Page 74 of Shadowkissed

Mara nods slowly. “Because it would. The union would amplify the celestial inside you—and the shadow that fuelshim.You’re opposites. But together? You’re a door that can’t be closed. You do have the power to destroy him, but you’ve been trained to suppress it for your own safety because it could be your undoing as well. But when joined with darkness, with Seraphiel… it is world-ending and unstoppable.”

“And that’s why he let us go,” I breathe, realization crashing over me. “Because hewantsme to come into it. To let the magic wake up. To love.”

My voice cracks on the word.

Love.

Because that’s what it always circles back to.

Me and Dante.

And the way this thing inside me—this power—keeps responding to him. His touch. His voice. Hislove.

“I’m the trigger,” I say, voice hollow. “If I feel too much… if I lose control…”

“You could break the realms,” Mara says softly. “Or remake them. We don’t know.”

“So, why would you all choose to follow him?” Dante asks as I try to process all of this.

The fallen celestial decides to speak up. “Because, the promises he made, how he sold it. We were nothing but after he took over, we would all be something. Matter and have a place. It was alluring, and he’s terrifying. To have someone so powerful even pretend to believe that you could rise up, well, it seemed profitable.”

“That’s why he didn’t kill Dante right away, why he pushed me instead of just doing it. He wanted to see what it would unlock inside of me to protect him.”

Dante’s suddenly beside me, grounding me with his presence, his warmth.

“You’re not a weapon,” he says. “You’re not a prophecy.”

I look up, wild-eyed. “You don’tknowwhat I am. Hell, I don’t even know what I am.”

“I don’t have to,” he says. “Because I trust who youchooseto be.”

Gods help me.

I believe him.

But I don’t know if that will be enough.

Not this time.

36

DANTE

She’s shaking.

She doesn’t want me to know it, but I feel it in the way her shoulders tighten, in the way her breath stutters as she stares at the rebels like they just read her death sentence aloud.

Celestial. Starborn. World-ending.

She doesn’t say it, but I know what she’s thinking.

That I should run.

That she’s too dangerous. That loving her is a risk no one should take. That she’ll destroy everything if she loses control.

But the thing is is that she’smine.And I’m not going anywhere.

“I’ll stand with you,” I say, low and fierce. “No matter what this means.”

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