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.“I also wanted to ask what will happen to her.What have I done? Have I…ruined her chances?”Riam pursed his lips and tilted his head back and forth, considering.“Probably not.It depends.I mean, I would have to get confirmation on that, of course.I’m not the final say on the matter.But she can’t be held responsible for what you did to her.”Ash pulled out the contract.He ripped the black string and unfurled it, staring blindly at the words he once thought would give him everything he wanted.“You love her,” Riam said.“How astute you are.”“Oh, I’ve known from the beginning.Ever since I was assigned this case and I wondered why you didn’t take her from the moment she came of age.Then, every time we thought you were getting close, you pulled back.You gave her more time.Others who’ve been watching her throughout all her lives know how enamored you were of her.It doesn’t take a scholar to see.”Ash glared at him.“You and Nicolae did this on purpose, didn’t you? The whole two-week stay, pushing her into this decision…you knew all along I wouldn’t follow through.”“Maybe.” But Riam’s smile gave up nothing.“Fine, we’ve established I’ve been wonderful entertainment for all of you.I don’t give a fuck.I just want to know she’s going to be all right.”“She’ll be perfectly fine.How could she not be? You’ll be away from her.”It was the truth.He was the source of all her problems.But he didn’t want to be, not anymore.He wanted to protect her.What if something happened to her and he was locked away rotting in some dungeon, unable to do anything about it? Or worse.Ash closed his eyes and pushed out his next words by sheer force of will.“I need you…to promise me something.”“And that is?” the angel asked warily.“I’ve never done this before.I don’t know what’s going to happen to me when I destroy it.”“They can’t strike at her again.They’ve already tried that in the past, on another case.New rules were instituted to stop it from ever happening again.If you destroy that contract, she’s free.”Ash nodded, more questions crowding on his lips.He couldn’t seem to get them out, to ask for the angel’s help.“Well, if you want to ask me to watch over her…I’m sorry, I’m afraid I can’t interfere personally.She’ll make the choices to gain her wings or she won’t.It’s up to her.”“That’s what I wanted to ask.” He stroked the rough, thick parchment with his thumb, circling his own burnt-on initial.How he wished he could take it back.Or at least go back.He’d been so sure of things back then.He’d known who the hell he was.“What I can do, though, is petition to place her under divine protection for a time.If it’ll make you feel better.”“It would.Thank you.”“Well?” Riam asked after silent moments stretched out between them.“Are you going to do it?”His masters were going to kill him if he did.He’d been trying to convince himself it wouldn’t go to that extreme, but suddenly it was something he knew deep in the blackness of his own heart.The rule Riam had referenced assured it.To voluntarily release or even unintentionally lose a soul Hell needed would carry harsher penalties than ever before, because it was strictly forbidden to try to reclaim them.There’d never been an easy way out of this.He probably would have faced death even if Madeleine had refused to name another, thus rendering the contract null and void.It still would have meant failure on his part.Trembling, he grasped the contract at the top with both hands.Riam’s brows dipped lower, a troubled furrow appearing in his forehead.“You would truly do this for her? Sacrifice yourself?”Madeleine’s face appeared in his mind, smiling at him.Beautiful.Then that face became lit with an ethereal glow, and snowy white wings spread beyond it.One of them, just as she was meant to be from the moment she was born.She would be the best of them.“With all my heart,” he said, and ripped the Gatlin contract in two.Chapter ThirteenMaddie came off the bed where she’d collapsed in tears, choking and gasping for breath.Oh God, what was this? She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t…As soon as the attack—whatever it was—had come upon her, it was gone.She filled her lungs with blessed air, expanding them to their max.If she could overflow them, she would, because the deeper she inhaled, the more a sense of peace she’d never known before seemed to seek out all the dark places in her soul and fill them up.Finally she couldn’t take any more, and she exhaled slowly.That felt even better.Like all the bad things, the fear, the dread, were pouring out of her with every measure of breath she released.Was she crazy? She couldn’t be.Or if she was, it felt pretty damn good.The gentle knock at the front door startled her.She scurried into the living room and peeked out to see Ash standing outside, his head down.As her heart knocked against her ribs, she saw him rub a hand hard over his face.She didn’t want to let him in.He hadn’t been gone long at all, and that couldn’t be good news, could it? But judging by the way she felt, something had happened.Leaving the chain in place, she cracked the door open.His head lifted, and she almost gasped at the frightening devastation on his face.“What is it?” she asked, her voice trembling.He gave her a smile.But it wasn’t a heartening one, not in the least.“I just wanted you to know you’re free.All is as it should be.”“They let me go?”“I let you go.” He went to turn away.“I hope you get everything out of life you wish, Madeleine.”“Wait!” She didn’t know what made her do it, but she shut the door and disengaged the chain lock.Ash waited while she threw the door open wide again.“Where are you going?”“Home.”“Oh.You mean…”“Yes.”“Will I…ever see you again?”He shook his head, as if he couldn’t give voice to the answer.Her fingers went to her lips.Everything within her was crying out that it was a good thing, a very good thing.Except for the one little part that could tell by his face and the faint tremor he tried to hide by shoving his hands in his pockets that he’d given up more than she knew, more than he could tell her.Much more.“I can’t say I never meant to hurt you, Madeleine.There was a time when I did mean to.I had fun at your expense.But I realize now I never would have taken you.I couldn’t.” He reached out a hand toward her, paused and searched her face for reaction.She didn’t move.Crazy though she might be, she craved his touch.A moment later, she had it.His hand cradled the side of her face; his thumb stroked her cheek.Wiping away the tear she hadn’t realized had spilled.“I love you.”“Oh God.Ash…”“If you ever felt the same, even for a moment, tell me now.Tell me before I have to go.”She nodded.“I did.I loved you.”He accepted the past tense with good grace.It was all she could give him after everything she’d learned.But she slid her hand over his and held it there, unwilling for him to pull away.Not yet.“I feel so different.For the first time in my life, I feel like everything’s going to be okay.”He nodded.“It is.Because for the first time in your life, or at least as long as you can remember, I won’t be involved anymore.The curse is lifted.You’re free.”“But you gave this to me, and you didn’t have to.”His eyes went darker.“Don’t make me out to be a hero.I’ve been nothing but a villain to you.”“Maybe you’ve spent so long telling yourself that, you can’t think of yourself any other way.I’ve seen the good in you, Ash
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