Page 78 of Born Free

“I should have known better,” Roman continues. His eyes fall to my fingers, and he watches as I trace patterns into his skin. “I underestimated Orlando. And you had to die, save me from death, and go through losing Sebastian in a whole different way. I’m so sorry, Juliet.”

His eyes rise to meet mine. I study his. He’s being truthful. He is sorry. He understands. He feels guilty right now. I feel all of his emotions deep in our now intermingled souls. I don’t want him feeling guilty. I lean forward and press my lips to his, lingering there, breathing the same air.

“Sebastian knew what he was doing,” I say. My voice sounds a little raw. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

He brings a hand to the back of my head, his forehead touching mine. There’s a lot of raw energy moving between us. Too much has transpired in the past… I don’t even know how many hours. Life has shifted, changed forever.

Much for the bad, but hopefully much for the good.

“We got word from my spy about twenty minutes ago,” Roman says. “Orlando and all of his House members have landed back in Spain. It’s confirmed.”

I let out a breath I think I’ve been holding for eleven days.

He’s gone.

It’s over.

It’s finished.

And it came with the cost of Sebastian sacrificing himself.

“Come on,” Roman says, dreading the words, even as they leave his lips. “Jay has finished the hole, and everyone is waiting.”

My entire body goes cold at the words.

But I picture that coffin Sebastian was lowered into, and I know what must happen now.

So, I fight off the overwhelming need to break down. I get up. I put on the black dress Elena brings to the room. I twist my white hair back. And when I’m ready, I step out into the chapel with Roman by my side.

Sebastian hurt so many people in this city. What he did was awful.

But still, Elena and Mason wait for us, all dressed in black. I lay eyes on Sigrid for the first time in forever and wonder if she has any idea what the cost was for me and Roman to still be here. Warren stands at his mother’s side. Several doctors and nurses are waiting, as well.

After all he did, there are still people gathered here who loved or respected him. After all, what he accomplished is astonishing. Sebastian was more capable than anyone I know.

Was.

The past-tense thought sends a singular tear down my cheek. But I brush it away and step into the command center chapel.

The coffin rests in the center of the room. It’s closed, and for that, I’m grateful. I don’t think I could handle seeing his face just one last time. Or watching the lid be closed, never to be opened again.

Maybe there should be words spoken. People are supposed to say nice things about you when you die. But this is a complicated situation, and what happened is too fresh.

So, one by one, we follow out after the coffin as Jay wheels it out the back door. I’ve never spent much time out here. There’s a small courtyard, green space comes at an all-time premium in the city. But where there once was grass, it’s now mostly an open hole, six feet deep.

The coffin sits poised and ready. If anyone has any last words to share, now is the time.

But no one says anything. I cross to the coffin and lay my hand on the lid. It’s almost impossible to believe that Sebastian is in there. He was always larger than life, and his presence alone filled an entire room. And now he’s cold and silent.

A thousand emotions run through me as I look down at the coffin. What Sebastian and I had was something real and raw. It all crashed and burned, but we were something to each other. We saw each other’s darkness, and neither one of us turned away.

Until the dark turned to night.

“Goodbye, Sebastian,” I say softly.

I step back, and Roman, Mason, Jay, and Jon walk up, each taking a corner of the coffin. And even and slow, they lower it into the hole in the back courtyard of a church the man never knew existed.

When he is lowered, Roman takes a step back to my side. Jon comes to the other.

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