Masquerade (Heven and Hell #1)(73)
Author: Cambria Hebert

“Will you come?”

“She stays with me?” Why was I considering this? Because if there was even the slightest chance for Heven to live, I would do whatever it took.

“Of course.” Airis came forward and my heart picked up its pace.

“Stay back.”

“I won’t hurt you.”

It wasn’t me that I cared about. Airis reached out a hand and placed it on my shoulder, causing warmth to spread throughout my body. The air around the three of us began to shimmer.

“What…?”

Before I could say anything else everything went white.

Airis brought us to a place – a void – where there was nothing. No color, no life, not even any noise except for the sound of two people’s breathing. I wasn’t scared of this place, but I wasn’t at complete peace here either. It was a totally neutral world – a place where you waited. Waited for something else to come along. My eyes watered as they tried to adjust from the darkness I had just left to this never ending sea of bright white.

“Would you give up your life for hers?” Airis asked, breaking into my thoughts.

“Yes.”

“Just like that?” She seemed surprised that I didn’t need to think about it. I would do anything for Heven, including dying so she could live.

“Yes.”

“All right then.” She inclined her head and raised her palms above her. Light seemed to gather in her palms, but I couldn’t be sure because everything here was so bright. I watched as the light grew brighter and brighter, then Airis made a motion like she would fling the light right at me.

“Wait!”

Airis paused, lowering her hands. “Have you changed your mind?”

I recoiled from the idea. “No.” I waited a moment for some of my disgust to dissolve then said, “Can I have a moment with her?”

Airis inclined her head, “Of course.”

For the first time since Airis brought us to this place, I looked down. Even in death she was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Holding her tightly I looked around for somewhere to lay her. Almost as if I conjured it, a bed swathed in very pale gold appeared before me. I went to it, gently laid her on the satin and kneeled before her. I always knew that I would leave her eventually; what was between us couldn’t last. The knowledge didn’t make saying goodbye any easier.

I cupped her cheek, turning her face to the side to see her clearly. “I love you,” I whispered, brushing the pad of my thumb across her bottom lip. It was like blue ice. “I did this to you…but I’m going to make it right.” I leaned in and kissed her, the last time I would ever do so.

“Who’s going to protect her when I am dead?”

“There is a plan in place for her safety,” Airis responded.

“Goodbye,” I whispered before I took one last look before making myself straighten and walk away from her. It was the hardest thing I’d ever done. I looked up at Airis who stood in the same place as before with the same ball of light in her palms. “I’m ready.”

I didn’t lower my head or shield my eyes from death. I stood tall and watched the ball of light spiral toward me. Dying is easy when you do it for someone you love more than yourself. The light got closer, and I felt its heat. It burned fiercely when it slammed into my skin, but I didn’t feel the pain long. That was the one good thing about death: no pain.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Heven

My eyes jerked open, and I gasped for air so forcefully I sat up. Where was I? What was happening? I focused on my surroundings, but couldn’t really settle on anything to tell me where I was. Everything was very bright and quiet. “Sam?”

“You are safe here.”

I spun around to see who spoke. It was a beautiful woman dressed all in white.

“Where’s Sam?”

She didn’t answer but her eyes drifted to something lying on the floor.

“Sam!” I surged across the room to where he lay, and I noticed right away that his bare chest did not rise and fall with breath. My stomach clenched. He wasn’t moving, and he didn’t respond to my cries. I shook him, slapped him, even pulled his hair but he wouldn’t wake up.

“Help me!” I cried to the woman who stood and watched me flail about to help him.

“You cannot help him, he has died.”

He wasn’t dead. He couldn’t be. He wouldn’t leave me. I screamed his name once more, the shrill sound sure to wake him. It didn’t. “No,” I sobbed and lowered my head to his chest. I waited and waited for the sound of his heartbeat. It never came.

Sam was dead.

“What did you do to him!” I screamed, standing up to face the woman.

“He exchanged his life for yours.”

“No!” I shook my head. It was impossible! I wasn’t dead. I hadn’t died! I looked around for some sort of reality. There was nothing. There was no color except for the three of us and a bed draped in pale gold satin. How did we get here?

“I brought you here,” the woman spoke. “You were in a car accident.”

Realization dawned. I remembered China chasing me, the car running off the road. I was hurt and wanted Sam…I gasped. Had I died?

The woman nodded gently. “He loved you.”

Loved. Past tense. “He died for me?” I whispered.

“He wanted you to live.”

“I don’t want to live without him.”

“Why is that?”

I dropped to my knees before him. A lock of hair had fallen onto his forehead, and I brushed it aside. Tears slid down my cheeks and dropped onto his. “Because I love him.” My words were broken.

If the woman made a response I didn’t hear it. I curled up next to him and put my head on his chest. I felt the loss of him so deeply that I was sure I would die from it. I wished I could – then we could be together again. Suddenly I felt very warm so I looked up. An intensely bright light surrounded us. I reached up, put a hand over his face to shield him and ducked my face into his neck. It was so hot…

Then there was nothing.

A cool breeze brushed over my skin, cooling and soothing me. My entire body ached, and I moaned.

“Heven?”

His voice was so sweet. I’d thought I would never hear it again. I must be dreaming. Not wanting to wake I burrowed further into sleep and willed him to come to me.

“Heven?”

Sam.

“Why isn’t she waking up?” His voice was anxious, not as it should be in a dream. “What’s wrong with her?”