"Gabriel!" she screamed.
"Here!"
Past-Death turned in the direction she thought his voice came from, unable to tell for certain with the wind whipping sound around her. Something hot slid through her, and she touched her abdomen absently, cursing hunger pangs.
Harmony stood half a dozen feet from her, straightening from her throw.
Past-Death's fingers fumbled over the hilt of a knife, and she looked down. The dagger protruding from her upper abdomen didn't seem real, and she stared at the blood quickly soaking her clothing. The pain took a moment to reach her as well.
"Oh, shit," she murmured, comprehension filtering through her. Past-Death dropped to her knees and gripped the hilt with both hands, yanking it free.
Hot pain tore through her, and she hunched over, the roar of the wind fading, replaced with the clamoring of her panicked instincts.
"Deidre!" Gabriel dropped beside her. He pulled her back against him, and she leaned into his strong body, relaxing.
"Is it bad?" she asked. The pain was growing tolerable, and black had begun to line the edges of her thoughts, like it was time for a nap. I like naps, she recalled. Another human experience that ranked up there with sex with Gabriel and funnel cakes. "It doesn't feel bad."
Gabriel said nothing, instead focused on applying pressure. Blood spurted over his hands, and she looked up at him, admiring the chiseled features of his rugged face.
"You are incredible, Gabriel," she murmured wistfully. "Why didn't we just … love each other and be happy?"
His gaze dropped to hers, his dark eyes scouring her face. "Is that really what you want?"
"It's what I've always wanted," she replied. "I'm sorry I made it so difficult." She struggled to sit, wanting to talk to him face to face and suddenly confused as to why she was lying on the roof under a storm. Shouldn't they be inside, talking?
Why did her head feel like it was sinking into sleep when she wanted to be awake?
"Be still, sweetheart. You're hurt bad."
"I am?" she asked, perplexed. She looked down at the blood covering his hands. "Oh, yeah. That's right. Harmony and … Gabriel! You have to fix this storm! It'll hurt the souls!"
"Hush," he said, holding her more tightly to keep her from moving. "I will. You need to keep still."
Past-Death closed her eyes. "You go do that and I'll take a nap."
"No, honey, stay awake." He nudged her.
She groaned. Why did he sound so upset? She wasn't certain. Something to do with the distant pain in her abdomen and the sound of a storm coming …