SERA For a moment, I was frozen in place. It wasn't because I was afraid of the dark, but it was because I knew what was coming. Killian muttered a curse under his breath, fumbling near the door for the switch, as if it would magically restore the power. "Probably a fuse," he said, his voice strained.But I didn't move.Because I could sense the shift in the air. Call it assassin senses or whatever. I just knew they were here. I reached blindly for my phone on the nightstand, flipping it over. The text still stared at me, silently mocking me.'I'll be taking what belongs to me soon.'My thumb trembled above the screen. My mouth had gone dry. My thoughts were a blur of fire and chains and all the traumatic experiences I'd suffered at the HQ."Sera," Killian's voice came closer, and a hand found my wrist in the dark. "What is it? You're ice-cold."He sounded steadier than before. Stronger, too. But I could still feel the slight tremor in his fingers. He wasn't okay.I forced myself
SERA I wasn't prepared for this. Especially not the sight of Rue curled up beside Rafael like they'd known each other forever. And certainly not the way her small hand pressed a damp cloth to Killian's forehead as if it was the most natural thing in the world.All I felt was an overwhelming ache growing in my chest."Hi," Rue had said when she saw me.It was all I needed to lose every bit of oxygen in my lungs.I crouched down beside her, watching the way her lashes fluttered with every shallow breath Killian took. The girl was his. Anyone could see it in the shape of her eyes and that furrow of her brow when she was focused.I reached out before I could think better of it, brushing her soft cheek with my fingers. "You helped him?"She nodded like she'd just saved a kingdom. "I'm a doctor now."A shaky laugh slipped from me before I could catch it.I didn't even notice I was crying until I blinked and the tears streaked down my cheeks.Killian groaned then, his body curling sligh
RAFAEL The second I saw him curled up on the floor, I panicked. Killian could push through his pain if he wanted to, to be honest. There was this one time he got in an accident. He dislocated his shoulder, had a mountain-sized concussion, fractured his ankle, broke two ribs, and got a crazy black eye. But the idiot was still barking orders and walking around when he should have been resting.But right now, I realized my brother was a mess because he wasn't just physically sick. His walls were down. And every time it happened, he always ended up in the ER."Jesus, Killian—" I dropped to my knees beside him, my fingers already at his wrist, checking his pulse. It was there, but it was weak.I glanced up, barely registering the voice that had called me in.Arabella.Of course.She stood there like she'd just realized she broke her favorite toy and didn't know how to fix it. Her lipstick was too perfect for someone who was “worried," and the way she hovered, careful not to touch him
KILLIAN The cold air from the open door did nothing to clear my head, and even as I stood there, barefoot, exhausted, and trembling...I couldn't move.Arabella stood there with an unapologetic smile, and beside her was a child. A little girl. Holy shit, she was a carbon copy of me. There was no need for a DNA test. And that fact alone hit me harder than it should.She was my daughter. My own blood...And Seraphina...She hadn't said a word.She just stared as if her brain was still fighting reality.My heartbeat was too loud, my skin too hot. My legs—Fuck.My legs were so close to giving out.I caught myself against the wall, one palm slamming into the wall as my body pitched sideways. My vision danced, the hallway spinning. The last time I had a fever this bad was after 'Matteo's funeral.' And that was five years ago."Killian?" Sera's voice finally broke the silence, but it didn't sound soft. It sounded tense and annoyed."I told you to rest," she whispered. "What the hell i
SERA The room was dim, lit only by the soft amber glow of the bedside lamp. Killian lay on the bed, the white sheets tangled around his waist. He'd taken a shower earlier, but the color still hadn't returned to his face. His skin was flushed, and his chest rose with shallow, uneven breaths.I sat on the edge of the bed, carefully holding the ice pack to his forehead. The cold had already soaked through the towel I'd wrapped around it, and droplets slid down my fingers. His eyes were closed, his damp lashes resting against his cheekbones, but I couldn't tell if he was asleep.He hadn't said a word in almost half an hour.I touched his cheek with the back of my hand. He was burning. I swallowed tightly and reached for my phone on the nightstand. Raf was the only person I trusted enough to call, and I just prayed he wasn't elbows-deep in surgery right now.The phone rang twice.Then he responded, "Alexa?"His voice was alert but not annoyed. Relief swelled in my chest."Raf. Thank
SERA "Are you okay?" Dorian asked me, and I chuckled awkwardly. "You're the one with bullet wounds. Yet, you're asking if I'm okay," I mumbled.He smiled, watching me intently."You remember everything now, don't you?" He asked, and I looked up at him, wide-eyed."How do you—""I can tell. You've been through a lot, Seraphine. And I still blame myself for not being able to save you. I was a coward..."I shook my head instantly. The last thing I wanted him to do was take the blame. He couldn't have stood a chance against the Phoenix. His sister's life was in their hands, after all. Maybe everything I had to go through was the punishment I had to suffer for betraying the man I loved the most. Maybe I deserved it."You did nothing wrong, Big D. I'm just...grateful that you're alive."He sighed, closing his eyes. "I'm guessing he knows already."I wasn't sure if he was talking about Killian or Vincent. But judging from his tone, it had to be Killian. He'd never been fond of him. It d