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Isaac froze and whispered, “What?”
“She’s not dead. She’s not even unconscious. She just lays there, unmoving and silent. She moans every once in a while, or calls your name, but that’s it.”
“Oh my God.”
“What? Did I do something wrong?” Elijah exclaimed when Isaac stood rooted to the spot, as if in a trance. “What does it mean?”
“Oh…my…God. Nothing. It was all for nothing,” he murmured as amazement, shock, and finally…relief coursed over his body. He laughed so hard he could no longer stand.
“What has gotten into you, Isaac? Snap out of it, you ass!” Elijah exclaimed. He stalked to his brother’s side and cocked back his fist, prepared to break his brother’s perfect nose again.
“Don’t even think about it,” Isaac hissed, dead serious as he shoved Elijah using all his strength. “It was all for nothing,” he said, wonder in his voice. “All this time, all this agony, and she’s one of us.”
“What do you…?” Clarity showed in Elijah’s eyes as he paled. “She’s an Enforcer?”
“Yes. Yes, now everything makes sense. Why I couldn’t sense her as a new vampire. Why I couldn’t catch her trail at all. I was hunting the wrong creature.”
“She’s one of you.” Elijah’s eyes were shadowed, and his face pale. Pale, even, for a vampire.
Isaac forced his gaze back to his brother and felt a wave of pity wash over him. He knew without too much jealousy Elijah had hoped this would be his one chance at Sabrina. Had hoped she’d be forced to choose him. That hope had just been destroyed.
He walked to his brother’s side and laid a soothing hand upon his shoulder. He met Elijah’s eyes, so like his own. “She’s one of us. She is, and will always remain, mine. I’m sorry for your loss, and for any pain you might feel. But you have to realize…it’s over. This fight is over. She’s not Amelia. I’m sorry, Elijah. I’m sorry for your loss of Amelia. I know now you loved her more than I ever could have. But Sabrina is different—she is my Amelia. Do you understand?”
Elijah nodded, and a tear ran down his cheek at his brother’s words. He gasped in shock as Isaac drew him into his arms and hugged him. “I’m sorry, Elijah,” he repeated.
“Well, are you ready to go tell her the good news? I’m sure she’ll be thrilled,” Elijah said.
“Yes, absolutely yes,” Isaac chirped. His smile, he was sure, reached straight down to his soul. He couldn’t help it. He was the luckiest man on Earth.
“Follow me.” Elijah led the way silently, and his shoulders dropped in resignation.
For once, Isaac didn’t argue.
***
Sabrina lay awake, thoughts of Isaac running through her head. She couldn’t get him off her mind. Even as pain wracked through her body, she thought only of him.
Where was he? What was he thinking? Feeling?
In the thirty minutes since Elijah had left, she’d discovered she could move her hands. She wasn’t certain what this meant, since she was supposed to die, and heal afterwards.
She strained her ears when she heard footsteps approach the hut, and calculated the direction from which they approached. From the east, and there were two sets of them, so it couldn’t be Elijah. And, unfortunately, no mere mortal ran so fast. Her heart quickened, and she tensed upon the bed. She couldn’t even jump up to defend herself. She tightened her fists, her only line of defense against intruders.
The door swung inward, and her eyes focused upon the occupants who moved into the small room. She sighed in relief as her eyes focused first on Elijah, and quickly skimmed to the shadow standing behind him. She gasped and whispered, “Isaac.”
Isaac rushed to her side, rudely pushing past Elijah in the process. Elijah glared at Isaac’s back and left the hut. The door closed behind him as he left; she knew he had no desire to watch this reunion. Isaac knelt at her hips and cupped her face inside his hands. He kissed her, and happiness exuded from his eyes.
“Sabrina, what are you doing to me, lass?”
Sabrina forced a wan smile to her face and responded, “I’m sorry, Isaac. I never wished for us to be enemies. I—” She was prepared to tell him to leave, to save himself, but was cut off by his finger pressing against her mouth.
He grabbed her hand in his and stared into her eyes warmly. “I love you, Sabrina. We would never be, and could never be, enemies. I know now what love really is. I thought I had loved before, but I was wrong. You are my first, and, only love. You’d never be my enemy,” he vowed.
“I love you, too, Isaac.” She squeezed his hand, and he looked down in surprise at her hand, beaming at her.
“I’m going to get you out of here, to somewhere safe,” he said. “There is much to do.”
“I can’t let you do that, Isaac. You spoke earlier of love. Of being ready to do anything for the love of your life. Well, I feel the same. I will give you up, for your safety. I don’t do it lightly, but I must insist. I won’t leave with you. Not because I don’t love you, but because I love you too much.” She was amazed she had managed to finish her speech without crying.
