She nodded.
“Do you trust me, Isabelle?”
“Always.”
He pulled the sword from his side and lifted it behind Isabelle.
Tase’s burning fingers pressed against Dalton’s shoulders, his fiery breath burning his neck as he leaned in and whispered in Dalton’s ear. “Kill her and you’re damned forever, Dalton.”
Tase leaned in so close now that Dalton’s clothes began to burn.
Perfect. That’s exactly where he wanted the bastard.
Dalton pressed his lips to Isabelle. “I love you.”
He lifted the sword, then sliced it into Isabelle’s back, impaling her, himself and Tase.
The pain burned more than Tase’s heat, riddling his spine with white hot fire. Isabelle jerked, then stilled, no sound coming from her open mouth, her face frozen with wide-eyed shock. The only sound came from Tase, whose unholy scream shattered the air around them, and then the demon went silent.
Then nothingness. Death, Dalton supposed. And yet his consciousness remained. Dalton felt as if he were floating, weightless … somewhere. But where?
A burst of blinding brightness hit him. Dalton shielded his hands over his eyes. And then her felt her- Isabelle-right next to him.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“I don’t know.”
“What’s the bright light?” She lifted her hand to shield her eyes.
“Not sure.”
He knew one thing, though. The heat was gone. The evil had disappeared, too. He didn’t sense Tase around them.
He felt embraced in healing power and a sense of goodness. He recognized immediately the presence of the heavens.
“Well, Dalton. That was an interesting solution to a no-win situation.”
Dalton’s lips lifted. The Archangel.
“Oh, my,” Isabelle said. “He’s beautiful.”
“Shh, don’t tell him that. He already has a huge ego.”
The Archangel laughed and Isabelle shivered.
Yeah, he had that kind of effect. Supreme angels always did.
“I haven’t seen you in a long time,” Dalton said.
“And whose fault is that?” The Archangel did, as usual, a fine job of looking imposing, towering above him all in white, his wings spread in impossible width behind him.
“It was my fault. My choice. Just like the choice I just made.”
“Dalton has not won.”
Dalton frowned. Tase’s voice. “He’s not destroyed.”
“No. But you did a fine job of banishing him back to his own realm. We’re … communicating.”
“Like a conference call?” Isabelle asked.
The Archangel’s lips quirked. “Yes.”
“Suicide makes him mine,” Tase said.
“You don’t get to make the decision here.” The Archangel’s voice boomed in anger, silencing Tase. “This is my call. Dalton used
Dalton couldn’t help but smile.
“What’s he talking about?” Isabelle asked. “You stabbed me. And yourself.”
“Yes.”
“Are we dead?”
“No.”
Isabelle wrinkled her nose. “I’m confused.”
“Dalton used the sword of a Guardian. Not a human,” the Archangel explained.
“And?”
“It merely brought you here.”
“Where is here, exactly?”
“The other plane.”
Isabelle turned to Dalton. “I’m still confused. We’re not dead, but we’re no longer standing in the middle of the circle on Georgie’s property. Where are we?”
“Right now we’re nowhere. Time is suspended.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yes. Until the Archangel makes a decision.” Dalton turned back to him.
The Archangel asked, “You love this human?”
“I do.”
“It’s a limited future for you, Dalton.”
“She’s worth it.”
“The blood of the evil one runs within her.”
“I was working to rectify that. And her heart is pure. She didn’t ask to be cursed.”
“You cannot wholly remove it from her.”
“I’m aware of that.”
“I, however, can completely eliminate the demon blood from your Isabelle.”
Dalton figured there’d be a catch in this. There had to be a reason the Archangel had appeared. “Okay. And at what price?”
“You agree to trade places with her. You absorb the demon blood she’s carried within her, and you become what she has been.”
“No!”
Dalton was shocked at Isabelle’s outburst. She glared at the Archangel, who merely cocked a brow in her direction.
“You cannot sacrifice yourself for me.” She turned to the Archangel. “And you people are supposed to be kind and benevolent, yet you’re asking him to become a demon in my place? This is my curse, not his. How dare you ask him to give up his soul for me. What kind of people are you?”
Dalton was speechless. His gaze shot to the Archangel, whose lips twitched.
“‘You people’? Outspoken, isn’t she?”
“You have no idea.”
“Dalton, how could you expect to me to live happily ever after, knowing I brought you damnation with the Sons of Darkness? Do you think I’d be content just because you took the demon blood away from me? I’d be miserable. I’d rather be dead or living with the demon inside me than know you suffered because of me.” She turned her gaze to the Archangel. “Please, don’t let this happen. I love him. He’s deserving of redemption. He’s already paid the price for his sins. Don’t make him do it twice.”
The Archangel grinned. “You made a very wise choice, Dalton. One hell of a hard road to earn your redemption, though.”
He vanished in another burst of brilliant white.
Dalton smiled. The Archangel always loved those dramatic exits. He turned to Isabelle, pulled her into his arms. “I will always love you. Don’t ever forget that.” He pressed his lips to hers, then felt the world spinning out of control. He could no longer feel Isabelle’s body. Or his own, for that matter.
He saw the panic in her wide eyes, saw her arms reaching out for him, but he was no longer there.
His world went dark. He closed his eyes and he awaited his punishment, awaited the heat, the flames.
Awaited his eternity in hell.
As long as Isabelle was safe, he was content.
