Undead Or Alive (Bad Things #3)(48)

“I chose to give up my wings.”

“Right. But you did that for me.” He pushed the box at her. “And I can finally give them back to you.”

“What?” Her jaw dropped.

“Take the box.”

She took the box. Yanked it open. And her knees almost gave way. Her wings were in that box. Shimmering, silken…as soft as a dream. As perfect as her memory.

Amber felt tears on her cheeks.

“I can’t…I can’t put them back on you.” Now Luke’s voice was ragged. “Because the fairy part of you? That’s the part I could never touch.”

Her supposed good side.

Luke and Leo were two distinct halves. Luke had gotten the dark powers. Leo had been given the light ones. But she was different from her brothers. Light and dark had merged within her, always fighting.

Nearly breaking her apart.

“I can get Leo to do it,” Luke continued gruffly. “I’ll force Leo to—”

Wind whipped against her. She couldn’t look away from her wings. Her beautiful wings. Still dark and lovely, after all this time.

Magic.

“Force me to do what?” Leo demanded.

Because, of course, he was there.

“My wings,” she whispered. “Luke got my wings back.”

Stunned silence.

“I can’t put them back on her,” Luke said quietly. “I don’t have that magic. Only you—”

Leo took the wings without another word. He stared into Amber’s eyes. “Please don’t f*cking give them up again.”

“Yeah,” Luke added, his voice gruff. “You don’t want to know what I did to get those back.”

Then Leo was behind her. Her head still bowed forward because she couldn’t believe it. Her magic—her wings.

She felt the glow in her back. Felt the pain that she’d carried in her scars melt away.

And then…

Power flooded through her, pouring into every single cell in her body. She looked down at her hands and her skin was glowing. She tossed back her head and she laughed—and she flew. For the first time in so many years, she— “You are beautiful.”

Cass.

Cass was there. Standing right beside Luke. Staring at her as if she were the most amazing thing that he’d ever seen.

She flew to him. Always, to him.

“I have my wings, Cass!” She had her power fully restored. “I’m back! I’m—I’m whole again!”

“You were always whole to me.” He smiled at her. “You’ve always been perfect to me.”

She realized he meant those words.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out something small…something gold…something— Amber gave a quick cry. “My bracelet!” She’d thought it was long gone.

But Cass gently hooked it around her wrist. “It brought me to you. I just…I needed to bring it back to you.” Then Cass looked down at his gloved hands. “Guess Luke and I both wanted to return something to you.” He glanced at Luke. “That’s why you wanted her back, huh, Luke? To give her the wings?”

“Amber had her damn hide-me spell in place. I couldn’t find her and she deserved those damn wings. I would have made any deal to get her back.”

His deal. Amber blinked and a little of her joy faded. She looked at Luke. “You promised him…a mate.”

Luke gave a grim nod of his head.

“Someone he could touch.” She reached for one of Cass’s gloved hands. “Someone he wouldn’t fear hurting.”

“Yes,” Luke gritted and it sounded as if he were choking on nails. “And Cass held up his end of the bargain…so that means I will, too. Dammit.”

She shook her head and the pain in her chest got worse. Cass deserved to touch—he deserved to be happy. But it was going to tear out her heart—her soul—when he went to another. She loved him, so much. So fast. So deep. I fell for him…

“Take off his gloves, Amber,” Luke ordered.

“Wh-what?”

“You’re the one.” Luke crossed his arms over his chest. Mina patted his shoulder, as if to comfort him. “I knew it all f*cking along—why do you think those gloves worked?”

She’d feared… “They were made of fairy wings?”

“Dust. Fucking fairy dust…and I can’t even believe I just said that shit.” He glared at Cass. “The last bit of dust that existed. You know where fairy dust comes from, Reaper? It comes from fairies when they cry. Their tears turn into pure magic. I gave you that magic and when it worked…hell, I knew Amber would be the one for you. She was born—f*cking literally—to be touched by you.”

Amber yanked the gloves off Cass.

“No, wait,” Cass said. “What if it doesn’t work, what if—”

“Then my brothers can bring my ass back.” Again. She wrapped her hands around his. And she felt the heat instantly. Warm, consuming…

Binding.

Not killing. A connection was forging right between them that had nothing to do with death and everything to do with love.

“I’m touching you,” Cass rasped.

She brought their linked hands up. She kissed the back of his hand.