I almost rushed out of the bedroom topless. Lucas grabbed my arm, preventing me from flashing his dad.

"Hold on. What's wrong?"

Nothing coherent came out of my mouth, but my panic was enough for him to stop asking questions and toss me my shirt. Clothed, I ran out of the room and down the hall toward the front door. I didn't pause to grab my jacket, just charged through the door and raced to Lucas' car.

Wes had said hurt, not dead, which meant the worst hadn't happened. At least, not yet. Damn him and his inability to explain things on the phone.

I skidded to a stop a few feet from the car.

A man in blue jeans and a plaid shirt, a cigarette dangling from his unnaturally red lips, leaned against the driver's side door. His aura hit me like a croquet mallet. Not a man. Angel-blooded.

"Those things will kill ya," I said.

He took a drag before taking it out of his mouth and then blew out a circle of smoke. Puff the Magic Dragon here.

He grinned at me. "At least something will."

Before I could tell him to move his ass, we had an emergency here, Lucas skidded to a stop beside me.

"What interesting friends you've made, Lucas," the angel said with a slight southern drawl. I didn't know Empyrean even had a South.

"You know this guy?" I asked, turning toward Lucas.

Lucas didn't speak. He trembled, his face pale and his eyes wider than the Gulf of Mexico.

Stupid me. Always a second too late with my realizations.

An angel was about ten times out of my weight class. I reached to grab Lucas' hand so we could get the hell out of there.

My hand froze in midair. My eyes, the only thing I could still move, drifted back to the angel. His hand pulsed with white light, an activated rune.

I was tired of all this magic.

The angel glided over. He traced his fingers across my cheek, reminding me of a sexual predator. There was hunger in his eyes like he wanted to devour me and then pick out the bits between his teeth with my bones.

"Demon spawn." His hot breath blasted my face, smelling like rotten fruit. Dude needed a breath mint.

Unfortunately, my body wasn't the only thing frozen, so I couldn't tell him that.

A sword I hadn't noticed before appeared in his hand. The blade slid through my belly with zero resistance. He twisted his wrist, adding insult to injury before pulling out. Rivulets of blood dripped down his blade. My rivulets.

I felt numb, the magic paralyzing me, blocking the pain. Maybe I should have said thank you for the painkiller. It was more effective than morphine.

There was nothing I could do but stay rooted in place as I died.

The angel turned his back, satisfied I was taken care of. Crimson wings shot out of his back, almost hitting me in the face. I could do nothing as he wrapped his arms around Lucas' still form. My eyes met Lucas'. The pain in his eyes broke my heart.

Within the space of a breath, the angel catapulted himself into the air. Wind buffeted my checks, bringing tears to my eyes.

One moment nothing, the next, pain blossomed in my gut, stretching its greedy fingers up and down my body.

I collapsed, holding my stomach, trying to staunch the bleeding long enough to make it to the front door. I used one arm and both legs to inch forward, too weak to stand.

I crawled, not for myself. I was pretty sure I was a goner. But someone needed to tell Robert about Lucas. There was still a chance for him.

My numb fingers dug into the snow as I pulled myself forward. One inch, two inches, three.

"Help," I tried to shout, my voice a ragged whisper swallowed by the wind.

I stopped. I couldn't do it. Oblivion tugged on my consciousness, promising me an end to pain, an end to worry. Surrender, and the sweet embrace of nothingness would be your reward.

I leaked out, rivers of my life spreading like spider webs through the untouched snow. It was pretty in a macabre way. At least I'd be part of something beautiful when I died.

Someone lifted me up. Strong arms cradled me. Damian. My brother was okay. He would stay with me until the end.

I stared up at the face of my comforter, my brain not registering who this stranger was or the words coming out of his frantic mouth.

Not Damian.

The pain grew worse. The stranger shook me, spittle spraying my face as he looked increasingly desperate. I wanted to yell for him to leave me the fuck alone, but the movement ignited further pain.

I closed my eyes and surrendered to the darkness. My last thoughts were of Lucas and how I'd failed him.