I dragged my eyes from the ground and met his. My adrenaline was up, ready for the conclusion to this adventure . . . and yet, my heart was heavy, knowing what the consequences of this would be. I squeezed Seth’s hands and stepped closer, resting my head against his chest. His heart beat heavy within. No doubt his emotions were tangled up as well.

“I know,” I said softly. “I feel the same way.”

He held me tight and kissed my forehead. “When we find Jerome . . . when you free him . . . it’ll go quickly, won’t it?”

“Yeah. I don’t know how long it’ll take, but . . . well, I think it’ll be pretty fast. That’s how it was when he was taken.”

“And that’s it.”

“I guess.”

We stood there, both of us hurting and confused. I didn’t think anything could be worse than when Seth had forcibly ended things back in December. I understood now that he’d done it because he thought it would be for the greater good, but it still smarted. And this . . . this was a pain of a different type. When Seth and I first kissed back at my apartment, I thought this could all be a vacation for me, just as it was for the vampires. Seth would be my sunshine, something I could have a brief fling with before returning to my dreary immortality. I could take the memories with me, and that would be enough.

Only now, standing with him, I realized it wouldn’t be enough. It would only hurt more now, knowing exactly what I could never have again. I would never make love with Seth again, never have these intimate moments of comfort and rapport. He wasn’t mine anymore. He never could be again.

“I don’t know what to do,” Seth said, kissing my forehead.

“What do you mean? We don’t have a choice.”

“We always have a choice, Thetis. After this, even when you’re a succubus again . . . I don’t know. I wanted so badly to protect you from all the world’s hurts. I still do. But after being with you this last week, I’m starting to wonder if—”

“You have got to be fucking kidding me.”

Seth and I looked up in surprise. I would have expected Roman to come bust up our romantic interlude or maybe even Grace, in defense of her prize. What I was not expecting, however, was Dante.