Katie's Hope

Break the bond, and Death will free you both. She knew what it meant in her dream but was terrified of following her footsteps. Katie tried to concentrate on the words, wanting to help Rhyn before it was too late. She forced herself to close her eyes to the battle and repeated the phrase over and over, searching for another meaning.

"Not the time for riddles, Gabriel!" she muttered. Rhyn had broken their bond. Unless, like her dream …I have to break it, too. Her eyes flew open, and she stared at the men battling.

What words had Rhyn used? "I release you of our bond, Rhyn."

She opened her eyes, expecting a miracle to occur and the battle to be won. Nothing happened. "I release you of our bond, Rhyn."

Nothing. Darkyn turned on Gabriel and slashed his back. Rhyn blocked a second blow that might've taken the assassin's head off and shoved Darkyn before whirling to meet Gabriel's blow. Darkyn changed into his demon form and tackled Rhyn, who threw him off.

He wasn't going to make it. If he died, it was because of her, and either Death or Hell would claim her.

"I can't live with that, Rhyn," she whispered.

Death would free them. Herdeath, as in her dream. There was no other choice. Her attention turned to a different direction, the way they'd come from the beach. She hesitated only a second more before she started running. She left the sounds of the battle behind her, her thoughts on Rhyn and nothing else.

The distance back to the beach seemed much longer than it had in her dream. Terror drove her to ignore the pain in her lungs and legs. She made it to the sand before forced to slow to a walk by the ankle-deep, loose sand. Agonizing over how much time Rhyn had, she finally reached the water-soaked sand and sucked in ragged breaths as she knelt for a moment of rest.

"Death will free us both." Her hand went to her stomach, and her eyes watered.

Trust my Gabriel, human, a woman's voice whispered into her mind. This is the only way. Heart hammering, she rose, took a deep breath, and waded into the warm water. Waves licked at her ankles, her thighs, her chest. She started to chicken out when one went over her head and filled her mouth with salt water. Katie stood on her tiptoes and looked up, taking one last look at the blue sky before she held her breath and ducked beneath the water. She swam as far from the beach as she could, expelled her breath, then drew in a mouthful of water.