“I’m giving you one more chance,” Reese sing-songed.
Daphne didn’t even hear her. “You’re supposed to be the Hope,” she said. “You’re supposed to be warmth. Forgiveness. Love. You’re supposed to be good.”
The second she finished her thought, Reese released the arrow and it flew straight into Daphne’s heart. The minute it pierced her skin, her own flames disappeared from around Ollo and consumed Daphne’s body, turning her into ash. A soft breeze picked up her remains and scattered her into the suburban greenery.
“You killed her,” Ollo said, his voice still raw. He blinked his eyes continuously, trying to get the ash and smoke out of his eyes.
Reese frowned, going over to him. “I gave her three warnings,” she said, a tad defensive.
“No. I’m not condemning you, darl. It’s just…” He stopped messing with his eyes and gave her that familiar boyish charm smile. “I thought it was… your vision…” His smile got even wider. “I didn’t think you had it in you.”
“She was going to kill you.” She stopped walking when she was directly in front of him, close enough to touch. “I couldn’t let that happen.” She paused. “Are you okay? That she’s gone, I mean? I know you had a history–”
“I’m perfectly fine,” he replied, waving her off. “Are you? You saved my life, darl, by taking another life. I don’t think you realize how that will affect you. You’ve sacrificed a bit of your humanity–”
“I’m not sorry,” Reese said, serious. “She murdered my family. She was going to kill you. She was going to kill you. I know I’m the Hope and I’m supposed to be perfect, but I’m not. And I’m not sorry for it.”
“You misunderstand, darl.” He rested his forehead on hers, a soft smile on his face. “You embody the Hope perfectly because you’re imperfect. You are not a symbol like Black Wing. You can fall, but you can also pick yourself back up. And that is what gives people hope. You symbolize redemption.”
“I don’t regret what I did,” Reese told him, her voice firm. “I know it doesn’t bring my family back but you’re here and I can touch you.” Though he was so close to her, she still forced her stormy eyes into his. “That bitch can rot in hell, and I’ll sleep like a baby tonight.”
“And that’s why I love you,” he said.
She closed her eyes at his words and smiled for the first time that evening. “Say it again,” she breathed.
“I love you,” he whispered in her ear. The hairs on her skin stood straight up and she forgot about everything; saving Andie, saving Ollo, everything.
Her lip curled up. “Now kiss me like you mean it,” she murmured.
His lips descended upon hers and kissed her breath away.
Epilogue
Sunlight. He felt it before he saw it. Yet, there was something different about it. It was… warm. More than that, it made him feel warm.
He looked down at his hand. Really looked at it. Something felt… off. Different. His hand looked… human.
“Where are we?” Keirah asked, coming up from behind him. She had her hand covering her forehead, trying to provide her big brown eyes with some means of shade.
“Africa.”
He didn’t know how he knew it was Africa, only that he did. He had spent centuries upon centuries here in a long, slow torture–his own Purgatory on earth–before Lucas Burr had offered him a proposition he couldn’t refuse.
“What is wrong-ah with my face?” he asked her, his words coated in iron.
“It’s beautiful.”
Nobody had ever described his face as beautiful. He wasn’t sure how to take it, didn’t know what she meant by it.
Keirah’s lips twitched up and she reached up so she could brush her fingers against his cheek. He shuddered as he usually did whenever she touched his bare skin, but like everything else, it felt different.
“You’re scar,” she told him, caressing his skin with her fingertips. “It’s gone.” She smiled once again. “It’s like you’re human.”
And then it hit him.
“I am.”
Keirah furrowed her brow but waited for him to speak.
“Demons are currrsed,” he explained. “To break the uh, well to break the hum… curse we need to be redeemed. Usually, re-ah-demption comes through some sort of action done by the uh cursed. But-ah. Not. Me. I didn’t give a shit what I was, but who people, well, who people believed me to be. I liked being cursed. An Excom. I uh never thought I’d be redeemed. Didn’t think about it. But uh you. You changed everything. You redeemed me.”
Keirah paused, almost winced. “Is that good?”
There was a hot breeze in the African desert. It already started chapping Keirah’s lips. It made him want to kiss her all the more.
“I’m um human,” he said, almost to himself. He stared out at the horizon, his golden eyes narrowed at the infinite grains of sand that made up the desert. “I can die.”
“Then let’s not die,” Keirah said with a teasing chuckle. She stuck out her hands so she could grab Noir’s–Jace’s–hand with hers. “Let’s live.”
Acknowledgments
This book took an amazing amount of time, dedication, and inspiration to write. First and foremost, my readers, who have been crazy about Andie, Keirah, and Reese for YEARS (and when I say years, I mean 2009, when I first published their stories on Fictionpress). I hope you enjoyed this trilogy as much as I enjoyed writing it.
To my family – Mom, Dad, Sue and everyone else for your support, understanding, and love. I am so lucky to have you!
Cheree - I LOVE your words of wisdom and your notes – it pushes me to be a better writer
Susanna Lynn of Funky Cover Designs – Your cover is gorgeous!
To Frank, my better half, Kylee, my reason to be greater than I am, Josh and Jacob for teaching me more about myself than I could ever imagine. You are the reason I write.
Finally, to Patrick. That one conversation about angels and devils started it all…
Did You Like Sacrifice?
As an author, the best thing a reader can do is leave an honest review. I love gathering feedback because it shows me you care and it helps me be a better writer. If you have the time, I’d greatly appreciate any feedback you can give me. Thank you!
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