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“There’s no way to block it out?” I ask. I hate how small my voice sounds.
“For the first twenty years, I could. But as our powers grow stronger, our ability to block only weakens. Many aging empaths have gone crazy over the years, and I don’t plan on being one of them.”
She lets out a gust of breath. “The vampiric curse is one way to deal with it. One of my ancestors was able to do exactly that. But how was I going to achieve that without a vampire?” She shrugs. “I thought I might be able to curse myself through consuming blood. After all, the first vampire was made that way. Sadly, it didn’t work. And then I remembered the Belvedere curse.” She smiles. “Imagine my surprise, when I stole your blood from your blood magic lesson, to find that one of the vampires was already awake.”
Cyrus, I think, pushing the thought out to him, hoping that I can somehow get him to help.
“Cyrus knew about you all along?” I ask.
“Not quite the entire time,” she admits. “But he knew. I resurrected his mother and sister in exchange for his silence. And then I let them out in exchange for them changing me.They are going to turn me just as soon as I’ve dealt with a few problems at the school.”
“You’re… you tried to turn yourself into a vampire? By… by drinking blood?” I gasp. “Nathan.” There’s a foul taste in my mouth. “Before that, Dina and Jenny.” My stomach roils. “So you killed Dina and Jenny trying to turn yourself into a vampire. But when you drank their blood and nothing happened, you turned your attention to me and my ability to resurrect the Dracul vampires.”
She loosens her grip a bit to look down at me, grinning. “Well, look at you. Not as stupid as I thought.”
Another thought pops into my mind, one that makes bile rise into my throat. “Who promised to turn you?”
“It was Anastasia.”
Relief spreads through me.At least it wasn’t Cyrus.That’s one small consolation in all of this. But my heart immediately sinks again. “Why are you telling me all of this?”
“Because I want you to know that there’s no hard feelings,” she explains. “This really isn’t personal. It’s just that you have known too much for a long time now. And you just so happened to give me a perfect opportunity today by having such a public meltdown.” She sighs. “What a shame. A young girl with so much potential, giving herself to the sea.”
I try to struggle away from her, but Octavia wraps her fingers around my hair and clamps her other hand over my mouth. As I expected, she’s physically strong. Her grip is like a vice, and when she rises from where she sits, she pulls me up with her.
She drags me forward with such force that my toes drag across the pebble beach towards the churning sea. Every time I try to wriggle out of her grip, hot pain sears across my scalp.
Cyrus! If you’re there, please help me. Cyrus, I’m going to die!
I clutch Octavia’s hand, digging my fingernails into her flesh.
“I can still feel your pain. But soon I’ll never feel again. I’m planning to turn it all off, every part of my humanity. I can’t wait for thepeace. The same peace you are about to feel, my dear. It’s a gift, really. I’m helping you, Kira. I’msaving you.”
I dig my nails deeper into her palms and dig my feet into the pebbles, trying to slow her down, but Octavia’s feet are already wet from the sea.
Cyrus!
She removes her palm from my mouth and shoves me face-first into the water. The taste of salt fills my mouth as water enters my nostrils and floods my eyes. It bubbles around me as I panic, my arms flailing. Unable to help myself, I swallow the foamy water, inhale it. It trickles into my lungs, and soon I can’t breathe. My body burns.
Kira!
The sound of his voice flooding my mind makes me feel warmer, even if it’s fleeting. I’m glad he’ll be here as I go, that I won’t be alone, that someone who cares for me will be by my side. I finally know he does care for me, for otherwise, he would’ve severed this connection.
I wish I’d had another conversation with my mum and my dad. I wish I could say goodbye to Laila and Carrie. But I can’t, so at least Cyrus is here with me.
No, Kira, don’t give up!he shouts.Fight back.
I can’t.
Yes, you can! Remember the words I taught you.
I’m underwater, I can’t—
You can! Say them! Say the words!
My lips move.Vis impetus.
Again!
