I fought the tears that threatened to fall. I wasn’t usually a crier. This was different though. Somehow, I knew this was the end. The demons had won. I’d been willing to sacrifice myself for Kylie—that hadn’t changed—but the idea of losing my soul and being alone in this thick darkness was scarier than I’d expected.
Pulling myself up to my feet, I wrapped my arms around myself and started to walk. I had no idea where I was or where I was going, but it seemed like the thing to do at the time. In a void of nothingness, I had no better options.
“It isn’t a void of nothingness.”
Hearing the voice, I stopped to look around. I still saw no one.
“I’m always with you, Harley.”
I felt myself smile through the tears.
“Mom.”
“Yes, sweetheart, it’s me. I’m sorry you can’t see me. Only Kylie can right now. I’m her angel, but you are mine. You’ve always been my angel. That’s why I’ll always be a part of you.”
“I miss you.”
“I miss you too, but I am so proud of everything you’ve done. You kept my dream alive, even though it wasn’t your own. You have no idea what that means to me or how much I love you.”
“It’s become my dream now. Or at least it was. I guess that’s over now.”
“Nothing is over. The demon is trying to take your soul. It hasn’t yet, but it will if you don’t fight.”
“How do I do that?” I asked, spinning around in the spot where I stood. I wished more than anything to see her.
“You wake up. Make yourself wake up. Sebastian needs you. Kylie needs you. It’s not time for you to be here.”
“But…”
“No buts. Fight, Harley. FIGHT NOW!!”
My eyes flew open just as the demon holding me burst into a cloud of black dust. Behind him, Sebastian stood with what appeared to be a sword in his hand. I could see the concern in his eyes as he stared down at me. I nodded my head quickly, letting him know I was all right. He turned, facing the remaining demon. During my time on the other side, he must have taken out the other demon that had been there.
“Harley, go now.”
I nodded my head and hurried to my feet. Backing away, I watched Sebastian as he went toe-to-toe with the remaining demon, the one I had shot all those nights ago. He moved like poetry in motion, the sword a part of him, not a weapon. He was the weapon. I could see now exactly what he had meant when he said he had needed to meet me. He’d let them attack him that night without a fight.
“Harley!” Kylie called out.
I turned and saw her running toward us. I held out my arms, planning on catching her. Instead, I heard Sebastian yell for her to get out of the way. I broke into a run without looking back. Something inside told me what had happened. The demon had slipped away from Sebastian and was on its way to Kylie.
Colliding with her, I pulled her tightly into my arms and dropped to the ground. All I could do now was hope Sebastian could stop the monster in time.
“I’ve got you,” he told me. I felt his arms wrap around me moments before he yelled out in pain.
I tried to turn toward him. I wanted to help him. He wouldn’t allow it.
“Close your eyes,” he commanded.
I obeyed, taking my hand to cover Kylie’s eyes well. I couldn’t see the light, but I could feel the burn from it. It was like being baked in the rays of the sun on the hottest days of summer. As the heat passed, my skin still was tingling, and I felt myself finally able to move again.
“Sebastian,” I said as I reached for him.
His hand touched mine briefly before he fell back onto the ground. In the center of his chest, I saw a wound—a hole in his chest that would have killed a human immediately. He wasn’t a human though. He was an angel. I knew he would heal.
“Come on, let me get you home so you can heal,” I told him as I crawled over, pulling his head into my lap. “Are you strong enough to get us back?”
Slowly he shook his head. “This isn’t a wound I can recover from, Harley.”
I laughed. “Yes, you can. You’re an angel. You’re immortal, remember?”
“This is different. I was fatally wounded by a demon. This, I won’t survive.”
My entire body went numb. No, this wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. He was supposed to defeat the demons and then trade his mortality to be with me and Kylie. That was the plan. That was my plan. We would be a happy family. Things would be perfect. That was why he had been sent to me. He had been sent to make my life better.
“No, please, you can’t leave me, Sebastian.”
His hand reached up and softly caressed my cheek.
“Leaving you is the last thing I want to do.”
“Then don’t. Fight. Fight through this and stay with me.”
“I will always be with you, Harley. You know this,” he answered as he wiped the tears that streamed down my face.
I leaned down, kissing his lips one last time. “I love you.”
“I love you, my Harley,” he said faintly as his head fell to the side. My heart shattered into a million pieces.