I close the letter, shuddering. Its earnest manner chills me to the bone. That, and the legions of torment and curses it speaks of.
"I'm not her anymore," I say, my voice and manner quiet.
"I know," Samael murmurs. "Oh God, do I know that now."
"I can't be yours, Sam, because I don't know who I am," I whisper. "And I'm afraid I never will."
"In time, Shannon, you will," he says. "And I will wait for that day, if it is a thousand years away, if it is a million. And I will love you with the fierceness of a smoldering seraphim all the while."
Tears cloud my eyes. "When I died, as Eve... I chose Hell to be with you?"
Samael nods, his eyes also cloudy. Rivulets flow down his cheeks. "Yes. I tried to tell you no, but it was not my choice to make."
"I... I need time alone."
He nods, but says nothing, his eyes bloodshot. Reluctant, he leaves the room.
I sink onto the couch and weep, a girl in a crystal manacles.
