said through gritted teeth. "Come to think of it, that wasn't my brightest idea, was it? That darn book got us all in trouble. Without it, Dallas would still be alive." She started marching up and down, her hands wringing in front of her. Pearls of sweat had gathered on her brows.
I groaned and slumped deeper into the couch. The curse was taking its toll on her. Soon the reaping periods would grow longer and longer, with very little time being her true fallen angel nature in between. One day she wouldn't turn back, and then she'd be lost to us forever. The knowledge had been lingering at the back of my mind ever since she turned the very first time, but seeing her like this, an empty and angry shell of her usual bubbly self, made me doubt the success of this mission.
"It's time to go," Cass said. Her voice came so low I thought she was about to faint like Sofia. I jumped up to catch her before she hit the floor, but she pushed me back, sending me tumbling against the wall. Aidan held out his hand to help me up. I grabbed it and let him pull me up.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," Cass muttered.
"Don't be," I whispered. She shot me a pained look the moment she disappeared.
"She'll be gone for a long time," Amber said. I nodded, unwilling to elaborate on her unspoken question. "The period's are getting longer, aren't they?" She let out a sigh and turned toward the window, as though speaking to herself. "You know I wasn't keen on the idea of her dating my brother. And when I heard about them wanting to get married, I thought she must have a reason for wanting to tie the knot after knowing him for only a few days."
Aidan walked over and grabbed her in a tight hug. "Don't, Amber. You're only torturing yourself."
She shook her head. "Please, let me finish. I need to say this."
"You don't owe anyone an explanation." I sat down on the couch, far away from her so she wouldn't catch the expression on my face. Truth be told, I hadn't been keen on the idea of Cass getting hitched either, and particularly not to a mortal. I had thought it was just a game she played, just a wicked plan to get her out of Hell and the future her father had envisioned for her. Now I knew I had been wrong. Whatever Dallas and Cass shared, it was the real deal. Apparently, Amber had finally come to realize it too.
"I owe it to myself," Amber said.
My vision blurred and for a moment I thought I saw Sofia's half-naked shape tossing and turning in bed. She had pushed the blanket aside. Her nightshirt had rode up her long, pale legs. I swallowed hard as I tried to hold on to the image before my eyes. Sofia jumping out of bed. She was wearing an oversized shirt that I assumed belonged to Clare who was the tallest of them. I half expected her to slip out of it and change into the clothes she'd been wearing all day but instead she squeezed into a knitted, black sweater that reached down to her knees, wrapping a cord around her waist, and padded barefoot out the door. The vision broke. I blinked several times, unsure whether I had actually seen Sofia or imagined here. An instant later, the door opened and she walked in, silent like a ghost, her feet barely making any sound on the rug. I stared at her attire, my gaze settled on her shapely legs that peered from beneath the black sweater. She shot me a timid smile as she sat down next to me, tucking her legs under her and pulling the knitwear over her knees.
"We're all blaming ourselves for what happened, but do you really think things would've taken a different turn if you were more accepting of their relationship?" Aidan asked.
Amber didn't seem to notice Sofia as she tore herself away from Aidan's embrace. Her gaze focused on the woods outside the window and she shook her head lightly. "Maybe, but that's not the point. You don't understand. She was here for me when I stumbled into this world and I repaid her by judging her for who she is. I thought she was just bored and Dallas was her toy, which made me angry. This whole connection thing—I went through it. I almost