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But this was about more than me trying to save myself. I wanted this, wanted to stay here on Lilith Island with Brien.
Brien’s eyes gleamed in the dark cell. He appeared confident, but his jaw had gone rigid, like he was steeling himself for rejection.
“Answer the question,” he said.
He doesn’t love you. This is insane.
Still, I was a risk taker, and if you aren’t a little uneasy before upending your entire life, then you’re probably not paying attention.
And something about that rigid jaw gave me hope.
“Yes,” I told Prosper without taking my eyes from Brien. “I agreed to accept his blood bond.”
Brien’s tense posture eased. He held out his hand to me, and I went to him and took it.
Prosper was speaking. “If that’s true,” he told Brien, “then you won’t mind making it official. We’ll act as your witnesses.”
“Of course.” Brien gently urged me to face him.
My fingers tightened on his. “Now?”
“Now,” he confirmed.
Over Brien’s shoulder, I saw Matthew’s mouth lift in amusement. The prick was enjoying this, like my dilemma was a show for his entertainment.
“It’s the thrall’s choice,” Prosper said.
Yeah, like he’d given me a choice.
I turned a defiant smile on Brien. “Let’s do this, then.”
He went first, speaking the ritual words. “I, Brien Leclerc, offer you, Twilight, my blood bond. To bind yourself to me. To be mine, and mine only, for the rest of your life.
The cell receded. All I saw was Brien, his handsome face severe, his kryptonite eyes searing into mine. He had both my hands in his now, his fingers cool and firm.
My heart seemed too big for my chest. I’d never witnessed a blood-bonding ritual. In fact, I’d written them off as an amped-up, no-way-out version of a thrall contract. Another way vampires took advantage of thralls.
I’d been wrong. This felt almost like a wedding. But then, I was agreeing to bind myself to Brien for the rest of my life, a bond only he could break.
He didn’t love me. I knew that.
But he feltsomethingfor me. I had the power to hurt him—I’d seen that, more than once. That wouldn’t be true if I was just another thrall to him.
For now, that was enough.
I squeezed his hands, gave him a brilliant smile—and threw myself off the parapet.
“I, Twilight, accept your blood bond, Brien Leclerc. Binding myself to you, to be yours, and yours only, for the rest of my life.”
Brien released my hands and stroked his fingers down my throat in a blatant,you’re minegesture. “Let it be so.”
The air leaked out of my lungs. My pounding heart settled. “Let it be so,” I echoed.
“So her actions are yours,” stated Lieutenant Prosper.
“Yes.” Brien sent a hard look around at the other vampires. “And as far as I’m concerned, she did nothing wrong. It was Jules’s time to go to the Dark Lady. You all knew it. I’d decided to stake him myself, if necessary.”
A shock wave passed over the small group. My own eyes widened.
