all so much, I won’t leave you.
Knight signs something, and Ford translates. “There’s nothing left to fight. Let’s get her the fuck home.”
I’m pretty sure Ford added the “fuck” part, but I agree with the sentiment entirely.
I manage to nod, and then Ryland’s lifting me from the ground where Remi holds me cradled against his chest. Remi releases me with one last soft brush of his lips to my temple. Ryland carries me as if I weigh nothing, silent but strong, standing proud.
All around us, I can see that the demons are defeated. There’s nothing left for us to fight. We really did win.
That fills me with a warmth that spreads through my entire body. Even if I do die—and at this point, I don’t think I will—we won, and everyone’s safe. That’s what really matters. I did what I was supposed to do, what I wanted to do.
I was the kind of angel that I want to be.
Beck uses another one of his group transportation spells to take us back to his penthouse apartment, where I’m immediately put to bed. I still ache all over, and it’ll take me a bit to heal. The potion brought me back from the brink, but it didn’t magically heal me all over.
I find it poetic that we’re all back here. Where it all began. Even if it didn’t start with all the men here, this is where I met Beck, followed him, and started on this journey that led to me falling for all of the men—and them with me.
It’s what led to them becoming a family again.
Of course, I’m not the only invalid. Well, okay, so I’m the only invalid, but I’m not the only one who was injured in the fight. The others are kind of worse for wear too. For a few days, I’m not able to get out of bed though, so they take turns looking after me, making sure that I’m recovering.
The healing potion they gave me saved my life, but it wasn’t able to save my wings. I can still remember the searing pain when Anderson cut them off, a cut that went deeper than any bodily injury. It seemed like his blade sliced all the way down to my soul, and it still hurts to think that I’ve lost my beautiful wings for good. I can’t summon them anymore, although sometimes I can feel the magic that once imbued them quivering inside me, begging to be let out.
I try not to let myself linger on the loss or wallow in my sadness though. We all came out of the fight with Salinas and Anderson alive, and we won. We saved Earth. Losing my wings breaks my heart a little, but it’s a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things.
Thanks to the jump-start from the healing potion, my body recovers pretty quickly, and once I can finally move around without feeling like I’m going to collapse, I start helping take care of the men too.
They might have their sins, but selfishness isn’t one of them, and all seven of my men—and they are mine, they’re mine just like I’m theirs—have neglected themselves horribly in looking after me. So I have to help them start to take care of themselves.
I make sure they’re getting the healing potions and care that they need. Ford grumbles about it. I think Ryland wants to, but he’s too dignified to grumble. Still, none of them stop me from fussing over them.
I’ve never gotten to fuss over them before. Boss them around a little bit and argue with them, sure, but that’s different. I like being able to really show them how much I care, both because they’re letting me and because now we have the time to actually relax.
How much time do we have, though?
The seven sins just fought against rogue forces from Heaven and Hell to save humanity. They put their lives on the line. They all could have died. If that isn’t something that earns you redemption, then I don’t know what is. I don’t know anything that’s more redeeming than that.
And that means…
That means I could lose them. Once Heaven pulls itself together.
But Heaven is still a bureaucratic nightmare, so a couple of weeks pass and nothing happens. I’m on edge the entire time though. I’m trying not to show it, but I think the others can pick up on it. I mean, I’m not exactly good at hiding my feelings.
We all lie in bed