"It feels like my fault," Lilith said. Her voice was shaking now. "Nicholas died because of me. Because I wasn't strong enough to survive the transformation. Because I failed and died and he had to sacrifice himself to bring me back. If I had just...."
"Don't," Lucian interrupted. His voice was firm. Not harsh, just absolute. "Don't do that to yourself. Don't twist this into something it's not."
"How is it not my fault?" Lilith demanded. "He's dead because I...."
"He's dead because he chose to trade his life for yours," Lucian said. "That was his decision. His choice. He walked into the Veil knowing he would not come back. Knowing what it would cost. And he did it anyway because he loved you. Because he thought you were worth it."
"I'm not worth it," Lilith said. Tears were streaming down her face now. "I'm not worth him dying. I'm not worth permanent ending. I should have refused. I should have stayed dead. I should have...."
