Prophecy

Chapter 70: Panic

*Xavia's POV*

The moment Grace was taken, my world shattered. Panic surged through me, leaving me breathless and trembling as the image of her being dragged away replayed in my mind. The fear I felt had utterly paralyzed me... It was an insidious presence that tore at my sanity. Each second without her felt like an eternity of torment. Our undeniable mate bond pounded; it was still alive, but her absence left an unbearable hole in my heart.

I could feel her suffering like knives slicing through my flesh, every cut, every bruise mirrored in my soul.

I am powerless to help her right now, and this helplessness is suffocating.

We were still in the air when he retreated, and soon, Aubrey and Raziel landed on the roof beside me. I didn't have to look at their faces to see them etched with concern; I felt it—sensed it, too. Part of me wanted to keep what I knew was happening to Grace a secret so my family wouldn't share my pain, but... My body betrayed me as marks, slices, and cuts began to light up across all of my skin, each one a cruel reminder of the pain my mate was enduring.

Aubs soon noticed what was happening to my body. I saw the teardrop that splashed by her feet.

I'm so sorry, Aubs...

I am so very sorry, Grace...

Her ordinarily strong demeanor crumbled as she choked out, "He's doing that to her, isn't he? He's torturing Grace."

I nodded, unable to speak just yet.

The words were lodged in my throat like shards of glass. Saying them out loud would make them too real, and I wasn't sure I could survive that reality. The minutes dragged on, and every beat of my heart amplified the fear that Grace was slipping further away from me.

I started to pace.

My thoughts were a whirlwind of dread and desperation.

The world is crumbling, chaos is spreading like wildfire, and so many are dying... and yet I can only focus on her—my Grace, my love—who is trapped and suffering. I need to save her... If we are to save the world, I need her by my side, my mate—the other half of my soul. Together, we are the pieces of the Prophecy.

I knew what I had to do.

Nothing and no one was going to stop me from saving her.

Raziel's voice cut through the silence as he said, "It's obviously a trap, Xav," his words were heavy with the weight of reality I'd been trying to avoid. "If he's risen, he could start destroying Earth right this very instant... So, why hasn't he?" His eyes bore into mine, challenging me to confront the unsettling truth he laid out. "Why hasn't your father started to do what he's sought out to do for over a millennium?"

I mean...

He does have a point.

Aubrey nodded, her brow furrowed.

"That does sound suspicious," Aubs agreed, "Why would he rise from Hell only to take Grace? It doesn't add up... unless that was his plan all along... I mean, think about it, hot stuff."

Okay, so...

What is my father's angle, then?

There has to be a reason—a twisted, calculated reason behind my father's delay. Raziel isn't wrong; my father isn't the type to hesitate, especially not after waiting centuries for this moment. If he hadn't unleashed his wrath yet, it most likely wouldn't be out of mercy.