“Trin! What is it?” Zayne wasn’t waiting for my answer. His hand swept over my chest and down my stomach. He halted and then yanked up my shirt, swearing. “You’re wounded.”

“It’s just...a punch.”

Zayne’s hand trembled against my stomach as he cranked his head around. “Lucifer! Stop your bitching and get over here!”

“What?” I asked, or I thought I did. I wasn’t sure as I struggled to lift my hand long enough to look down. I saw my stomach, but it looked weird. Like the skin was...like it was turning gray and spreading.

“What is this?” Zayne demanded. “What is happening?”

The blurred face of Lucifer appeared above one of Zayne’s wings. His head tilted and then he whipped around, disappearing out of sight.

And my...my head felt too heavy. It fell back, and I was staring beyond Zayne and the tips of his beautiful wings, to the snow that continued to fall. A numbness settled into me. A bone-deep knowing.

“What are you doing?” Zayne yelled at him as he turned me slightly to the side. “Lucifer!”

“I’m looking for—found them.” There was a pause. “Damn.”

“Damn? Damn what?” Panic crept into Zayne’s voice.

Lucifer’s voice was closer. “Were you stabbed with this? With one of these angel blades?” he demanded.

A faint golden glow reflected from the spike he held in his hand. “Teller had it,” I forced out. “And Gabriel...he only punched me.”

“That Warden must’ve given one to Gabriel, or he always had one,” Lucifer said. “He didn’t punch you. He nicked you with one of these.”

“That...” Zayne trailed off, and then his wings flared out. “No. No.” He twisted toward me, the arm around me tightening. “Trin. You’re going to be fine.”

“What happened?” Layla gasped.

“She’s fine. I’m going to make sure of it,” Zayne said. “You’re okay. I just need to find—”

“There’s nothing to be found,” Lucifer cut him off. “There’s nothing to be done.”

“There has to be,” snapped Roth, and I was glad to hear that the stupid demon prince and Layla were okay.

“It’s an angel blade,” Lucifer argued. “It’s—”

“Don’t say it,” Zayne growled. “Don’t you fucking say it.”

Lucifer fell silent, but he didn’t need to say what I already knew, what I felt in the sluggish beats of my heart. What had Roth said? Angel blades were deadly. They could kill anything, including another angel.

Including a Trueborn.

We knew this.

“You’re going to be okay.” Zayne cupped my cheek. I was aware of his hand there, but I couldn’t feel it. “You have to be. Okay? I just need you to hang in there. For me. Do you hear me, Trin? I just need you to hold out and I’ll figure out a way.”

You’re already dead.