She was breathing.
Her heart stuttered.
And then began to take off.
"Why aren't her eyes opening?" I yelled, reaching for her shoulders. "She's alive, she's breathing but—"
"I don't know." Cassius rubbed his face. "It's been a while since I've actually given immortality to a human." His eyes were no longer white but bright blue, his skin pale.
"I'm sorry." I choked on the apology. "I know what it cost you to do that."
Cassius said nothing, rubbing his hands together as if to ward off the chill of his own blood.
He would be weak for days, possibly weeks. After all, he was still part human.
"What do we do?" Her heart still beat, but color wasn't returning to her face.
"We take her home," Cassius whispered, "and wait."
I rode home in the back seat, Genesis cradled in my arms. I kissed her neck — I even bit, hoping my bloo
d would help infuse some of what Cassius had given her of himself.
I was desperate.
I loved her.
And I refused to believe that she would stay in that state, comatose, unable to react to the world around us.
When Cassius pulled up to the house, Alex and Mason were already outside, running toward the car.
Alex opened the door first. "What happened?"
I couldn't speak. I just shook my head, holding her closer to my body as Mason shoved Alex out of the way and let out a guttural howl before changing in front of my very eyes and running off into the darkness.
"It's still fresh, the death of his own mate," Alex whispered.
With a nod, I slowly lifted Genesis up and got out of the car. Alex shook his head and glanced at Cassius. "Stephanie's been asking for you."
"Stephanie is dead to me," Cassius said in a cold voice.
I froze and turned slowly, ready to rip his head from his body. "She better mean more to you than you say, Cassius. It's because Stephanie breathes that Genesis sacrificed herself. Go. Now. Apologize. Tell her the truth."
Alex cursed. "No." He shook his head. "No. It would destroy her. It's been over a hundred years. Just let her believe the lie. It's better for everyone."
"She has no idea what she is!" I roared. "And Cassius saved her pathetic life only to have her turn over Genesis to the very archangel who commanded her death!"
Alex hung his head. "She's my sister."
"Not by blood."
"In every way that matters." Alex clenched his teeth. "You're asking me to tell her I lied to her my entire life? About what she was? About who she was? You know the best part? I weakened myself purposefully to keep her strong, to keep the glamour in place, and now you want me to take that all away? All those years?"
"Alex." Cassius held up his hand. "I should have never asked it of you."
"You are king," Alex said in a deadly voice. "You speak. We do. Regardless of right and wrong."
"And I was…" Cassius seemed to trip over the words. "…very wrong to ask you to limit your own immortality in order to shield people from what she was — who she is."