Her fingers caressed her broadsword’s ruby pommel, and Kynan’s pulse went tachy. Gem feared for Reaver as well, her fingers digging into Ky’s chest as she tensed up.

“Strange, isn’t it,” Gethel said, “that alongside humans, demons and a fallen angel saved the world.” She leaned in and said softly, so softly that Kynan barely heard, “You did well.”

A shell-shocked look glazed Reaver’s eyes as she stepped back. Light enveloped the ex-angel, and suddenly, he appeared as he must have before he fell. He was… golden. No blood, no injuries.

A smile of ecstasy split his face as he tilted his head back and spread his arms wide. A sense of peace flooded the room, and then Reaver was gone in a fading shimmer.

“He is home,” Gethel said softly. “He is home.”

Gem couldn’t believe this was happening. An angel—a real divine being—was gliding around the room, speaking to every human for a moment before moving on to the next

Gem figured she’d be ignored, but then Gethel was before her, smiling kindly, as if Gem wasn’t a demon. Gem stood, because she couldn’t very well speak to an angel from the floor.

You are not a demon, the angel said, though her lips hadn’t moved. Gem heard her in her head.

But I am. My father—

Raped your mother. You were born of a human woman, by no choice of her own. Your soul is human.

Seriously?

The angel nodded. Yes. How you treat that soul is up to you.

But… Kynan. If he is to have charmed children, I can’t… I mean, I couldn’t…

Gethel’s eyes seemed to blaze. You can. And as long as you are with Kynan, you will share his immortality. You, too, have a role to play.

Gem blinked, and then she was standing in the room that had been crowded with people, but she was alone with Kynan, who pulled her into his arms like he was never going to let her go. Not that she’d let him do that.

“So,” she murmured, “you’re some sort of immortal prophecy guy now, huh?”

“Looks like.” He looped a finger in a lock of her hair. “I always wanted to save the world. Be careful what you wish for, I guess.”

She blinked back sudden tears that stung her eyes. “God, you scared me. When Wraith brought you back—”

“Shh.” He held a finger to her lips. “It’s over.”

She punched him in the shoulder. “Don’t do that again.”

“I’m sort of immortal now,” he said, “so I’m thinking it won’t happen again.” He brushed her hair back from her face. “But Gem, where do we stand?”

She opened herself up to her Shreddervision, and nearly gasped at what she saw.

Nothing.

He was as scar-free as a newborn baby.

“I believe you, Ky. I blamed you, but all along, the problem was mine. I’ve been a product of two worlds for so long, neither one fully accepting me, and it didn’t seem possible that I could live with you in just one world.”

“So what changed your mind?”

“You died, Kynan. I had so many regrets. And I realized that what you did wasn’t just for humans, it was for all species—human, animal, demon. I belong to two worlds… but you know what? We also all share the same one. And our kids? They’ll belong in one world. Ours.”

“That sounds really… enlightened. And maybe a little sappy.”

“You’re making fun of me.”

“Yup. Being raised from the dead puts me in a good mood.” He frowned. “How did that happen, anyway?”

“Ah, trust me, you don’t want to know.”

His gorgeous blue eyes glowed as his gaze intensified into something that took her breath away. “I love you, Gem.”

The words she’d waited so long to hear settled in her heart, where Kynan had always been, and where he would always be. “Good thing, because it seems that we both have roles to play.”

His lids grew heavy, and his voice went low and bedroom deep. “Maybe we should get started on that roleplaying, then.…”

Thirty

Serena wasn’t sure how she ended up in a hospital—at least, she thought it was a hospital. Her vision was blurry and her head was pounding, but she could make out medical equipment. And other, less scary stuff, like chains and giant iron pincers. The steel gray walls made the room seem cavernous, with dried-blood-colored writing and symbols marking them like cave drawings.

She closed her eyes and wondered if she was dreaming. Sucked to be dreaming about a hospital, though. And the beeping sounds were so real…

“Hey.”

Josh’s voice drifted down to her, and she smiled, eyes still closed. “Hey. Did we win?”

“We crushed them.”

“The amulet?”

“Couldn’t be safer.”

She dragged in a relieved breath and tried to pretend she didn’t hear death rattles in her lungs. “Am I in a hospital?”

