“He is lying. He is just an angel, not a God, Aurora. We will find a way for you to know who we are, and I will look for Kanael and Lakael. We will wait for you to appear again.”
She blinked hard and pulled in a deep breath. “Please stay with me until my body vanishes. Don’t leave me alone.”
“I would never leave you alone. You’re mine for eternity, Aurora, and I am yours.”
I hated this was the only way, but I could never chance losing her to the Dark King. This was the only way. Taking her life and coming back stronger in the next life. Hopefully, the next life would be the one we would finally defeat the Dark King.
I took her hand. My back ached as my spine stretched and my darkening wings sprouted from my back.
She turned and stroked her hand over the leathery feathers. “Do you want me to fly with you?”
“As much as I love seeing you in your golden glory, I want to hold you in my arms for the last time.” My heart ached for her, knowing this was going to be the end again. The last time I would hold her in my arms.
“I’m scared Sebastian, what if my gods decide not to bring me back?” she whispered.
“You’re a Goddess, Aurora. They need you, whether it’s in this world or theirs. They’ll punish us again, but we will be reborn again.”
“And he will follow me,” she whispered.
“He will. I never expected him to follow you to this world,” I said. It surprised us that a God left the upper realm to chase her. Her dying and being banished was supposed to be our way out. The way we protected her from him.
But he was a God, and we were only angels, but our biggest strength was her love for us. And we wanted her forever, and I could only hope the next life we would finally get that.
This time we were so close to this happening until the dreams started again. And now knowing I would not see my lover again for hundreds of years weighed heavy on my heart, feeling the pain already, knowing doing this alone and what it would do to Lakael and Kanael, but I knew it was for their good.
I would take the pain.
I would be the one who would take the wrath of the Gods again.
That pain was nowhere near as painful as knowing Aurora and I were soon to be separated. The first time it took two hundred and ninety-nine years for us to find each other, the second time, we waited nine hundred years. I knew we were going to be punished for more years this time.
But time and hope were all I had because if the Dark King claimed Aurora, she would be gone for good. And as time and hope were all we had, we needed to try once more.
I pulled her into my arms, her legs curled around my waist and her face dropped into the curve of my neck as droplets of her tears warmed my flesh, running down my spine and stinging the open wounds of my wings.
Blood pounded in my ears as I thought of this flight. The one to enact the end of her life. I sucked down a deep breath and took a small run. I held Aurora tight as my wings spanned out and holding her for one last time, as I took flight to the sacrificial place.
And it was peaceful, flying high above the marketplace, where we could see the locals buying their daily food. Flying over the high steeple of the village church, and then over the secret magical village hidden behind a circled wall of large oak trees.
“Hopefully, you’ll be reborn into the magical kingdom, Aurora, and then we can defeat him with magic. Something extra to your powers.”
“My powers are useless against him,” she sobbed.
“One day…” I swallowed hard. “One day, your powers will be stronger than his and when that day comes, I will be there to fight with you,” I said.
“You promise to follow me?” she whispered against my skin as I flew towards the cave hidden at the side of a cliff side.
“I promise to follow you as many times as it takes, every single time,” I said, as tears sprung to my eyes. “We’ll find each other again.”
My heart bled inside for her. Because we knew he wouldn’t stop. I knew that now, but I had to protect her for enough time for her to gain enough strength to fight the Dark King before he claimed her.
The beat of my wings slowed as I neared the cave. The only sounds were of the white-topped waves as they battered the side of the cliff. My feet touched the rocky floor as I landed with a small run and when I finally stopped, I held Aurora against my chest, cupping her cheek in my hand and kissing her like this was the last time.
It was—in this life.
“I love you,” she said. “I thought this life was perfect. We were perfect.”
“It was,” I whispered against her forehead as tears stung my eyes. “I’ll always love you, Aurora. You’re my forever and I’ll be waiting for you.”