“Yes?” Despite being near, his soft tone lacked the warmth she’d become accustomed to. As did his green eyes as she met his gaze. The note of concern was nice, but she wanted the other emotion he displayed, the one that helped her feel… cherished.

“I couldn’t—” She cut off on a cry as agony ripped through her stomach. “Something’s… wrong.” She exhaled the words but couldn’t inhale to replenish the oxygen.

“Caro?” His brow came down, then lifted at whatever he saw in her face. “Caro!”

She tried to respond but couldn’t. Her throat felt tight. Her lungs too. Everything refused to work, as if frozen in time.

Everything except her heart.

It beat frantically as she fought to breathe but couldn’t. Then shattered at the anguished expression pulling at Sethios’s features.

“Don’t do this to me, angel. Come on. Breathe.” Warmth caressed her cheeks and neck, but it faltered beneath everything else.

And then she was floating. High in the clouds. No. Too light. Maybe. She blinked back into the room, then back to the clouds, and then back again.

A familiar presence surrounded her. Sethios holding her? Calling her name? She couldn’t be sure. Everything drifted in and out, in and out…

This couldn’t be happening, not now. There was still so much for her to say.

Her thoughts about the blood bond.

Her thoughts about him.

About their future.

About the future of their child.

She wouldn’t choose one of destruction. And while, yes, she thought the abomination problem needed to be handled, it was more about Osiris than anything else.

Sethios isn’t an abomination.

Or maybe he was.

Either way, she still adored him. Maybe even loved him, if that emotion existed for Seraphim.

Blackness swarmed her vision, taking over the clouds and the room all at once.

Save her, she prayed. Save our daughter.

19

A New Power Rises

“Move,” Gabriel ordered.

“Fuck off,” Sethios growled as his hands ran over Caro’s lifeless form on the bed. She’d lost consciousness, something he intended to fix. Somehow. Maybe.

Fuck!

“Have you ever delivered a Seraphim child? No. So move. Now.” Gabriel shoved him out of the way. Behind him stood a gorgeous woman with long blonde hair, porcelain skin, and blue-green eyes.

“Where the fuck did you come from?” Sethios snapped, his attention torn between the newcomer and killing Caro’s son.

“No time.” Gabriel moved to the side. “Help her, Leela.”

The woman stepped forward with a bag and started pulling out supplies. “I need warm water,” she advised. “And more towels.”

Gabriel misted while Sethios eyed the female. “You’re a Seraphim.”

“Yes,” she replied.

He didn’t have the energy to ask more, nor did he care so long as she helped Caro and the baby.

He swept his palm over his face and sighed. Shit. He’d been so frustrated with Caro’s words that he’d failed to notice her deteriorating condition, and rather than be there for her, he had pushed her away.