I'd caught its whiff before, but never so strong. Never so… determined.

"Hey, Reapers!" I shouted. "Reapers! Whatever your names are! One of you had better answer me!"

My voice echoed against the sanctuary's hum. I knew they could hear me. They could see me. They were probably aware I was down here. I just needed to get them to do me a favor. After all, I was a dying man.

I deserved that much.

Vesta

The Reapers spoke in hushed tones, but we all knew the end was coming. As much as they tried to hide it, we could tell. Their movements, the way they stole glances at us whenever they spoke, their inability to look us in the eyes. We could feel it, too. Our life-chains were fading. My last link was barely a faint orange, black flakes forming here and there, like ink stains. My soul was weary. My mind exhausted.

I'd put up quite the fight, from the moment I'd fallen.

Hours earlier, there had been a sliver of hope left. I knew Taeral would do everything in his power to stop this, and so would everyone who'd joined him on that quest. But, as time passed, mercilessly bringing us closer to the ritual's completion, even I'd had to admit that we might not make it, after all.

"They're not looking very optimistic," Ben said, eyeing the Reapers in charge of our cluster. "Rudolph can't even talk to us anymore."

Grace let a deep breath out, her gaze lowered. "I don't think we're going to make it."

"At least River, Lawrence, and the others are away from here," Ben replied. "If this is our end, they won't have to witness it. The Shade needs protection, now more than ever."

"I know," Grace replied, her eyes shimmering with tears that would never flow. Her body, however, was crying. "I hope they get another chance out there. I hope the Hermessi won't be able to destroy them the way they did us."

"Mom… Hold on, it's not over yet," Caia said, as she and Vita put their arms around her and hugged her tight. "Not yet. Please, don't lose hope."

"Honey, I'm just being realistic," Grace murmured, giving her daughters a gentle smile. "Whatever happens, I'm with you. We're together. We shouldn't be. You shouldn't be here, but… this is it, you know?"

My throat closed up. I wanted to scream and kick and cry, but I was as helpless as everyone else. Lucas, poor soul, was practically red with fury. He'd been brought back only to be whacked again.

"This isn't the first time we've hung by a thread," Kailyn reminded us.

"I wonder what it is they're talking about," Lucas muttered, scowling at the Reapers. Rudolph's gaze kept darting between the outside world and the sanctuary. A voice echoed in the distance, but with all our spirits here, murmuring to one another, and the structure's unnatural and constant hum, I couldn't make out much.

I tried to move away from my body, but I felt my movements grow sluggish, almost stiff. Maybe it had something to do with my life-chain dying. Maybe I'd be able to move more once the last link snapped.

"Rudolph, what is it?" I asked, raising my voice.

He stared at me for a moment, sweat glistening on his forehead. "I don't know what you mean," he replied from six crystal casings away.

"Get your ass down here and talk to me," I snapped. "Now!"

Hesitant at first, he made his way back to our cluster, his hands deep in his pockets, scythe tucked away. Still, I had a hard time getting any words out of him, until Lucas poked him in the ribs. He’d done it almost instinctively, then realized he could touch a Reaper—judging by the momentary flash of surprise on his face.

"Talk, pipsqueak. We're at Death's door!" he snarled at Rudolph.

The other Reapers stayed back, but they watched with renewed interest. Usually, spirits stayed away from agents of Death, but it did make sense that we could touch them. After all, we could touch each other. I’d even managed to give Zeriel a message in the plane of the living. And Reapers were in charge of us, so they had to be able to touch us, if they wanted—how else would they reap us, otherwise? In hindsight, I should’ve hugged Seeley before he’d left. Chances were I’d never see him again…

"Your fiancé is outside, shouting for you," Rudolph finally said.

My heart skipped. "Wha… What?"

"He didn't leave with the others," Rudolph replied. "He stayed here. I suppose he wants to spend whatever time he has left with you. Unfortunately, said time is rather short. We're in the last thirty fae now."

"He's outside?!" I yelped. "Why… Why the hell didn't he go to The Shade? He's going to… oh, God, he's going to die here, with us!"

My knees gave out, and Ben was quick to hold me, as dread washed over me in icy, biting waves.

"She needs to see him!" Grace said firmly. "If he's out there, you have to help her!"

Rudolph shook his head, but he didn't sound as sure of himself as before. "I can't. It's against the rules."

"Screw your rules!" Ben replied. "Screw your rules a thousand times! We're dying here! Can't you see that?"

"I'll never see my husband and our daughter again, if the Hermessi win," Vita cried out. "But Vesta… She still has a chance to say goodbye. Dammit, Rudolph, enough with the friggin' regulations. You've picked the worst time for that!"

Still, Rudolph didn't immediately oblige.

I felt compelled to touch his hand, demanding that his gaze meet mine. "Please, Rudolph," I whispered. "This might be it for us."

He glanced over his shoulder at Malleus and the others. To my surprise, they all gave him a brief nod—even Sidyan, the most reluctant among them. Rudolph touched my crystal casing and pushed it out into the main pathway of the sanctuary, almost effortlessly. The thing was twice his size, yet he had absolutely no trouble with it. Perhaps it was one of the perks of being a Reaper.

I followed him, speechless, as my life-chain jingled, most of it black and rotten. He brought us closer to the doorway, so I could look out and see Zeriel. My breath was cut short at the sight of him standing below, his head tilted back as he shouted for the Reapers to let him see me.

"Come on! Show her to me!" he roared. "Vesta! Get them to reveal you! Please! I need… I need to see you!"

"Rudolph, please," I whispered.

He snapped his fingers. Suddenly, I had to have become visible, because Zeriel went silent and gawking. "Vesta… Vesta!" he managed. "Baby! I'm here!"

"What are you doing here, you fool?" I called out, crying. Well, I thought I was crying, but it was my body doing the hard part. Tears rolled down my cheeks, my amber-glowing cheeks, and it tore me apart to see myself like this. To be unable to touch Zeriel. To hold him. To lose myself in him, one last time.

Zeriel chuckled, but I knew he was keeping his misery to himself, not wanting me to see him in any way broken. "Where else would I be when my betrothed is up there, unable to leave?"

"You could've saved yourself!" I said.

He shook his head. "I'm beyond saving if I'm not with you."

"Oh, Zeriel. You're breaking my heart."

"I think you broke mine first the moment you stomped into my life. And I let you. Hell, I smiled and welcomed the destruction, with arms wide open. But it's been the sweetest of mayhems! I wouldn't take anything back."

I laughed softly, inwardly relieved to see him like this. I doubted I would've been able to keep it together, had he revealed exactly how he felt about this situation. We both knew we were screwed six ways from Sunday, yet we were both able to look at each other and smile.

"Maybe Taeral will save us," I said. "Maybe we'll one day look back on this and laugh."

"I hope so," he replied, the glow fading from his blue eyes. "And if we die here, today or tomorrow or whenever, I just want you to know… I love you, Vesta. More than anything. More than life itself."

"Clearly more than life itself, since he's here. The suicidal fool," Rudolph muttered behind me. I shushed him and shifted focus back to my beloved.