Chapter dedicated to 1AMLoser. Thanks, love, for reading and making the vote button your friend! lol.

Chapter 134 –I'll Hear You Pray– Raine's POV

"How the fuck are we supposed to reach Armand from this dimension?" Echo asked. "It's not like they have the same cell service."

Cage quickly typed on his phone, his brow furrowed in concentration. "No, but there is a connection hardwired through a portal. Once we tap into it, we will be able to access the human world's communications systems."

"Shit," Echo breathed.

A few more keystrokes and Cage lifted the phone to his ear. It rang twice before a familiar female voice answered cautiously, "Hello?"

Brialle!

"It's me, Micage." His voice was low and controlled. I had expected to hear Armand answer the phone and then realized calling Brialle was a much smarter option, in case Armand was still in the midst of his agony.

Brialle voice rose as she whispered frantically, "Cage! Where is my daughter? What have you done?!"

I held my breath.

"Raine is just fine. She is here with me. I promise we will tell you everything, but right now, I just need you to answer a question—"

She cut him off, "How?! How did you do it? How did you sever the bond?! I know it had to be you."

There was a collective loud gasp amongst our group. Everyone was able to hear her easily and everyone realized the incredible implication of her words. Echo snatched me off the ground and twirled me around, muttering in my hair, "Holy mother of fuck, you actually did it!"

Cage growled a warning to Echo while trying to calm down Brialle at the same time. "We don't have time to explain right now, but we are headed home. We'll see you in two to three days. I have to go now."

"Give my love to my daughter! And promise me you'll keep her safe!"

Cage grinned, his silvery gaze never faltering from mine. He spoke reassurances into the phone, "On my life, I promise I will take care of her."

After he hung up, he snatched me into his arms and whispered, "Let's get the fuck out of here!"

From behind us, a deep voice interrupted, "I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that."

Cage spun around, shoving me behind him. His posture was low, an unspoken warning, as he faced Acheron. Still trying to salvage our unhindered departure, Cage replied with forced decorum, "We are grateful for your hospitality, but as it turns out, we do not need your services after all, so will take our leave."

Skoldr's lip curled up into a sneer. "You are not going anywhere unless we allow it. And we have no intention of allowing anything."

Fire, white hot anger, roiled through my belly, leaving me quivering in anticipation of a fight.

"Now, son, patience," Acheron interrupted with a smirk and then called out a command, "Sofielle!"

Shockingly, she just appeared by his side. Out of thin air. There she stood. Her teeth bared, her fists clenched. She vibrated with animosity.

Acheron's beady gaze locked on me. "There is no reason our confrontation needs to end in bloodshed. I am solely interested in my granddaughter. The rest of you may leave. Except for her mate of course. You will need to stay close until my mage arrives to unbind you."

"Like fuck," Cage snarled, all pretenses of cordiality gone.

The blitz that ensued took me completely off-guard. Skoldr was lightning fast. As fast as any vampire. He broke through our first wall of defense, and made it all of the way to Cage, the last barrier to me. Cage went on the attack, forcing him back, knocking him on his ass. Skoldr jumped to his feet and flashed a feral grin to Cage.

I positioned myself next to Cage, my teeth bared, eyes blazing. Skoldr snorted, "That little parlor trick doesn't work on me, my dear."

I narrowed my eyes dangerously. But I couldn't ponder his words any longer because suddenly Acheron and Lady Sofielle joined the fray, and we were all engaged in the fight.

We held our own, just barely. But as the fight wore on and one after another of our group fell, I realize with shocking certainty, we weren't prepared for this. We weren't prepared for a war.

Time seemed to lag, to decelerate. The battle swirled around me, chaotic and fierce, horrible. But it was as if I was watching a movie in slow motion when I saw Lady Sofielle's strike in crystal clear clarity. Her hand swept up in the air gracefully, pulled back and then shot forward with her palm out. Energy and fire released from her angry fist. Her target - Cage!

Horror consumed me as my brain mentally calculated Cage's chances of avoiding a direct hit. The odds were zero. He hadn't seen her release her vengeance. He didn't know it was coming. But I did. Time slowed down even more, just a snail's pace now, as I watched the firestorm fly through the air.

My mouth was already open, screaming his name, "Cage!!!"

It wasn't enough.

Not enough time existed for me to clarify my warning, to tell him it was coming and how to avoid it. Cage's silver eyes snapped up to meet mine. The absolute devastation on my face must have been enough to make him understand he was in imminent danger, because he dropped to the ground.

But again, it wasn't enough.

He hadn't been fast enough to avoid the impact. It crashed into him, hurling his body forward fifteen feet. He landed face down.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. The only command my body knew was my brain's overwhelming instinct to get to him. I kept low to the ground and snaked my way through the bodies. The noise around me faded away. It was almost as if I was underwater, and the only sound I heard was adrenaline crashing a chaotic and furious beat through my head. Pounding. Trilling.

He had to be okay. He just had to be!

But the closer I got to him, the more dread filled my heart. My already tenuous grip on hope faltered and slipped away almost completely. He had a gaping wound in the center of his back, its edges blistered and smoking – silver!

"No, no, no!!!!"

"Please, God, no!!"

The prayer replayed as a chant in my head.

I rolled his body over.

He groaned loudly. His face contorted in pain. His jaw clenched. I cried frantically, "Cage! Cage, please listen to me...you're going to be okay, do you hear me?!" I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince him or me.

