Prologue
Prologue
Gravity.
It was a b***h. It’s what pulled Heaven toward the trees and river below the cliff.
Fear beat within her—from seeing where the lightning bolt originated, from the way the ground moaned below, from her racing heart when the earthy foundation disappeared.
Her muscles burned as she strained to hold on to the only thing keeping her alive.
Dylan.
He had a decent grip on her hand, countering her weight as her feet dangled over a valley of treetops. It had been his hand that caused lightning to strike the ground and produce the crater that had swallowed her father-in-law. Now that same hand decided her fate of being pulled to the ledge or cast to a woodsy grave.
Dylan had the strength to save her, but emotions often made a man weak. He had many emotions spinning inside him. Fear. Desperation. Guilt. There was a lot of guilt. She’d sensed every ounce after Adalyn lifted the block between them.
“Heaven,” he shouted. “Don’t let go. Hang on just a little longer.”
Rain pelted her face. “I don’t know if I can. Your hand is slippery. There’s too much water.”
“Don’t. Let. Go.” His voice grew rougher, then it changed to a higher pitch as he yelled for help.
Why was he working so hard to save her? She’d broken his heart. His stern face hid many of his feelings, yet it didn’t hide the pain in his eyes. Saving her meant more suffering for him and their daughter. She didn’t want to hurt them anymore, but things had changed. She’d changed. Though her heart still held love for him, it beat stronger for another.
Even if Dylan didn’t get her to safety, their daughter would be okay. Adalyn had a family who loved her, a father to guide her, and a Keeper who would die for her. She would survive.
Death seemed a small price to pay. Besides, Adalyn wasn’t the only person Heaven would save from The Fallen. She would protect her family. This mess had begun with Heaven, and so would it end.
She eased her grip.
A look of horror washed over Dylan’s face. More pleading rolled off his tongue as their hands slipped farther apart. His raspy words were indiscernible. Blood pumped loudly in her ears. Those words meant nothing now. Her fate was sealed.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
A last glance between them was all she could spare. Numbness bit her fingers, then all feeling disappeared. One by one, her fingers began uncurling from Dylan’s. He hadn’t released his grip, but the dampness that formed in their palms was causing her to slip.
Another wave of fear crashed into her once she saw Layne. He joined Dylan on the ground and thrust his hand toward her. The noble gesture flooded Heaven with hope, yet gravity remained an ugly truth waiting to steal it away.
“Heaven, don’t let go! Hang on. Please hold on.” The urgency in Layne’s voice made her heart sink. Words failed to form. She was tired. Weak. Fading…
I love you.
She didn’t speak the words. There was no need. Their energy combined in one last embrace, revealing what she already knew. He loved her too. He always had and always would.
They would meet again.
The clamminess of Dylan’s hand faded, and she fell. A gust of wind blew her hair upward. Its powerful current sucked her into a vortex. It wouldn’t be much longer before she hit the trees. Once she did, it would be over.
Cries rang from two distinct voices she’d never hear again. Then a line of fire shot toward her. It circled her waist, spreading Layne’s heat over her body.
His last attempt to save her didn’t instill any hope. It only reminded her of how much she loved him. She savored the last fiery touch of his energy and shut her eyes. All the tension in her muscles faded.
Branches scraped her back once she fell through the top tier of trees. The leaves swallowed her view of the cliff. As she collided with something firm, it forced out what little breath she had. Darkness beckoned her forward.
Then a cold abyss of nothing carried her away.
