The room went silent.
Absolute. Complete. Devastating silence.
Then Sebastian made a sound like an animal being gutted.
Lucian punched the wall hard enough to crack the stone.
And Nicholas....
Nicholas just stood there frozen. Staring at Lilith's body. Not moving. Not speaking. Not breathing.
Victoria took a breath and forced her voice to stay steady.
"Preserve her body," Victoria said.
Everyone turned to look at her.
"What?" Nicholas said.
"Preserve her body," Victoria repeated. She moved toward the ritual circle, stepping carefully over the destroyed salt lines. "Keep it cold. Don't let it decay. I'll be back in two days."
"Back from where?" Sebastian demanded. "Victoria, she's DEAD! What are you...."
"I can bring her back," Victoria interrupted.
The statement hung in the air like a bomb.
"What?" Nicholas said again.
Victoria knelt beside Lilith's body and placed her hand over Lilith's still heart. The skin was already cooling. Already beginning the process of death.
