Page 63 of Love Summoned

Nix catches himself on his hands as he falls forward.

“It’s gonna be okay.” I sniff as I take Nix’s weight, his head resting in my lap. “We can fix this. Celeste will hold back time, and we’ll make a potion. We can—we can—”

“Len,” Jett calls out, stealing my attention in time to see Lennox clouded in a halo of light. He closes his eyes, his face filled with peace as he slowly fades away.

A white and gray wolf bolts across the stone floor, shifting within seconds into Nikita’s human form just in time to slide under Jett as he falls. He leans into her chest, staring up at her as the same white light surrounds him. Jett reaches up, his finger gliding down Nikita’s cheek before he disappears too.

“No.” I shake my head. “This isn’t right.”

“Yes, it is, my witch.” A hand lightly grips mine. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Catori, about why my brothers and I were really here.”

I shake my head. “I don’t care about that.”

I bring his palm to my lips, my tears blurring his face. His amber eyes flicker gold as they stare up at me with admiration. He opens his other hand, revealing a necklace with the same symbol as my mother’s ring. “My mother was Cassandra Nestor.”

“What?”

“It was in my blood too—the power of the Seven Sisters.” Nix’s voice grows weaker. “I can kill Catori.”

“But Sloane and I wrote a new talisman spell that severed Catori’s power from his demons.” Catori stumbles through the cavern. His roaring and crying give way to hysteria as more demons fall. Half of his face is marred with scorch marks, one eye completely white, the other black.

“Chimere!” he wails to his seer. I haven’t seen her since the fight broke out.

“You didn’t have to die with him.” I choke on a sob. “We could have had more time.”

Nix cups my cheek, brushing his thumb back and forth over my tear-soaked skin. “No matter where I go, my soul will always belong to you.”

I bring my lips to his, my grip on his hand tightening as he seals his mouth to mine.

“I love you, Sera.”

“Fucking witch!” Hynde drags his body across the rubble, one arm engulfed in flames. He pulls back, throwing it my way, but Nix lifts a palm. Smoke laced with vines of glowing purple hit Hynde’s chest, spreading like poisoned veins.

Hynde claws at his skin as if he’s trying to peel it off before he explodes into black ash.

“That was for touching my witch,” Nix wheezes as his hand falls limp by his side. “You need to get out of here.” He coughs. “Celeste. Rowan. Nikita. They should be able to find the way back to where we came in. A succubus can portal you out. Probably for a price.” He chuckles.

“I’m not leaving you.”

“Sera, this place is falling apart,” Sloane calls.

Nix swipes away a fresh tear from my eye. “Go, now. I don’t know what will happen to this place once Catori falls.”

I search for my sister, knowing I don’t have the strength to pick myself up and walk away.

She pushes out of Rowan’s arms, running straight for me. “Come on, Sera. We need to go.”

“I-I know,” I cry.

“Look after her.” Nix squeezes my hand, but he’s looking at my sister.

“I promise.” She sniffs through unsteady words. “I’m sorry.”

“Girls, come on.” Celeste and Delaney are arm in arm as the latter limps toward a tunnel.

Rowan hugs his sister to his side as he watches us with sadness. “Love, we can’t wait any longer.”

Sloane grips my shoulders, urging me to my feet. I shrug her off and grip Nix’s face in my hands, pressing my lips to his for one last kiss. “I love you, Nikolai,” I murmur as white light surrounds him like a halo.