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Tarnley’s voice momentarily shoves the darkness aside. The relief is immediate, and I stifle a sob at the brief ray of light. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Bronywyn. Please.” His voice is strangled. “Just tell me where you are. I can come get you.”
“I don’t need you to come get me.” My false bravado is just that—fake—but I hold it because, if he were to get close to me, the voices may tell me to hurt him. My magic may deem him as a threat, and if anything were to happen to him because of me—to any of those I hold dear—I won’t be able to live with myself.
“I won’t try to change your mind,” he promises. “I know why you want to keep the power.”
“You know?” I’m not surprised. Delaney has probably told damn near everyone by now.
“I do. And I promise, Bronywyn, I won’t try to talk you out of it. I just need to know that you’re okay. Please let me come get you.”
I glance up at where I sit in the corner, where nothing but moonlight can reach me. “I’m at a gas station,” I tell him, before I can change my mind.
“Where?”
If I tell him, I know he’ll come. In true Tarnley fashion, he’ll try to ease my fear at what’s happening inside of me. Logically, I should keep him—and everyone else—away from me. After what the voices told me to do when I’d shown up to help Delaney—the thought of what could happen is far too terrifying to consider.
My chest tightens painfully, and I choke back another sob. But I also really don’t want to be alone.
“Bronywyn? Please let me come get you. I swear not to utter a word to anyone else if that’s what you’re worried about.”
I know he’ll keep my secret. The last two decades have proven just what an excellent secret keeper he is. Despite my reputation, I have enemies—dangerous ones—and they would love to know that a particular vampire is my weakness because I tied myself to him.
“Fourth and sixth,” I choke out, before ending the call.
Seconds pass by as I focus on the good parts of me, the parts rejecting the shadow magic inside of me. It’s determined to drive out the light, but maybe if I can cling to it just a little longer, I can hold the dark at bay until I get rid of Lucy.
Then, we can find a way to push the magic out.
“Bronywyn.”
At Tarnley’s deep voice, I glance to my right, not at all surprised to see him already standing there. Crimson eyes wide, he kneels beside me and inhales deeply. “You’re sick.”
Great, he can smell the vomit.And I thought this night couldn’t get any worse.“I’m fine.” I force myself to stand, despite my aching muscles.
“No, you’re not. Your heartbeat is erratic. What’s going on? Are you injured?”
You mean other than the dark magic slowly killing me? I’m great. Throat tight with emotion, I shake my head.
“You can’t be out here alone,” he says, and reaches out a hand. “Let me take you somewhere safe where we can talk.”
“You aren’t taking me to Delaney, Tarnley.”
A muscle in his jaw ticks. “I won’t, but you should see her. They have a way to help you.”
“I can’t be helped—not yet. This power, it’s –” I search for a word that comes close to describing the rush. “Potent. I can use it to destroy Lucy. She literally gave us the key to her demise by sending those witches after Rainey and Elijah.”
“It’s not going to mean much of anything if you die,” he snaps. “Please come with me. We’ll get you cleaned up.”
“I’m not weak.”
“That is not a word I would ever use to describe you, Bronywyn. But even the strongest need help, sometimes. Please come with me.”
I hesitate only another moment before taking his hand. In the blink of an eye, I’m in his arms, the rest of the city blurring past us as he runs. Stomach rolling, I shut my eyes tightly, not wanting to puke all over the one person I trust to let me do what I need to do.
Tarnley and I have always had an understanding. We’re close to friends, sometimes bordering on something more, but never quite taking that fall. He’s there for me when I need it, and I do the same for him.
Because we have to keep each other alive due to the blood bond made two decades ago in an attempt to save his life.
