Page 2 of Fated for Dawn

Suddenly, he moved, raising slowly, deliberately, standing tall. For a brief, trembling moment, relief surged through me.

Everything was going to be okay.

But that relief curdled into dread when his body went stiff as a board and his eyes locked onto the goddess, alert and guarded.

Words floated between them, muffled and distorted. I strained to listen, but I could only attempt to decipher gestures from Goddess Hecate. The glow in her eyes burned brighter with every word. Alister’s lips moved in response, but his voice was nothing but an indistinct hum.

I searched his face for clues.

He was calm.

Too calm.

Then Hecate and Alister turned toward me.

Their gazes locked onto mine. Hecate’s expression was neutral, impenetrable. But Alister’s…The calm that was present only moments ago was now full of anguish.

A deep, aching sorrow hit me, threatening to tear me apart.

It felt like a goodbye.

He nodded once at Goddess Hecate, and my stomach twisted with dread.

No. No, whatever he’s agreed to, it’s wrong.

Goddess Hecate stepped forward, her voice cutting through the haze as my hearing returned, and I could finally move my upper body. “Evelyn, listen. This is important.”

But I couldn’t. All I could think about was Alister. The way he looked at me tore my soul apart.

“Alister,” I choked out, my voice trembling.

Goddess Hecate’s tone softened. “A sacrifice must be made.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, frantic, my mind racing to catch up with the reality unfolding around me.

“Only one of you can return to the living world. The black flames were deadly, but Alister, being a vampire, survived the sword to the heart. A blow like that isn’t fatal to his kind, and you took the brunt of the flames. You died, Evelyn—he did not.”

“If he didn’t die, then why is he here? And what does that have to do with him remaining?” I demanded, still struggling to process.

Goddess Hecate’s gaze remained steady. “Alister exchanged his life for yours. You’re far too important to the world’s fate, but a sacrifice must be made. Your mates are meant to protect you and make you stronger. If they can’t give their lives for you, then they serve no purpose to us.”

“I don’t agree with this sacrifice!”

“You’re dead because you tried to save him,” she reminded me, her tone sharper now. “If you hadn’t, you’d still be breathing.”

“What sort of person would I be if I didn’t try to save everyone I care about?”

“You need to put the world’s fate above your feelings,” Goddess Hecate retorted.

I let out a frustrated huff, refusing to entertain the thought. “I do not accept Alister’s sacrifice.”

“Are you telling me that you will allow the entire world to suffer, including your other four mates, by remaining in the Shadow Realm just so I send Alister back?” she countered.

Her words hit me like a blow, and I froze, the weight of her reasoning sinking in. My heart ached, but I couldn’t deny the truth of what she said.

“My sacrifice is the only solution,” Alister intervened, his voice steady yet filled with a quiet sorrow. “So you can go back and stop Eris.”

“But you’ll die!” I protested.

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