Page 51 of Judge of Saints and Sinners

I booped her nose. “I didn't say he wasn’t. I just said that between the two, Mother was always the more explosive one. Father always said that it was a good thing he was nearly impossible to kill.”

Justine grinned, and then her face grew solemn. “Will I ever meet them?”

Dread uncurled in my gut. The need to show her off to my family battled with the obsessive need to keep her far from danger. “I imagine you might.” I didn’t know if that would be in this world or the next, but maybe there would be a time it would be safe for us to be together.

Justine dropped back onto my chest, and my hand moved back to combing through those strawberry red locks. “I’m still punching the brother who locked you up. That was a dick move.”

I snorted. “Arafel? Feel free, but don’t forget he’s the one helping us now too.”

Her shoulders moved in what might be a shrug. “Still.”

I chuckled, and we fell back into a comfortable silence.

After a moment, she said, “Nephesh?”

“Yes?”

“You’re leaving after this, aren’t you?”

Ice trickled through my veins. But I’d promised her the truth. I would give it to her, even if it nearly killed me to do so. “I am.”

“And our deal is done, so you actually can leave, right?”

“If my theory is correct, yes. I’ve essentially failed to protect you from myself. So the deal will dissolve.”

I could see her holding her wrist up, examining the mark there. “I’m a little sad. I’ve gotten attached to the tattoo.”

“That’s the only thing you’re attached to?”

Justine giggled. “The only thing.”

I rolled my eyes, settling back into the pillows. “Good to know.”

“Will you come back?”

I wanted to promise her yes. I wanted to tell her that I would rather tear the boundaries between the living and the dead than be apart from her. But that didn’t matter, and it wouldn’t matter because I couldn’t let that happen.

“When it’s safe, I can try.”

“Will you be able to find me?”

I blinked. If I had my magic back, finding her would be nothing. Let alone the pull that I knew would exist between soul mates. “I will always find you.”

“What if… What if I need you before then?”

I sat up, pulling Justine around until she straddled me against the blankets tangled between us. “The bond between our souls will always allow me to find you. But if you need me…”

I carefully picked up her arm, below the tattoo that would be fading as soon as we left the dream realm. With a flicker of fire at the tips of my claws, I scrawled my name down her arm, the lettering tiny and minute under the lily.

“Oh.” Justine held the scrawling text up to observe. “It’s beautiful. Is it… Is it like what your brother did with his mate?”

“A little. This is a sort of calling card. You just have to press on this, call my name, and it will tell me that you need me. I will come as soon as I’m able.”

Justine nodded, but her face was hidden as her fingers traced the new tattoo once again. “I’m going to miss you.”

No pleading. No begging.

Just her missing me.