Page 26 of Soul Redeemed

The quiet that followed seemed to last for an eternity, until Calix snorted, prompting her to lift her gaze.

“You have, once.” A hint of amusement broke through his voice, completely misplaced in what Ava deemed one of the most emotional moments of her life.

“What?”

“Two years ago. Demon’s Bluff in Obsidius. You dared me to dive off. Remember?”

She couldn’t forget. They’d gone there for a romantic lunch, sitting on the infamous rock that extended out over the rough Meridian waters. Ava didn’t think he’d take her up on the challenge, but when he’d dived head-first, he’d seized her galloping heart with him. It’d taken her an hour to climb back down the mountain to the water’s edge, where Calix had washed ashore. “Let’s not make fun of the fact that I thought you were dead.” She fought the smile that lifted the corner of her mouth.

“Oh, God, Calix!” He fluttered his hands like a true asshole, impersonating her panic. “I’m so sorry! I’m so, so sorry! Please be okay! I’ll bond with you. I’ll have your babies. Whatever you want, just please be okay!”

Ava rolled her shoulders at the embarrassing memory of her spilling her goddamned soul to the demon after months of him pining after her to bond with him—a proposal she’d have taken in a heartbeat, if not for her bastard brother who’d have destroyed every ounce of happiness. No doubt the prick would’ve taken his own life just to ensure that Calix never claimed her. “Again. Kinda thought you were dead. Let’s not poke fun at one of the most devastating days of my life.”

“What you felt that day is exactly what I’ve felt every day that you’ve been gone.” The tone in his voice had suddenly turned serious, the smile from before slipping from behind his eyes. “Do you remember what I said to you that day?”

Another mist of tears covered her eyes as she allowed her gaze to fall from his. “You said …” She sniffed and slid her fingers across her cheek as the fallen tear brought her sight back into focus. “Not even death.”

It was the exact moment Ava had come to realize her love for the male was deeper than she could’ve fathomed. That she’d understood the gravity of his words and not even death would change what he’d come to mean for her. For her, there would never be another.

“Should I have perished in Stygius?” she asked. “Because I would have, if I had to do it over again.”

“No.” Calix casually strolled around the table and knelt before her, taking her hand to his lips, where he planted a kiss to the back of her palm. “I forgive your betrayal, Ava, but I could never have forgiven myself if I’d let you leave me eternally.” Leaning forward, he gripped either side of her face, but hesitated, his eyes shifting between hers, as though asking for permission.

And then he took her to his lips.

Ava sucked in a gasp only a second before Calix closed his mouth over hers, his tongue exploring, his fingers digging into her jaw.

“I’ve missed your taste.”

Another kiss stole her breath, as he dipped his tongue past her teeth, toying with hers. Urgency beat deep inside Ava’s womb, and she slid from the chair onto his lap, threading her fingers into his hair.

Gods, she’d missed him. Missed the sensation of his hands on her, his delicious scent, and the low growl he always made at the back of his throat while kissing her. In seconds, his erection pressed through his jeans against her core, and she closed her eyes, the world tilting on its axis. When she opened them again, she lay on her back, beneath him, Calix’s strong arms planted at either side of her.

He stared down at her, and Ava wanted to drown in him, immerse herself in that cerulean sea and never come up for air.

A roar of agony echoed down the hall, and Calix’s gaze shot toward the door.

Pushing off her, he scrambled to his feet, and Ava rolled to the side after him. Together, they darted out of the library and up the stairs to Calix’s room.

Inside, an older man sat beside the bed, while Calla still lay unmoving, her skin much paler than before. To the right of him, Gavin held Logan back, as the male clawed the air as if desperate for purchase. The two males stumbled, the eldest brother’s grip unrelenting. Another roar bounced off the walls, forcing Ava to cover her ears, until the sound faded into quiet sobs. Logan collapsed, his brother’s body over top of him, holding him, in spite of the male’s resistance.

“She’s gone, Logan. Gods, she’s gone.”

Calix’s grip tightened around Ava’s hand.

The older man slid a stethoscope down his neck and shook his head. “I’ll need to perform a bedside C-section. The baby’s heart is slowing. There’s little chance to save it, but we have to hurry.”

“Gods,” Calix whispered. “Oh, Gods in Obsidius, what have you done?”

Ava’s heart thumped in her chest. The tension in the room, thick with gloom and sadness, twisted her stomach. “What’s going on? What happened?”

“Soul-binder.” The voice arrived from the right, and the tall blond she recognized as Calix’s brother, Zeke, shook his head. “Baby wasn’t doing good. Probably won’t survive.”

“The baby has a soul-binder?” she asked.

“Calla,” Calix answered beside her. “Ryke put it on her.”

“My brother?” The rush of fury pulsed through Ava’s veins. That her bastard brother would endanger an unborn baby had officially piqued her level of disgust.