to mine.

  “I thought you’d never wake up,” I admitted.

  He didn’t answer, but I saw it in his eyes… this wasn’t good news.

  “What?” I whispered, lowering our joined hands to the mattress. “What’s wrong?”

  “Azrael is gone.”

  I stared back at him. “How did you know?”

  “It’s the only reason I’m conscious.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “His life force has been released back into the ether. Nephilim energy seeks its own. His essence has given me what I needed to wake up.”

  “So, you’re healed?” I asked, unable to keep the desperate hope from my voice.

  He shook his head, and even though I wasn’t expecting good news, my chest ached.

  “His essence fuels me, but it’s not enough. I expect someone else has taken most of him,” Adrik said quietly.

  “Raguel.” I spat the word, enraged and disgusted.

  “He’s gathering his strength.”

  “He’s eliminating threats,” I said.

  “He’ll come for me next.”

  I whipped my head up at the voice behind me and spotted Raph pushing his way into the room. The others had backed up, giving him a wide berth, but the sheer size of Raph’s power and presence made the room look instantly smaller.

  Still, I noted the dark circles lining his eyes. He was still weak.

  “Yes,” I admitted.

  Raph and Adrik shared a look.

  “I don’t have it in me,” Raph began, but Adrik shook his head.

  “You don’t have to explain, brother.” Adrik paused and then added, “He’ll come for what matters to you.”

  I felt both of them glance at me and realized with mounting horror what that meant.

  “Where’s my mom?” I called, half-panicked already.

  “Here.” She stepped into the crowded room and slid her hand into Raph’s. “I’m here.”

  I exhaled, and Adrik’s hand tightened in mine.

  “She’s safe here,” Raph said.

  I nodded.

  “Gem.” Adrik’s lids drooped, and for a moment, it looked like he might pass out.

  “Stay with me,” I said, leaning closer.

  His eyes opened again, bright with fever now. His skin warmed under my touch. Could angels get fevers?

  “I’m here,” he said. “Always.”

  “Tell me what to do,” I said.

  “Nothing,” he said softly. “Just keep yourself safe.”

  “Adrik, she has a right to know,” Raph said sternly.

  “Know what?” I glanced up at him and then back to Adrik. “Know what?” I repeated, louder this time.

  Adrik didn’t answer.

  “He’s becoming mortal,” Raph said. “Every day without his power, he slips closer. Eventually, the transformation will become complete, and he’ll die.”

  “What?” I demanded.

  Adrik had the decency to look guilty now.

  “You weren’t going to tell me?”

  “There’s nothing you can do,” he said.

  “Heavens, you’re a stubborn ass,” Raph said, irritated now. He looked at me. “His power is gone because he gave it to you. He healed you and doomed himself to a mortal’s death. And all in the name of true love.”

  Adrik glared at him. “Don’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same now.”

  Raph scowled but didn’t argue.

  My mother smiled softly up at him, and my heart clenched as the full meaning behind the words truly sank in. John’s words about dying then becoming flitted through my mind. That day at the townhouse, my injuries should have killed me. Jax and my mother had made that clear. But I’d survived. Only because of Adrik’s power. A power he’d drained himself to give me.

  Just like John had said, I’d died, and then I’d been brought back by Nephilim power. The only thing left to make the transformation complete was that Nephilim had to die.

  “You’re trying to turn me,” I said.

  Adrik looked just guilty enough that I knew it was true.

  “It’s the only way you’ll be powerful enough to stop him,” he said. “And I can’t let him hurt you.”

  “So, you sacrificed your own life,” I said incredulously.

  “It was the only way.”

  I looked from him to Raph, waiting for someone else to speak up. To say how insane this was. But no one said a word.

  “I want to give it back,” I said. “Take your power, Adrik. Use it to heal yourself. I don’t need it anymore.”

  “Yes, you do,” he said gently.

  Raph sighed. “What’s given cannot be returned.”

  “That’s bull shit,” I said, panic gripping me now. “I return things all the time. Clothes that don’t fit. Things I buy off Wish. Okay, not that because it’s not cost-effective but lots of other stuff. Just take it back.”

  “I can’t,” Adrik said.

