Page 107 of A Bond in Flames

“But that doesn’t explain how my and Mari’s bloodlines are connected now.”

“One of your sisters fell to earth, and your family descends from her. That’s why it worked this time, why the fates chose you to break the curse and wake Marigold…” He smiled gently. “It was always going to be you. It had to be you.”

My heart pounded in my chest. I’d been a witch in my first life as well. That’s why my dying vow wasn’t in vain—it was wrapped in magic.

“Love the hat, by the way,” Pascal said, looking me over.

“So do I, you have no idea how much,” I said and pressed my nose to Marigold’s head, breathing her in.

“Can we go home now?” she said sleepily.

Pascal read my instant concern. “She’ll be sleepy for a little while, until she gets used to being awake.”

I tilted my head to the doors and raised a brow in question.

Pascal nodded. “I made good use of your potion.”

I tucked Mari in close. “Yeah, baby, we can go home now.”

The forest was quiet when we left. We had to hide a few times from demon scouts, but we made it back to the beach without too much trouble. When we reached the dinghy, three demons were waiting for us. Pascal’s hands were a blur as he took them out easily with his knives.

Now we just had to wait for Death.

But the lightning and thunder hadn’t slowed; it intensified, and I was getting seriously worried.

Death was a part of me now, and his rage was bigger than I’d ever felt it, and the more time that passed, the more lost to it he became. He was buried so deep in his hatred, in his need to hurt Nox for all she’d done to him and his brother and to me and Marigold, he couldn’t get back out.

I knew if I didn’t do something, he’d lose all sense of time and place; he’d be trapped in that rage and struggle to find a way back out.

I had to do something, and I had to do it now.

“You need to go with Uncle Pascal, okay, Marigold? Mommy will be back soon.”

Pascal turned to me, alarm on his face. “What are you doing?”

I looked up at the sky as lightning forked through it, and a moment later, a boom rumbled so loud, the ground shook. “I need to go and get him.”

“It’s too dangerous,” he said, shaking his head.

“I don’t have a choice.” I handed my daughter to Pascal, and he took her, holding her in a way that let me know he’d done it before in her dreams. “Take her to the ship and wait there. If I’m not back by morning, go without us.”

Pascal jerked back. “What? No.”

“The only thing that matters is keeping Marigold safe. If we’re not back by morning, get her to the castle, to Somnus.”

“Zinnia—”

“Promise me,” I said.

“Hang on a minute—”

“Promise me.”

His jaw tightened. “I promise.”

“Thank you. Now get in the boat.” I kissed Marigold’s soft cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”

“No,” she whimpered. “No, Mommy.”

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