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Tears fell fast and hard, blurring her vision. Her hand wavered but Gabby forced herself to speak. Her heart was breaking into a thousand pieces at the torment on her brother’s face.
“Please, leave us alone. We will leave the continent. We will stay out of your way.”
“He is a monster.”
“He is not. He has not fed from anyone. Not since we have been together. He has only fed from me.”
Thunderous storm clouds rolled over Armando’s face. She’d said the wrong thing. If he had been a vampire, his eyes would’ve flashed red. His voice was cold and emotionless when he said, “You are not my sister. She’s dead.”
Armando raised his sword. It was the end. There was nowhere left to run. Gabby closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.
I love you,she thought to Felix, though he would not hear her in his sleep.
“STOP!”
A resounding roar to her right. When Gabby’s eyes snapped open, Felix towered over Armando, his eyes glowing red and his fangs bared. Armando’s sword lay on the ground. Felix raised his hand, his claws extended and ready to kill.
“No! Do not hurt him!” Gabby launched herself at Felix. They crashed against the opposite wall and rolled onto the floor. Her breath flew out of her, but she mustered the last of her strength and held onto Felix.
Felix sat up with her still gripping his waist. His eyes had returned to their emerald color with only a hint of red. When he spoke, it was the deep growl of a demon. “He will never let you go.”
“No.” She would not let him kill her brother. “We can run. We can go to the New World.”
“I will not live the rest of eternity on the run.”
Felix pushed her off and rose to finish the job. Armando was struggling to his feet, his sword in hand. The sound of running feet came from behind Gabby. Two others, their armor adorned with the blue and red shield of her family, rushed into the room.
The left one charged Felix, his sword raised high. The other went straight for the heavy curtains blocking the windows. He yanked them off and light from the setting sun flooded the room.
Felix hissed and jumped into a darkened corner. The red blisters from the brief contact with the rays healed, but they’d trapped him. Gabby watched in horror as the two knights cornered him. Felix had no sword, no armor. His speed and strength kept him alive, but he had to avoid the sunlight. The Hunters knew this and did their best to maneuver him into the light. It was either suffer a strike from their swords or burn.
Felix had not fed from anyone but her in the past two months. He had been careful to take as little from her as possible. He was not at his full strength, which had never bothered her before. It had made him so much more human, more approachable.
Now it would cost him his life.
A flash of light caught her eyes. The last of the sunlight glinting off her brother’s sword.
No! She was too terrified to scream. Too late. It would be too late. Gabby hadn’t even known she’d moved. That she was capable of moving that fast.
Fiery, unbearable agony blossomed from her center. A bellow of denial came from behind her. Her stunned gaze latched onto Felix’s disbelieving ones even as numbness spread.
“No,tesoro mio,no.”
She followed his eyes lower and saw the tip of the bloody sword protruding from her chest.
I made it,she thought with a relieved smile.
Felix caught her when her legs buckled. His roar of utter desperation, of unending pain, etched itself into her soul. It was becoming too difficult to breathe, to keep her eyes open.
“Tesoro mio,stay with me. Please.” Felix’s words barely registered.
Spare—she thought with the last of her strength, hoping Felix heard her—him.
Then her world turned black.
Chapter Fourteen
Present Day