“Underworld General. The medical center I told you about. We treat a lot of nonhumans here.”

She was pretty sure he wasn’t talking about a veterinary practice. “Where’s Val?”

“On a plane to New York. So, he’s your father?”

“Apparently.”

He took her hand and massaged her palm, bringing circulation into her chilled fingers. “As soon as his plane lands, I’ll make sure you get to see him.”

That wasn’t going to happen, and they both knew it. But it was nice of him to lie. “I wish… I wish I could stay.”

“Don’t go.” Josh’s voice cracked, and she felt his forehead come down on her arm. “Please… don’t go.”

Needing to see him, blurry vision or not, she opened her eyes. “I wouldn’t change anything, you know. I would still have made love to you.”

A hot tear hit her arm. “I would change everything,” he rasped. “Anything for you to not be… not be…”

“Dying.” Ignoring the tug of the IV line, she sifted her fingers through his silky hair, remembering the way it had slid over her skin when he’d kissed his way down her body. The way it tickled her thighs when he’d pleasured her with his clever tongue. “You can say it. It’s okay. But there’s one thing I’d change.” Her face heated when he looked up at her, his eyes red-rimmed and watery.

“What?”

“I would have—God, this is going to sound so stupid—asked you to bite me. You know, the vampire thing.”

One corner of his mouth tipped up. “I wanted to. You can’t know how much I wanted to.”

She drew in a sharp breath. “Maybe you could… could you turn me into one?”

He looked down, as if he were ashamed. “I can’t. I’m not a true vampire.” He bit his lip, the tip of one sexy fang making a deep indent. “But… would you really want to?”

“Become a vampire?” It sounded crazy when she said it out loud, no matter how fascinated she’d been by them. Then again, she was in a demon hospital. “Are you serious? Is it even possible if I’m infected with a demon disease?”

“I don’t know. Just… hang on, okay?” He ran his palm up her arm to her neck to hold her jaw steady as he brushed his lips over hers. She barely felt the contact, but the emotion behind it came out strong, and it warmed her icy body. “If this happens, I want you to bond with me.”

“Bond? Like marriage?”

“Sort of. But deeper. More permanent.”

She started to cry. She didn’t know exactly what bonding entailed, but she sensed that for him to want it was a monumental step.

“It’s okay,” he said quickly. “You don’t have to.”

“It’s not that.” She sniffed and tried to swipe at her tears, but she could no longer lift her arm. Josh knew, and he caught them with his fingers as if they were precious diamonds. “I always dreamed of having a family, but with the charm, it couldn’t happen. And now… now that it’s within my grasp…” She was going to die.

“Fuck that.” Josh shouted for his brothers, who were there in an instant.

“What do you need?” Shade asked, as Eidolon checked her IV and the various machines hooked up to her.

“Keep her well until I get back. And while I’m gone, explain the bond to her.” He kissed her tenderly. “I’ll be back in a little while. Don’t… go anywhere.”

She opened her mouth to tell him she loved him, but nothing came out.

And now he’d never know.

As Wraith stood in the antechamber to the Vampire Council’s meeting room, he prayed to anyone who would listen that the a**holes hurried. Gods, he couldn’t believe he was doing this. Couldn’t believe he was considering changing the female he loved into the one species that made his skin crawl

He’d spent his life killing vampires when and where he could, and now he was not only going to get on his knees to beg them for a favor, but he was going to do it so he could spend eternity with one.

Obviously, being charmed didn’t cure insanity, because this… this was crazy.

The iron-studded wood door to the main chamber creaked open, and a massive vamp wearing a black robe and a sword at his hip filled the doorway. “The Council awaits,” he droned.

“I’ll bet it does,” Wraith muttered, as he brushed past the male.

Inside, red and black candles burned in silver sconces and copper candelabras, lighting a room that could have been a B-movie set. From the crimson throw rugs shot with gold and the life-sized, gilded portraits of vampire heroes dating all the way back to ancient Rome, the place was a Hollywood cliché.

The Council members—seventeen of them, sat in a semi-circle in their high-backed thrones. The highest-ranking vampire in the world, the Key, motioned Wraith forward. It took every ounce of willpower Wraith possessed to obey Komir when what he wanted to do was stake them all.