  “Find a way.”

  “He won’t do that,” Raph said gently.

  But I didn’t break the glare I’d aimed at Adrik. Half-fury, half-desperate, I stared down at him.

  “If I take it back into myself,” Adrik explained, “the healing it offers will leave you in the same state as when I transferred it.”

  “You mean when Raguel’s goons almost gutted me,” I said.

  Pain flashed in Adrik’s eyes, and he nodded.

  “So, this power of yours is what’s keeping me alive. But without it, you’ll die,” I said.

  “Damn, love hurts,” Gran said sadly from somewhere in the back of the room.

  I ignored her, determined to come up with a way to save Adrik.

  “Fine, then Raph will heal you,” I said.

  “Raph is still weak from the last time,” Adrik said, shaking his head.

  “I’m not weak,” Raph muttered, but he didn’t press it, and I knew Adrik was right. Raph couldn’t do this, not without killing himself.

  “Not yet, but when he’s stronger,” I said.

  Adrik smiled, and my gut twisted at the sadness in it. “Yes, when he’s stronger,” he agreed. His dark eyes held mine for a long moment. Already, I could see the strain on his face. The exhaustion. He wouldn’t be awake much longer.

  And then what?

  How long did he really have?

  “Raph,” he said finally, his voice no more than a whisper. His gaze flicked to Raph who stood behind me. “Keep her safe. Swear it.”

  “I swear it, brother. And you, live. That’s an order.”

  Adrik nodded and then grabbed my face, pulling me down so that our lips met in a long, lingering kiss. I didn’t care who watched or the fact that Gran whistled loudly. It broke my heart to not feel a surge of lusty Neph energy that threatened to kill me over our heated moment. Just one more piece of evidence Adrik was sick.

  But I shoved it all aside and poured everything I felt into that one, too-short kiss.

  When Adrik pulled away, it was with a sad smile that scared me more than anything he’d said. That smile looked too much like goodbye, and I was not here for that.

  “Don’t smile at me like that,” I said, holding back tears.

  “You want me to scowl?” he asked.

  “Damn right. I fell in love with you as a grump, and that’s how I expect you to remain.”

  He grinned. “Come here, little beast.”

  I crawled in next to him, snuggling close as his arms came around me.

  When I looked up again, Raph and my mother looked awkwardly in all sorts of directions except at us.

  “Maybe come back later,” I suggested.

  “Great idea,” Raph muttered, pulling my mother out the door.

  “Okay, people, show’s over,” Milo called, waving people off down the hall.

  When they’d left, someone pulled the door shut and left us alone. And for the next couple of hours, I enjoyed the feel of being in a Nephilim’s arms without worrying about it killing me. Unfortunately, it was very much killing him.

  Chapter Twelve

  When I woke, the room was dark and silent—and Adrik was once again unconscious. My heart squeezed as I studied his still form, but I told myself we’d find a way. We had to. Losing Adrik was not an option. And if it came down to it, I wouldn’t hesitate to give him back this power even if it meant dying to save him. I’d haunt him from the other side. We could fight about it forever if he wanted to. But I wasn’t letting him die. And I wasn’t letting Raguel win.

  Reluctantly, I pressed a kiss to Adrik’s cheek and climbed out of bed, slipping out in search of the others.

  Squeals and laughter drifted out from one of the rooms I passed. I recognized Fergie’s toddler-talk and my mother’s laughter. Jax’s bass followed, and I hesitated, my hand halfway to the knob before I changed my mind and backed away.

  For the first time since I’d smuggled Fergie out of her mother’s womb, I couldn’t find it in me to summon a motherly smile. Adrik’s condition, the weight of what he’d done, had drained me. I had nothing to give, not even to my babies, whom I loved no matter how many people they tried to eat.

  “You should know I can’t let you do it.”

  I looked up and saw Raph leaning against the wall. He looked tired. But resolute.

  “Let me do what?”

  “You’re thinking about saving Adrik and letting yourself die to do it.”

  “You don’t know what I’m thinking.”

  “I promised him I’d protect you,” he said, ignoring my denial. “That means protecting you from yourself too.”

  “I can’t let him die.”