"I do not know what else I can say to convince you that nothing has changed, Hades. Because at the end of the day, you are the only one who can decide that for yourself." Casadin looked at him with red-rimmed eyes, his voice low but burning. "But there is one thing I do know. I already almost lost her once, and I do not want that to happen again."
He took a step closer, his expression hardening.
"So if we really were warrior twin angels before... if we really were those twin fools who stabbed each other in the back in our first life... then I may not know why we did it back then, but I will not hesitate to stab you again in this life for Vee's sake, Hades." His jaw clenched. "I do not mind having you in her life. I never did. But I will not let anyone hurt her... especially you... the way you hurt her today."
His eyes did not leave Hades'.
"I will kill you. I promise you that."
And with that, Casadin turned and left him there, walking out of the penthouse to head back upstairs to Evadne in Zeus' penthouse.
Hades remained standing in the middle of the living room.
Then, the moment the door closed behind Casadin, he seemed to collapse like a candle finally consumed by its own flame. His knees gave out, and he sank to the floor.
Then he cried. He had hurt her.
He had hurt the one person who meant the world to him.
The one person who had looked past all his flaws, all his wounds, all his insecurities.
The one person who understood him, believed in him, and loved him even when he had not known how to do those things for himself.
It was not an excuse. It could never be an excuse.
But he had been afraid.
When she could not mark him, he had panicked. He had been terrified of what that mate bond meant. Terrified that it meant she would leave him because of it.
In that moment, all he could think of were the people who had left him.
His biological parents, who had not wanted him.
His adoptive parents, whom he had convinced himself were disappointed in him.
His old circle of friends, who had only ever seen him as a bridge to the Falcon name.
And because he was drowning in those old fears, he failed to see the one truth standing right in front of him.
Evadne had chosen him.
She had chosen him again and again.
She had accepted his past.
She had understood his worst parts.
She had loved him through every sharp edge of himself.
Hades sobbed harder, the sound tearing out of him raw and broken.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, then louder, more desperate. "Baby, I'm so sorry."
That was all that kept spilling out of him.
He did not know how to fix what he had done.
He did not know how he could ever face Evadne after this.
He had hurt her.
He had disrespected her.
He had forced her.
He had done something vile to the one person he loved most.
Hades did not know how he would survive tomorrow knowing what he had done to her.
So he cried.
And over and over, like a prayer that would never be answered, he whispered, "I'm sorry. Baby, I'm so sorry."
Countless visions of tomorrow came to him, each worse than the last. But there was one image that rooted itself in his mind and would not leave no matter how hard he tried to push it away.
Evadne walking away from him.
That single thought hurt so much it felt physical.
The pain ripped through his chest, and Hades crumpled fully onto the floor, lying there as he cried harder.
He cried like that deep into the night, until the whole penthouse seemed full of nothing but his broken sobs, fear, and pain.
Until even his body could not take it anymore.
Until the pain in his heart, in his soul, became too much for flesh and bone to bear.
And then he blacked out.
Hades did not know how long he had been unconscious, but when he woke, the first thing he heard was the sound of something like wings beating in the air.
He opened his eyes.
And saw nothing.
It was total darkness.
So complete, so suffocatingly black, that for one disoriented second he thought his eyes were still closed.
He blinked.
Focused.
Tried harder.
But no matter how much he strained, he could not see anything.
Hades swallowed and slowly pushed himself upright.
Since he could not see where he was, he had no idea whether stepping forward, backward, or even sideways would be safe. So the safest choice was to stay exactly where he stood.
"Still so indecisive."
Hades froze.
That voice.
It sounded familiar and unfamiliar at the same time... like a memory dragged out of water, warped but undeniable.
"Who's there?" Hades called out, turning his head even though the darkness remained absolute. "Show yourself."
He saw nothing.
But he felt movement.
Then he felt a strong gust of wind rush over him, as if something enormous had just moved in front of him.
Instinctively, Hades threw his arms up in front of himself, as though that would be enough to shield him from whatever stood there.
And then he saw it.
A movement.
Wings.