But the unfathomable sadness in his eyes told me he knew better. He knew he wasn't going to be okay. With great difficultly, he rasped, "I'm sorry..."

"No, don't be sorry...just fight. Please Cage, I need you to fight," I begged him. He gave a harsh cough and gurgled, blood spitting out of his mouth and down his chin. His chest rose and fell in a jagged rhythm, sporadic.

"You'll be with me...no matter how far...I won't let you go," he promised, his breathing labored, like he had just run a marathon. Beads of sweat rolled down his brow.

"Shh...it's going to be okay." I stroked his face, barely able to control my panic and hysteria.

His eyelids were heavy. He fought to keep them open. "When I'm gone," his words were slurred, his voice thick. "I'll hear you pray...every word..."

I clutched his face. Tears streamed down my cheeks. "Don't you do it! Don't you dare tell me goodbye!! I'm going to get you out of here. You're going to be okay!"

"Dulce Tigru...so much fire..." he whispered. He could barely speak, but every syllable resounded with a symphony of love, the harmony of his heart laid bare for me. One last time.

"No, Cage...don't do this. Please don't do this!" I pleaded desperately.

His face contorted in pain, tears slipping down his cheeks. "I'll love you forever, Tigru."  This time, his agony wasn't physical. His heart was breaking along with mine.

The heaviness of his eyelids finally won out. He could no longer hold them open.

No, no, no!!!

This couldn't be happening! This couldn't be the last time I stared into his beautiful sterling eyes.

I needed him. Didn't he know I needed him?!

I shook his large frame, but he remained motionless. His body limp. "Don't you leave me, you bastard! Don't you dare leave me!" I screamed. But even as I screamed the words, I felt it.

A fissure tear in our mate bond.

Stabbing pain ricocheted through my chest. I panted harshly. My body convulsed, a hard shudder running down my spine.

His chest rose and fell one last time...and then stopped altogether. That vibrant spark of life in him was just gone. He was gone. There was no doubt. Pain wracked through every inch of my body. Every fiber of my being , burned from the inside out. I turned my head to the sky, my body shaking uncontrollably and wailed, "Nooooo!!!!"

There was no answer.

I dropped onto his body and clutched his chest, uncontrollable sobs wrenching out of my throat. Devastation consumed me. There was no light or darkness. No today or tomorrow. I was lost in a sea of pain.

"Fuck!" A familiar, but unexpected voice cursed from behind me.

Marku!

Right now, I didn't give a shit. He could kill me, for all I cared. Just as long as he did it where I lay. Cage was gone. I had no reason to go on. No reason to move from this spot. Ever.

Marku crouched behind me, his hands rough on my shoulders. He spoke urgently, "We can't stay here! My men can hold them off long enough for us to get free, but we can't win. Not today. I've already lost four. There are not enough of us to defeat them today."

I jerked free from his grip and clutched tighter to Cage's lifeless body. "Just leave me! Let me die" I snarled.

"I am not going to let you die," he hissed. Abruptly, he wrenched my body away from Cage's and rolled with me still in his arms. When our bodies came to a halt, I found him crouched in front of me, fierce growls percussing through his chest. Lady Sofielle strode forward, her eyes gleaming with malice and hate. Her focus was on Cage.

No!! What more could she do? Hadn't she already done enough?

I watched in horror as the answer was no.

With another sweep of her arms, Cage's body went up in flames!

I screamed, a primal roar, and charged at her.

"Stop!" Marku roared and leaped to intercept my attack, wrapping his powerful arms around me like bands of steel, shoving me behind his body as he faced off with Lady Sofielle again.

Rage and pain seared through my consciousness. But I couldn't fight him. I couldn't fight her. I wasn't strong enough. Not anymore. The agony of the mate bond caused debilitating pain in every inch of me. I could barely think, let alone fight. I sagged down to the ground.

Marku's body quivered as he balanced on the balls of his feet, waiting for the powerful Fae's next move. She gave us one last glance and turned on her heels, darting back toward the house.

Acheron and Skoldr were still in hand to hand combat with several vampires each. Marku gathered me into his arms and cradled me against his chest. He didn't get thirty feet before Echo barreled into his path. Echo was covered in blood. He bared his fangs and growled, "I don't think so, mate. You're not taking her anywhere."

Marku hissed, "I don't have time to fight with you. Help me get her out of her. If we fight, we all die."

Echo shook his head defiantly.

"Stop," I croaked. "Just stop."

Echo froze and looked at me in confusion. I panted, "No one else will die for me. Not today. Don't fight him."

Echo's expression contorted, "I can't let him just walk away with you."

"Then come with me and protect her," Marku growled. "You have no idea who Acheron is. What he is capable of."

"Oh, I think it's pretty clear now," Echo replied through clenched teeth.

"Her only chance is with me. You can help or not, but get the fuck out of my way!"

"Talon," I rasped. "Get Talon." I couldn't lose him too. But I wasn't even sure he was still alive.

"Fucking hell," Marku snarled. "We do not have time for this."

Echo gritted his teeth. "Take her! I'll get Talon. We'll be right behind you. What are the coordinates for the portal?"

Marku spat out several numbers and then we were in motion, the forest a blur as he moved with the sleek grace and speed of a panther. Careening around trees and hurtling over ground debris, never slowing down, never faltering in his gate.

My brain was in a fog.

I couldn't think straight.

There was only one thing I could think or feel...pain.

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Hmm...not sure I should ask for thoughts here, but go ahead and hit me with them.