AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I clutch the glass vial to my chest and stare horrified at Cassius. After everything he has done for me, how can I kill him as he lays unconscious on the floor?
“If you wish to save the man you love, you must pay what the magic demands.” Ophelia picks up the thin blade and wraps my hand around the hilt.
No, it’s my price to pay, not his. I can’t take his life.
My heart plummets because if I don’t, Alaric will remain under Elizabeth’s power.
But he would rather die than be trapped.
My feet move of their own accord toward Cassius. I kneel at his side and roll him onto his back. Brushing my fingers over his forehead, I push loose strains of pale hair away from his face. He looks peaceful in this spelled sleep.
I squeeze my eyes shut.Cassius… Alaric… can I bear to take either of their lives—to betray one of them?
Slowly, I raise my shaking hand. The hilt feels cold and coarse against my palm.
There is no other choice.
“You are running out of time—you must make your decision now. Even I cannot keep three powerful vampires sedated for long.”
A dark gleam shines in the oracle’s eyes. Della stirs first. Then a soft groan comes from Lawrence. A finger on Cassius’s hand twitches then another, stretching out.
“Can you guarantee that Alaric will be free of the compulsion if I give you what you want?” I ask, barely above a whisper. My stomach roils.
“Yes.”
Cassius’s eyes flutter open. His gaze cuts to the dagger raised above his chest, lips parting in protest. Before he can utter a word or move to stop me, I drive the blade down.
The breath leaves my lungs as I stare at the blade protruding halfway out of my chest. It doesn’t hurt as I expected it would. It’s more like being poked with a sewing needle.
I press harder. The agony finally rears up as the blade slides closer to its target. Tears spring up, sliding down my cheeks. I try to scream, but only manage a strangled and broken cry.
The second the sharp point, pierces my heart, ice and fire explode in my chest. I gasp—or, rather, I try to—my lungs no longer work.
I rip the dagger out, letting it slip from fingers that refuse to work a second longer. Ophelia catches it in a smooth, swift motion. Cassius reaches for me as my legs give way, and we fall together in a tangled heap.
His palm is warm on my face, nearly scorching as he presses his hand to my chest, trying to stanch the bleeding. Mouth moving with the shape of my name, Cassius scowls, somehow managing to look both worried and furious.
His features shift in and out of focus, and then everything turns black.
* * *
Something is wrong. It hurts to breathe. My body is too heavy, and my heart aches. I blink my eyes open. Someone has tucked a blanket up to my chin, pinning my arms under. Fire crackles in the hearth on the other side of the room.
“Alaric,” I say his name, but it’s barely more than a breath of air.
I close my eyes again, squeezing them tight, but a tear finds its way out, searing a trail down the side of my face.He is lost to me.
There’s a shuffling sound and a clatter of cups, followed by soft murmurs.
My memory is hazy. I look around at the unfamiliar cabin, but I can’t remember where I am.
Shifting, I work to free my arms from the restraining covers.
Della is at my side in an instant, sliding her arm under my shoulders and helping me to sit up enough so she can reposition the pillow behind me.
“Move slowly,” she says.
I wince at the sharp pain in my chest. It burns, and the skin pulls taut and uncomfortable.
