Death Before Dawn
Page 32
He was Death, but he’d given up hiding behind his armor all of the time. Most days, he stuck to a uniform of T-shirt, jeans, and gloves, and the others kept a safe distance unless he was wearing the armor. So far, it seemed to work out. Today he’d been meeting with the other groups of Sentinels we’d been gathering together. He’d done something that in Sentinel history had never been attempted. He’d brought our people and immortals together for one cause: To kill the threat to the humans and rebuild their world.
“Emma, you look happy,” he said as he kissed me.
“Mmm, so do you,” I replied with a bright smile.
“The new group of Sentinels arrived, and await your presence in the courtyard, my queen,” he teased with a smirk as I groaned at the title.
“I’m not a queen,” I whined. “You told me that Sentinels don’t believe in that kind of stuff.”
“For the most part, we don’t. We do believe in marriage, though.” He locked eyes with me and I felt as if my heart was going to jump right out of my chest. I was terrified I hadn’t heard him correctly. “Marry me,” he murmured as he dropped to one knee and held his hand out towards me, palm up. Laying on his palm was a band of titanium that had little infinity and omega symbols engraved into it.
“Get up,” I whispered. “Azrael, get up,” I begged.
“No, not until you answer me.”
He smiled, and I chewed my bottom lip nervously.
Butterflies fluttered inside my stomach, and I couldn’t come up with one reason not to marry him. I loved him, and when I thought I’d lost him, I’d felt despair and a hopelessness that I’d never felt for anyone else. I had no reservations, and I trusted this man with my people, so shouldn’t I trust him with my heart?
“Yes,” I managed to barely squeak out, and clapping erupted as he rose and picked me up, kissing me as his armor formed around himself as others rushed forward to congratulate us. “Oh my word, you planned this?” I snapped. I felt heat rushing to my cheeks as Lachlan and Addy moved in to hug me. “I hate you all!” I cried as tears fell.
“You deserve it,” Addy laughed. “Out of all of us, Ems, you deserve to be happy. So yes, he planned it. We helped. Tomorrow might be world war three, but today, today is for us. It’s our world; we’re going to make it a world worth living in.” She kissed my cheek as she backed up for Lachlan to move in.
“Lass, ye deserve it, congratulations, beautiful girl,” he growled, kissing my cheek. “I kenned it would nae be the wolf who married ye, or the undead. Ye deserved a Knight, and ye have him now, Emma.” He hugged me tightly.
“Nery told you Death was coming for you,” Cayla laughed. “Nery also says that you’ll be happy. You’ll never want for anything or be cold, and that we will win this war. There will be losses, but they’ll be a small price to pay for victory. That the world is looming on a dark age unlike anything we’ve ever imagined. But in the darkness, your light will save us, Emma. So say yes, because tomorrow is going to be a bloodbath that won’t wash off anytime soon. Enjoy the times of happiness while we have them,” she said sadly before she moved away from us and Nery put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close as they left the impromptu gathering.
“Well that was creepy and scary as hell,” Addy said as she turned to me. “She can’t really see the future, or Nery, right?” she asked.
I swallowed, because I knew Cayla was just telling everyone what Nery said; he could have told me or Azrael that directly if he wanted to. Nery might be vague when he was relaying his morsels of advice, but if he said this world was about to get rocked, then I planned to enjoy life while we could. I was suddenly very grateful for Azrael’s keen mind and the fortress that surrounded us.
“Find that pastor you all adopted,” I whispered as I turned to Azrael. “Let’s not waste any more time.”
No matter what tomorrow brought, we’d be in it together. In the end, it’s all that mattered. We were safe, we were together, and every day more people found their way to us. I’d face my mother, but I’d do it on my terms and when I was ready to. I’d do it with those I trusted at my side and protecting my back.
I’d lost Grayson, but he was with me. He would always be a part of me, and that could never be taken from me. He was in my memories, and my heart. Those we lost never left us, not as long as we held onto them.
I turned to Azrael and smiled. “I love you,” I whispered.
“I love you, Emma,” he replied, his lips touching my forehead and then my heart, sensing where my mind had wandered to. “He’s here, with your father and all those we lost. Lost, but never forgotten.”
Until Next Time...
Dedication
Thank you so much to the fans who spend countless hours supporting authors with their precious time and reviews. For understanding that we are merely human, and sometimes, it takes a lot longer than we expected for a story to play out in our heads. The characters don’t always play along when I want them to, and more often than not, they won’t talk loud enough for me to hear until they are ready to be written.
To Gina, who has been with me from the start of this journey, and hopefully for a very long time to come.
To my husband, who spent countless nights without me in bed, for understanding that sometimes these assholes inside my head never shut up! For the dinners you cooked, and the rooms you cleaned to help me be able to spend the time on this book. I love you. You are my world, and yeah, those little monsters we created are also a huge part of it. I love them mostly when they’re behaving. The others times, I’m not sure who they belong to.
To the team who helps me through each and every book with hours of dedication. The Minions, who pimp the shit out of these books. You ladies rock my world.
To the beta team and editors who always help out no matter how much shit you got going on in the real world, thank you.
To the bloggers, you run the book world. Thank you for everything you ladies do!
To the authors who paved the way so that little authors like me could make it? Thank you too!
Also by Amelia Hutchins
The Fae Chronicles
Fighting Destiny
Taunting Destiny
Escaping Destiny
Seducing Destiny
The Elite Guards
A Demon’s Dark Embrace
A Guardian’s Diary
Darkest Before Dawn
Death Before Dawn
Monsters Series
Playing with Monsters
About the Author
Amelia Hutchins lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her beautiful family. She’s an avid reader and writer of anything Paranormal. She started writing at the age of nine with the help of the huge imagination her Grandmother taught her to use. When not writing a new twisting plot, she can be found on her author page, or running Erotica Book Club where she helps new Indie Authors connect with a growing fan base.
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