‘‘I will lock you away in the darkest depths of Abaddon,’’ Magoth warned, his voice taking on a pitch that was painful on the ears. ‘‘I will make you suffer every torment I can think of, and I assure you, minion, I have spent millennia devising tortures to bring even first-class demons to their knees begging for release.’’

My gut tightened, pain radiating outward from it.

‘‘You will survive each day, living in perpetual torment, with no hope of reprieve, May Northcott. No hope whatsoever.’’

I nodded, my eyes on Gabriel. I wanted to drink in the sight of him until the last possible moment. Who knew when I would see him again—until then, I wanted to remember that strong jaw, the hint of indentation on his cheeks that I knew hid dimples, eyes so beautiful it almost hurt to look into them. I wanted to sear him into my memory so that no matter what happened, no matter what Magoth would do to me, I would always have the memory of Gabriel.

The man I loved more than my own life.

‘‘Magoth, seventh principal spirit of Abaddon, lord of thirty legions, marquis of the order of dominations, I formally refute your bondage over me, and refuse your bidding. Take the phylactery,’’ I said, turning the hand Gabriel held so that I could place the box on his palm. ‘‘It’s yours. I give it to you freely.’’

Magoth screamed, a sound so horrible it blew out all of the windows in the room. ‘‘No! You will not do this!’’

It was as if a tornado had been released around us. Magoth’s fury manifested itself in the utter destruction of every nonliving thing in the room. Books exploded, furniture burst into a thousand pieces, glass and metal and wood all rained down upon us in a terrible downpour, the echoes of his scream gathering into him as he stalked toward me.

I released the box just as Gabriel understood what was happening. A look of panic filled his eyes as he tried to shove it back at me. ‘‘No, May—’’

‘‘It can’t be undone,’’ I said, wanting more than anything else to kiss him. Just one last time.

‘‘One last—’’ Gabriel read my mind, his eyes going dark as the full repercussions of my act were driven home. ‘‘No. I will not allow this. Mate—’’

‘‘She is no longer your mate,’’ Magoth snarled, jerking me out of Gabriel’s reach. ‘‘She is dybbuk. She is mine to let live or destroy as I desire.’’

His hand was cold on my arm, an icy pain piercing my flesh and sinking deep into my soul.

Gabriel stood shaking his head for a few seconds, anger and pain and confusion taking turns on his face. ‘‘Why, little bird? Why would you do this?’’