He stood carefully, still holding Lilith's body, and carried her out of the destroyed ritual room.
Carried her to her bedroom where she had slept peacefully just yesterday.
Laid her gently on the bed and stepped back.
Sebastian and Lucian followed.
All three of them standing around Lilith's body.
All three of them feeling the empty spaces where the bonds used to be.
All three of them broken.
"What do we do?" Sebastian asked quietly.
Nicholas looked at his mate's dead body and felt something crack inside his chest.
Something that would not heal unless she came back.
Something that might never heal even if she did.
"We wait," Nicholas said. "We preserve her body. We hope Victoria succeeds. And we pray to the Moon Goddess who cursed us that she has mercy enough to let Lilith come back."
He reached out and took Lilith's cold hand.
And felt absolutely nothing through the severed bond.
She was gone.