Gigantic wings.
But not just any wings.
Because one of them he could see... pure white, almost glowing in the darkness.
The other he could not see clearly.
And yet he knew it was there.
Hades immediately dropped into a defensive stance.
A warrior angel, his mind supplied at once.
He was not sure whether this particular angel had been sent by Michael, but he knew without a doubt... even before he saw its face, while the wings were still folded around the figure like a protective cocoon... that the being before him was a warrior angel.
Then, as if the moment itself had slowed, the wings unfurled.
And Hades could only gasp in shock, his eyes widening.
Despite the darkness, he could see the angel's face clearly... perhaps because of that one impossibly white wing.
And what he saw stole the breath from him.
He was looking at his own face.
Older. More mature. Taller. Firmer, built almost the way Casadin was now. Yet even with those differences, Hades knew without question that he was looking at himself.
Not a twin.
Not a stranger.
A reflection that was not a reflection.
The angel was shirtless, clothed only in skin-tight black leather-like pants that clung to his muscled frame.
"Who are you?" was the only thing Hades managed to ask.
"Caelithariel," the angel answered. "That was the name we went by in our first life."
"We?" Hades echoed. "You mean you and me?"
Caelithariel nodded.
"I am you, and you are me," he said.
Hades did not know what to say to that. He only swallowed hard, still unable to fully believe that he was standing face-to-face with the angel he had once been.
"I do not have much time, Hades," Caelithariel said. "I used what remained of my angelic essence to make this moment possible. So I will tell you only the most important thing. Seradomiel... our brother, the one you call Casadin... is more strongly connected to Evadne's human soul. That is why he was able to send her the mate call that allowed Evadne to mark him. We are connected to her human soul too, but not as strongly. That is why she could not recognize my mate call."
Hades opened his mouth to speak, but Caelithariel raised a hand and stopped him.
"Evadne is not whole," Caelithariel said. "There is another part of her that has not awakened yet, and that part is the one we are strongly connected to. Until she reaches that part of herself, she will never be able to mark you... no matter what you or I do. I cannot do anything until we are marked, Hades. Our angelic power will remain detached until she marks us. So help her."
"How?" Hades asked immediately.
"Ceres' death was not an accident," Caelithariel said.
Hades' eyes widened even more.
"Start there."
Then, slowly, Caelithariel began to fade.
"What is happening to you?" Hades asked.
"As I said, I only have limited time to speak to you," Caelithariel replied, his body steadily turning transparent. "I cannot help you more than this. But remember... you are not alone, Hades. Trust Seradomiel."
"Wait," Hades said, frustration rising in his voice as the angel faded faster. "How am I even supposed to know what part of her is strongly connected to us?"
"Calvareth," Caelithariel said.
It was the last word he spoke before he vanished completely.
And then Hades gasped and jolted upright from where he had been lying on the floor.
He shut his eyes again immediately, blinded by daylight.
When he finally looked around, he turned to the wall clock.
It was already eight in the morning.
His head was pounding, but Hades forced himself up and hurried into the kitchen to drink water because his throat felt dry and raw. Then he rushed out of his penthouse and ran toward Zeus' penthouse upstairs.
He did not even wait for the elevator.
Since it was only one floor above, he took the stairs instead.
He punched in the security code, shoved the door open hard, and entered.
He saw Evadne first.
She was sitting at the farthest end of the long lounge sofa, wearing Casadin's shirt from the night before. Though her eyes were no longer swollen... probably because Casadin had insisted on water therapy... tears welled in them the moment she saw Hades.
He crossed the room immediately and took her face between both his hands.
"Baby," Hades said, looking straight into her eyes.
His own eyes were full of sorrow and regret for what he had done to her the night before.
"Hades... " Casadin was already moving toward them from the kitchen, where he had been preparing Evadne's breakfast.
He looked ready to rip Hades away from her the second he got too close, afraid Hades might hurt her again.
But Hades spoke before Casadin could reach them.
"Calvareth," he said, looking only at Evadne. "Does that name mean anything to you?"
And Evadne's eyes widened.