Heaven Sent

Chapter Thirty-Five

"I... don't want to scare you," she whispers, apologetically, nervously rubbing the golden citrine against her throat. It's an answer so unlike her, I lose the careful words I had prepared.

"Listen to me, Cassandra de Ricci." I shake her to listen, imploring her to look into my eyes and see the desperation within them. "Listen! If I must bide in Hell to atone for everything I've done and kidnap you from his very clutches, I will. My faith in our souls, which do exist betwixt another, is too great for me to believe otherwise. No matter what happens today, to either of us, I will find you. This is not the last day I look upon your face."

She begins to weep, but she nods, over and over again, until she's falling onto my chest. I hold her tightly, chin against her hair.

"I don't regret loving you," she laments, drawing me closer by my coat. "I need you to know that, Elijah. Whether we win or lose, I want you to hear how much I love you."

"I don't need to hear it. I know your heart, as you know mine. Our love does not need words."

She pulls her head back, offering me her blue eyes, surrounded by so much red irritation they appear to be like crystal. I swipe her tears, smiling down at her. It takes everything within me to smile in such a moment.

"I am your protector. My place is at your side. We have not lost. I refuse to let us act as if we have."

"We won't lose. We will do what is necessary... whatever is necessary."

"We will."

"Promise me," she insists weakly. For a moment, I can only give her silence, shaken by her insistence. She's asking the impossible, for me to accept the loss of her.  I nod unsurely, so terrified I forget how to function. "Elijah, please."

There's a knock upon our door. Tearing me from my own fears, I start for the door but her insistent fingers pull me back. Her rosy lips tremble.

"Promise me!"

Dio ci aiuti. God help us.

I gape at her, stunned by the outburst. It tells me we have much to be frightened of.

There's another rap at the door, and then Erika's frantic voice.

"Elijah..."

"Porca miseria! Yes! I promise!" I bark, shaking with rage, needing to be free of this room, of her despair.

She will not die today.

She will not die today.

She will not.

If I say it enough times, perhaps someone merciful will hear me.

Throwing open the door, I face Erika. She's too preoccupied to realize she's intruded on a truly appalling conversation. "What is it?"

"It's Camari! She's... she's acting strange! Talking strange!"

"Strange? Tongues?"

"Yes, like there's someone else here!"

No. No, not this soon. It isn't even dusk.

"Take me to her." I look into the room, wordlessly holding out my arm. Cassandra, snatching her pistol and bullets from the table, rushes out after us. Too concerned to have her trailing behind me to load her gun with silver, I pull her to my side, practically dragging her to keep with our pace, despite how reluctant her legs are to comply.

Erika's room, the largest one in the building, has violent sounds emerging when we reach it. It sounds as if someone's throwing every item around with the intent to destroy. I shove the door with my shoulder, met with resistance.