Defying Destiny (Afterword Academy #3) - Katie May Page 0,56

too then, I hope? Or else it’s going to be a long fucking night.”

To my surprise, Caius kneels down, pulls out his dagger, and literally starts to stab at the grass. I want to laugh, but I hold it in for my Hadley. She’s going through enough without me acting like an asshole.

“Let’s look around and see if we can find some shovels,” I state, pulling her backwards a little bit.

“We should stay together,” Caius growls out. “We have no idea who or what could be lurking around here.”

“Sure as shit isn’t Administer,” I say on a snicker. “I have to hand it to you on that one, Caius. Seeing that motherfucker die was one of the best moments of my life…err…afterlife.”

Caius looks up from his task and smiles at me, the first genuine smile I’ve seen aimed in my direction.

Humph.

Maybe he isn’t so bad. He’s an evil bastard, but at least he has good taste in murder victims.

“It felt so good to finally kill that fucker,” he admits wryly. “I almost wish I could make him come alive again just so I can kill him a second time.”

At that, I can’t help but laugh. “I’d have to insist you let me do the honors if that ever happens.”

“I’ll even let you borrow my Fate dagger,” he says on a laugh, resuming his efforts on the ground.

Yeah, I’m sure you would, because if I touched the fucking thing, I’d die immediately.

Deciding to keep my mouth shut, I glance around us, looking for anything I can use to help dig, and my eyes land on an old, rusted wheelbarrow. The wooden handles have fallen off, lying on the ground now as feed for the insects. The tire is all but gone, leaving a sad and rusty rim in its place.

Taking Hadley with me, I walk over to it and peer inside. Though the handles are far from usable, the blades of a gardener's tools remain. Scooping one up, I ensure the bloody thing isn’t rusted clear through, then we walk back to Caius.

“You keep watch, okay?” I say to Hadley, before kissing her cheek.

She nods, arms crossed over her chest. Shit, she must be cold standing there in her bra and panties, covered in who knows what. We really need to get some fucking clothes before we face Lilith again.

If she’s even still here.

Dropping to my knees, I get to work next to Caius. “Hey, man, why don’t you give Had your shirt? She’s freezing.”

It’s like Caius only now realizes he has clothes on. I suppose maybe it is, as he looks down at his body in shock. Quickly, he grips the hem of his shirt and lifts it up over his head, and I instantly regret my decision. The man is built—could rival me and Auston easily.

Son of a bitch.

He tosses the shirt to Hadley and winks at her before digging again. This is such a different experience than last time I was here, because that time we were using Preston’s necromancy to raise the dead. This time, there will be no animated corpse.

After what feels like hours, my hands are raw and blistered. Caius and I have abandoned our tools and now use our hands as shovels. Finally, we reach something hard, and Caius looks up to Hadley. “Hadley. You don’t have to watch this part. We can call you when we need you, if you’d like.”

She shakes her head. “I’m not going to get squeamish over this. I’m okay. Do it.”

My brave girl.

She makes me so damn proud every fucking day. I’d love to show her how proud I am by bending her over that stone wall over there and making her scream out her pleasure into the air, but that will have to wait for another time.

The casket is all but dust, and as we wipe away the pieces of wood that remain, yellowed bones surrounded by worn strips of cloth become visible. We don’t uncover all of her, only her hands, which are clutching a gleaming Fate dagger.

“My beloved?” Caius calls to her softly, holding his hand out. “It is time.”

Hadley nods a little too fast and chews on her lip, but after a moment, she accepts his hand and jumps down into the hole with us.

“You're so brave, baby girl. So brave,” I encourage as she reaches a shaking hand down and grasps the dagger’s hilt.

The scream that leaves Hadley’s throat has all the fear rushing back. I think about the first time she went