“Where Sterling goes, I go,” Zeke replies. They nod at each other and I’m briefly hit with the overwhelming feeling that there’s more in that gesture than I could possibly understand.
“I won’t leave.” I shake my head, my voice weak. “I belong here, Aamon. You know it. I don’t know what’s going on, but this can’t be what you really want—”
“Enough.” And it’s not just a word but a command. My blood bends to his will.
My anger turns rabid as I try to fight the magic forcing me to obey him. He takes his time moving past Sterling, stepping up to me. “You will go with Sterling. You will leave the ungoverned district. Leave Requiesse. And you will not return unless I myself bring you back.” I whimper at his words, trying my hardest to stand tall before him, when all I want to do is fall apart. He leans in, his breath teasing the side of my face as he adds, “And I can promise you, Angel, I won’t. Forget me, forget this place. And get out.”
He pulls back, arms folded over his chest as he waits for the bloodbond to force me into obedience. My arms and legs shake as I resist the magic, his blood in my own fighting to subdue my will. “I can’t forget you Aamon.” I shake my head, fresh tears spilling past my lashes. “We’re bloodbound.”
Something flashes in his dark, lifeless eyes. It’s only a moment but it’s there. And I cling to it for all it’s worth. He refuses to respond, refuses to fight for me. “Ezekiel,” he says instead. And then Zeke’s firm arm is wrapping around my middle and hauling me into the air.
“No!” I scream, banging my fists against his muscles. It does little to deter him as he drags me through the door without a second thought. My eyes search frantically for something, anything, to break his hold on me. But it's nouse. Aamon’s blood is still battling inside me, forcing me to obey.
I catch movement behind Aamon and my eyes go wide as Quinn steps forward. “Quinn,” I plead. “Stop this. Do something!”
He doesn’t move. Doesn’t even try to help. Just looks away, eyes heavy with grief. “I’m so sorry, Angel.”
“Please,” I beg. I don’t care how much of a scene I’m making. “I don’t have anywhere else to go. Please, Aamon. Don’t do this!”
Zeke passes through the entrance to the clubhouse and into the sunlight. I shriek at the feel of it on my skin, the air knocked from my lungs as I try and swallow the pain.
“Aamon, at least let us wait till tonight to leave,” Sterling presses, still fighting to change his mind. “The sun is up. She’s too fresh to be out like this.”
“Then you better drive fast,” Aamon warns. And the vicious look of his near black eyes is the last thing I see before Zeke swings me around and lands me hard atop his bike.
“Sterling, let's go!” Zeke calls out, sliding into his place in front of me on the bike. He has my duffel slung over his shoulder, ready to rev. I turn desperately to lay my eyes on Sterling, to make sure he’s here with me.
I breathe a sigh of relief as I see him stumble up to his own bike, strapping down the other bag on the back. He’sfrazzled, wide-eyed and flushed as he fumbles with the clasp. He gets the bag secured and looks up, finding my eyes.
“Sterling, what is happening?” I whisper. My voice is uneven, shaky. My whole world has been turned upside down. Again. And I don’t know how I can survive it another time.
“I don’t know.” He shakes his head. “But I promise I will stay with you. Okay? We'll figure this out together.”
I nod, trying to wipe away the tears from my eyes.
“Keep up,” Zeke orders. It's the only warning I get before Zeke is peeling out of the parking lot. I whip my head around, anger and grief raging inside me. I need to see him, need to see them. One last time.
My eyes search frantically, and for a moment I fear it’s too late. That they’ve gone back inside and left me for good. But just as I’m about to give up hope, as Zeke turns the corner onto the main road, I find Aamon’s dark hair and eyes beside Quinn’s bright, blue ones. They are two sides of the same coin, light and dark beside one another. One hardened and emotionless as he watches me go, the other tearstained and regretful as he follows the orders of his leader.
And just like that, they disappear. Replaced by the rush of deserted streets and concrete buildings. I bury myself against Zeke, not caring that he hates me. Not caring what cruel things he may say to me at this show of vulnerability. Because all I can see is them, standing on that porch and ordering me away. And despite how many good memorieswe had, how many wonderful moments we shared, I know that image is what will be burned into my mind. Forever.
Ispeed through the ungoverned district, past vacant buildings and deserted alleys in the broad light of day as I try to catch up with Zeke. My head is spinning as I try to make sense of what just happened. The rays of sunlight are already heating my skin, pushing me to tuck in close to the shadows.
In a matter of moments, my entire world has been turned upside down. My home, my friends, my security. All of it—gone. The reality of that should scare me. I don’t want to return to the WildLands. To the life Zeke and I knew before Requiesse. The haunting threat of that existence should terrify me. Yet, all I can think of is the look on Evangeline’s face as Zeke rode off.
I tighten my grip on the handlebars of my bike, my knuckles draining of color as I pull back on the throttle.Last night had been intense, but nothing negative had come from it. When I’d entered the red room, I was almost sure Aamon would reject me. Instead, he accepted me fully, offering a bloodbond to me. It had given me hope . . . that whatever this was could be sustainable. Lifelong.
But that hope was snuffed out, smothered in the heat of Aamon’s gaze as he ordered us away today. It had all been a setup. A ruse to get us under his reign. I’m sure of it now. The magic of his bond is stirring in me even now, pushing me to the outskirts of the city.
Just as my heart feels like it’s about to burst out of my chest, I round a corner and spot Zeke just ahead, Evangeline clinging to his back. My relief is short-lived as Zeke approaches the edge of the city’s border, not even slowing as he crosses into the WildLands. Panic pierces through me but I bear down and follow his lead.
Because I know exactly where he’s heading.
We ride through the desolate forest of the WildLands for two hours. I know because I'm counting down the minutes as we pass landmark after landmark leading us back to our past. It feels like an eternity of suffering, like with each milewe put between us and the city the more we travel back in time. Back to a version of myself I don’t want to face.
The cabin finally appears on the horizon and I suck in a shallow breath at the sight of it. It’s an ancient log cabin somehow still standing from the time before the gods intervened with this world and left the Watchers behind with their curated city centers. Zeke and I found it when we escaped Sommael, and remained here until the dangers of the WildLands pushed us to find a better alternative.
It’s still exactly the same after all these years. As if it’s been waiting for us to return. We reach the overgrown drive quickly and Zeke wastes no time shutting off his engine and pulling Evangeline inside. Fresh vampires can't handle the sunlight for long spurts of time, and I cringe at the pain she must be in from the ride. I follow suit, grabbing our bags and taking the steps up to the porch two at a time—head on a swivel.
