Damon was closing in on Jax and the others, and right as he saw the bridge in the distance it was as if someone had knocked all the air out of him. The sound of Jax’s hidden beast bellowed through the snow-covered canopy. Damon stumbled as a hopeless fury filled his mind. Something was wrong with Cass.

He pushed his legs, running harder than he ever thought possible in this human form. The sound of his pouncing breaths and booted feet thrashing through the snow were all the filled his head. And then he saw it. Cass’s wet, lifeless body as Jax was pounding on her chest.

“Breath, damn-it!” Jax yelled.

Every time one of the others tried to get close to him to help, to calm him, he would bat them away or snap at their hands with his human teeth. A low and constant growl emanated from Jax’s chest and only stopped long enough for him to force air into Cass’s mouth. Into her lungs.

Damon stood frozen in his spot as he watched Jax try to breathe life back into their mate. He couldn’t move. Why the fuck couldn’t he move?

Before he even realized what he’d done he was kneeling beside Jax and Cass, taking over for him to give her oxygen as Jax continued to pump her heart along.

How long had she been in the water? How long had it been since Jax had started CPR? How long had it been since they worked together to bring her back? A few seconds? Minutes?

They couldn’t stop.

They would keep this up until they had drained their preternatural strength from their bodies. And then they would die. They would die with her. If God every loved them, ever cared anything for them, The Creator would let them die right here with her.

Damon could hear Audra crying, he could see her beating on the bloodied snow. She was howling. Praying. Screaming.

If they lost Cass any ounce of sanity that was left in their sister would wash away with the flowing water of the creek.

“Guys,” Simon said from behind them.

They ignored him. Kept hoping that the CPR would start her heart again.

“Come on, baby,” Jax said. “Fucking breath!”

“Guys,” Simon repeated. “She’s gone.”

“Fuck you!” Damon roared at him. “Get the fuck back!”

Behind Audra and Simon stood Dean and Neil. Neil, the young man who had tried to save her, was crying. His chest caved in as he breathed. He had felt something for Cass. Jealousy darkened Damon’s vision as he wondered why the fuck Neil was crying so hard for his mate. Their mate.

It was because she was beautiful. Her heart was pure. And even in her broken state over the past two years she had brought some kind of light into Neil’s life when he’d watched her in the market. He would be her friend if they could bring her back. Damon knew this.

But for a brief moment, he didn’t know if they could bring her back. No. He shut that door in his mind. She would come back. She had to.

As he breathed again into her mouth he watched her eyes. Nothing. No life. Even as Jax kept pushing away at her breastbone to make her heart pump oxygenated air through her body, there was nothing. She was gone.

“She’s a strong one, you know,” said a voice from across the creek.

The ghosts knew that voice. That was the last voice of the Heavenly Host they’d heard when they found out they were cursed. The deep, velvety baritone contrasted so greatly with the tall boyish figure that walked soundlessly across the rickety old bridge.

Samael was tall, lithe, beautiful. Exactly what one would think an angel should look like. Lavender eyes sat beneath full, curling, dark lashes. Blond hair so light it was almost grey fell in lovely curls that came just to his collar. He walked through the snow but left no footprints. No puffs of cold air came from his mouth as he breathed, as he talked.

When he stopped he stood over Jax, Damon, and Cass. None of them moved. Only watched Samael as he came to deliver whatever message they had been destined to receive.

Damon took a deep breath and looked down at Cass. His tears fell on her face. It was the first time he’d cried in millennia. “Is this how it ends, Samael? The Angel of Death coming to collect our mate as we watch?”

Audra moved her hands back and forth in the snow, making rippling waved impressions as she went. “Does The Creator hate us so much that we should suffer like this? It was almost over,” she whispered. “Have you come to take… my sister, Samael? Have you?”

Samael looked at each of them, eyes soft and lips pressed together. He clasped his long fingers in front of him, and for the first time, Damon saw that his shirt matched his eyes. “Do you think The Creator hates you? Any of you?” When they didn’t answer he continued. “You were promised something. It will be given to you. She’s so strong, your mate.” He reached down and rubbed a few frozen strands of hair from her face, and then ran his finger along her brow.

With his touch, the sickly pale hue began to drain away from Cass. Her flawless mocha complexion lit back to life and her eyelids fluttered as she began to rouse. A deep groan came from her lips and her body started to convulse has water poured from her mouth.

Her back bowed from the ground, and with a quick start she sat up. She started swinging wildly and landed a punch to Damon’s arm. She was still coughing and struggling to breathe, but she fought.

Samael smiled a closed mouth smile and took a step back. “To the death, she fought.”

As she struggled, Jax pulled her on to his lap and rolled her over to her side to help clear her mouth of the creek water. To still her, Damon held her face in his hands and whispered words to her that no one else but Jax could hear. You’re safe now. We love you. We’re here with you. We will kill all who tried to take you from us.

Her hands latched on to Damon’s as he held her face. She looked at him and all the fight left her body. She allowed him to pull her to his body. She cried. She babbled nonsensical words, but every few sounds she would punch out words like ‘kill’, or ‘dead’, or ‘Heaven’, and it was becoming clear to him.

She knew someone had killed her. She knew she had passed on. She wanted to kill that man.

“She’ll be tired,” Samael said to them. “The memory of her drowning and things she saw while she was dead will pass. That is a kindness to her. And to you.” He looked at her and his face became serious. “You will not be cursed with those thoughts, my beloved. Take her home. Take care of her. Take care of each other. This had to happen. You’ve feared nothing these millions of years. Now, you know fear. Claim that fear and turn it into strength for yourselves.” He looked at them all and then smiled down at Cass as she looked up at him, eyes unblinking. “I’ve watched all of you, and I am so happy this time has come.”

“Are we forgiven?” Jace asked, clear blue eyes almost transparent in the sunlight.

Samael huffed a small laugh and shook his head. “You were always forgiven. You were always loved. You had a lesson to learn, and you learned it.”

Silently, he watched them all and then lowered his eyes to his hands. They watched as he walked toward the snow-covered trees and disappeared from sight.