Page 88 of Crimson Soul
I huffed. “Then talk.”
“Can you just look at me?”
“No, she doesn’t have to.” Thaddeus growled, but I sighed, putting my hands on his shoulders and pressing my body against his back as I peeked my head over his shoulder.
His hair was tied back in an impossibly long ponytail with a silver diamond crown nestled in the silken strands like it was a part of him. The white ceremonial robe he wore was replaced with a more embroidered one, long with a cape flowing behind him. His lips tugged into a frown as his sad eyes bore into mine.
“What is it?”
He gulped, Adam's apple bobbing. “It’s your family.”
“What about them?”
“Mystia has them.”
A dull ache bloomed in my chest as if I’d been sucker punched. “What?” I asked in sync with the thump of my heart battering my breastbone.
“How could she get them?” Aziel growled. “Did you not lock Heaven up tight after knowing she was there?”
Huffing a breath, Gabriel steepled his hands together. “I did, but apparently she acted fast. In between the time it took for the Queens to free me from my bindings and make me King, she returned...or maybe she never left...but she captured your family and Emma.”
“Fuck.” I expelled all the air out of my lungs and wrapped my arms around Thaddeus’s neck from behind.
Kai angled his body to the side and started rubbing his palm down my back with his calming touch, but it only eased a fraction of the crippling guilt weighing on me.
I’d left them in Heaven without considering bringing them to Hell with me. This was all my fault, I could’ve prevented it. Granted, I hadn’t taken care of Zelek or Astral when we did leave, but how could I have assumed Mystia left Heaven? How was I so short sighted? I was a Queen now and I couldn’t make mistakes like this.
Mystia was a blood witch for fuck’s sake. She could’ve been anywhere. I hadn’t been a good daughter or sister or friend since I was turned into a vampire. I’d been so focused on all my shit that I didn’t think about what they were going through. I was dumb enough not to consider Mystia taking them as leverage.
“How do you know she took them?” Kai asked.
“She left a note...written in blood on the wall. It said Lilith needed to meet her alone in purgatory or they’d stand in her place to be sacrificed. She’s intending to resurrect her entire blood witch coven.”
“There’s no fucking way she’s going to face that bitch alone,” Aziel said as he got out of bed and tugged some pants on. “I’ll go and rip her fucking head off and bleed her dry.”
“I’ll help.” Blaise got up and put his pants on. Anger radiated from all of them, slamming into me at the rate of my heartbeat.
Aziel threw me his shirt, and I slid my arms off Thaddeus as Kai helped me put the oversized shirt over my body. I got up with Thaddeus and Kai, and they put clothes on.
Turning to Gabriel, I pinched the brim of my nose as I tried to bite back tears. I was such a fucking failure. It was one thing after another, and once Mystia was dealt with, I was going to make damn sure every fucking supernatural in all the realms knew not to fuck with us.
“Are you okay?” he asked, tearing his gaze from my exposed thighs.
“No. I’m not, but I will be. I’m taking that bitch down for good.”
“She has a barrier protecting all of purgatory. It’s interfering with the reapers taking souls to both Heaven and Hell,” he told me. “She’s messing with more than just you right now. She’s messing with balance, so it’s my duty to help.”
“I don’t need help, Gabriel.” I shook my head, glancing at the four freshly clothed men lined up, waiting for my directions. “We can handle her on our own.”
“What about the barrier?”
I sniffed as anger and determination whirled around inside my gut. “She’s not the only one who can wield blood magic.”
