I studied those hands. The hands that had held me when I was sad, checked my forehead for fever when I was sick. Those hands would never grow wrinkled and old. Instead, they were cut with defensive wounds, one of her nails torn completely off.

My mom had fought for her life. It hadn’t made a difference, but I was proud of her for that. She’d had two kids, and despite everything that had happened between us all, she’d fought to stay alive for us.

Oh god, it hurt so much.

“Boss?”

Samael turned. I turned. Bael was approaching, and he glanced down at my mom’s body, something like relief in his eyes.

Relief.

Samael’s voice echoed inside my head. He thought it was my lover. We both did. Bael was concerned that I would rip this realm apart in my vengeance.

I attempted to push Samael’s voice away. Either I succeeded, or he fell silent, and the body I inhabited turned back, glancing down at my mother.

“A shame,” Samael said. “Have the High Coven notified.”

Bael nodded. “It’s already done.”

Samael turned and walked away. He walked away and left my mother lying on the ground.

The memory faded and my stomach clenched as I stared up at him. “How could you leave her there?”

“I had imagined the coven would arrange for her murder to be investigated. I didn’t want to destroy the evidence.”

I doubted that. She’d just been another dead witch. Why would he give a shit? Samael went very still at whatever he saw on my face.

He let me go and turned away. “But why would you believe that? Every member of your coven taught you not to trust. Including your own mother.”

“Don’t you dare psychoanalyze me.”

He shook his head. “You expect betrayal. It’s your default. So congratulations, bounty hunter. You found what you were looking for.”

He let me go, taking a careful step back. His face turned blank as he gazed at me. For the first time in weeks, he reminded me of the high demon I’d met while sneaking into his club. The demon who’d casually considered my death.

My phone vibrated and I slid it out of my pocket. My throat was so tight I had to clear it a few times before I could talk.

Samael watched me out of dark, fathomless eyes while I talked to the nurse.

“Gary is awake,” he said when I hung up.

“Yes. I need to take the kids to the hospital.”

“Fine. But we’re not done here.”

I shook my head. “We were done before we got started.”

“If you believe that, Danica, then you don’t know me at all.”

“Everything I learned today proves I never had a chance of knowing you, Samael.”

I turned and walked away. He was smart enough that he didn’t try to stop me.