“Nor have you, Angel of Light,” Enid agreed. Her voice was softer than I’d imagined. I’d expected the wicked witch and instead got a grandmother. She turned her gaze on me, her irises contracting. Her power was tightly coiled, but I knew if she unleashed it, all would be lost. “I had not expected such a blatant play on your part.” She inclined her head. “I would’ve kept my word and would have exchanged you for my prisoners.”
“That’s still the deal,” I said. “But instead of a complicated runaround, I decided to show up at your doorstep.” I placed a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “If you set them free now, my second will retrieve them and move away from this area.”
Her eyes landed squarely on Rourke. “But this one stays,” she stated. “I can see that he will not be moved from this place.”
“He stays. I hope you can see that I will continue to cooperate,” I said. “And I’m willing to discuss matters civilly.”
She closed her eyes no longer than two seconds. When she opened them, she said, “They are free. You may go retrieve them.” She abruptly turned and walked back into the church.
“Go see them to safety,” I told Danny. “Leo said the abbey is a half a mile from here. Tyler’s on his way to this area. Get a hold of him, and hopefully, we’ll be able to follow shortly.”
Danny looked unsure. “It will go against my wolf to leave you here,” he argued. “A second does not leave their Alpha in danger for any reason, including for a mate. Well, that is, a mate who’s not in danger. Naomi says they are already out of their cell, and she awaits our arrival. They are both in good health. She says that she and Jax can also come here and help.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I want you all away from here. I have no idea what’s going to happen in there. Enid may look unassuming, but if she wants me dead, there is no stopping her, whether you, Naomi, or Jax are here. I am ordering you to go retrieve them and take them to safety. That’s the highest priority.” I was relieved to know they were okay. My body felt more relaxed than it had in a long time. “No arguments, Daniel Walker. Do as I say. We will meet up with you later.”
Danny surprised me by embracing me. “Please stay safe,” he murmured. “I can’t thank you enough for finding my mate. We will get through this. There’s no other way around it.”
I pulled back and kissed his cheek. “I believe that too.” I had to. The possibility of my life ending right here in this church seemed unreal, even though I knew it could happen. “Now, go. Make sure Jax is comfortable and get him to Kayla as soon as you can.” Without looking back, I turned and walked into the church, Rourke right behind me.
Once I stepped over the threshold, cold air abraded my skin.
We had to pick our way over fallen stone and debris. Enid hadn’t bothered trying to make it homey in here. We had entered the main chapel of the church. Most of the roof was gone, but some pews were still in place, as was the altar. The large structure looked to be made of marble or some sort of granite.
Enid stood on the top step, facing us as we moved toward her.
I hadn’t anticipated her allowing Leo and Rourke in here with me, but I was glad she had. I rubbed my arms.
“I had thought to kill you on sight,” Enid said, cutting to the chase. “But I’ve changed my mind. We will talk for a moment instead.”
I hoped it would be more than a moment. “I’m happy to discuss whatever you’d like.”
“You killed Ardat Lili.” She stated it as fact.
“Yes.”
“You regretted this decision.” Again, she phrased it as a statement, not a question.
“In a way, yes,” I answered honestly. “Ending another life is something I will never take lightly, but when I saw all the hatefulness she had perpetuated, I knew I had no choice.” I didn’t regret removing such evil from this world.
Enid began to pace back and forth in front of the altar as we stood in the aisle. “You took away the rebirth of my sister,” she chastised. “A rebirth I’ve been anxiously awaiting for over five hundred years.”
“I did, and I’m sincerely sorry,” I said, bowing my head. “I had no idea at the time that killing Ardat Lili would have such consequences. But I’m prepared to make it right. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
She paused with her back to us. “When our sister was killed by Lilith, I had never really known what pain was. I had never grieved another personally, in all my years. At first, I thought Fate had played a cruel trick on us. That it was testing us. Pandora and I scried and scried, but to no avail. We could not find our sister. For many years, we thought all was lost.” She turned to us, sadness etched in her features. “Until one day, we were given the gift of sight that she would be reborn. We felt such joy. But it was to be short-lived. We saw that Ardat Lili would be killed before she gave birth to the child. We saw you.” Her expression was accusing, like I’d somehow known that my prophecy was to harm her, and I’d been determined to carry it out no matter the cost. I tried to speak, to tell her otherwise, but she cut me off, continuing, “We saw you end Bianca’s life before it had a chance to grow. For days, we scried, Pandora certain that our beloved Bianca would be born again. We did not see it. Instead, things became jumbled as they never were before. One day we would see one path, the next day another.” She began to pace again, her hands clasped in front of her. “Pandora saw something and insisted it was the correct vision. But I, on the other hand, saw something quite different. Both results would bring our sister back, but which one was true?” She paused as she turned, her face contemplative.
Leo cleared his throat. “Pandora believed in her visions enough to be reborn. To entrust that her sister would live again.”
“She did.” Enid’s voice was bitter. “She left me over fifty years ago to see this done.”
“And you haven’t forgiven her,” I said. The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could take them back. I’d been caught up in the story, feeling Enid’s pain and anger like they’d been my own. She’d already lost one sister, only to lose another because of me. The pain must’ve been excruciating. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I spoke out of turn. I don’t presume to understand how you feel. I was only projecting how I would’ve felt in the same situation. If I lost Tyler, the grief would be overwhelming. He’s my twin, and he’s been with me every moment of my life—if not physically, mentally. I wouldn’t know how to be myself without him. I can’t imagine losing two siblings. It must’ve been hard. I’m sorry.”
She stared at me for so long, I began to fidget. “Yes, it continues to be hard.” She turned her back on us once again. “Pandora and I separated on bad terms. I was angry with her for not siding with me, with my vision. I’m still angry with her. But more than that, I want her back by my side where she belongs.”
“Killing me won’t achieve that,” I said, feeling the need to explain. “Juanita…I mean, Pandora will not forgive you if you make that choice. Not after the sacrifice she’s made to keep me alive.”
“Don’t you think I know that, child?” Enid snarled, whipping around to face me. “But I will not risk Bianca’s chance at life one more time! I have been without her for far too long.”
“Jessica stands before you, the vision that Pandora foresaw,” Leo said evenly. “Do you not see the same as she now?”