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Tessa raced in our direction, only to be cut off as Aetas disappeared, only to appear between us.
“Don’t listen to them. Look back into my eyes. You love me. Remember? None of this matters. None one matters but us.”
“Don’t do it, Tessa!” I pushed passed Niko, moving more in their direction. “Don’t look at him, love, look at me.”
“No! You do not speak to her.” A blast of energy sent us all flying back and even as I hit the ground, I didn’t take my eyes off of Tessa. He had her, pulling her toward the side of the room. The enforcers didn’t stand a chance as they tried to stop him. Power kept coming toward us in blows, weighing us down.
I scrambled to my feet, fight through the heaviness. I fell over one of the vampires as I ran in their direction. Each step was harder than the last, until it ceased for a few seconds. He was talking to her, beginning to wrestle her fighting form.
“Aetas! Wait! Don’t make me do it. Aetas!”
The closer he got to the main doors, the more panic registered. He could disappear at any time and then Tessa would be lost to me for good. He could come back and do this again if he got free now. I couldn’t lose her or let my people down. I had no choice.
“Tessa!”
I laced my fingers, gripping to the handle of the knife. My heart ached more at seeing her struggle to break free than any blade was capable of producing.
“Marko? Marko!” Hunter’s energy blasted against my skin, but it was too late. I forced my hands toward me with every ounce of strength I possessed—right over my heart. The pain was but a blessing for the goodbye my soul was saying.
“Marko!”
Tessa blood-curdling cry for me echoed in the distance and in a blur of color I watched Aetas drop as I did. Heat gushed down my chest even as the mix of mine and Aetas’ blood filled my mouth. None of it mattered as I watched Tessa step over his dying body to rush back to me.
“Jesus. Somebody get me something!”
Hunter was suddenly over me and the horror on his face sent tears trailing down the sides of my face.
“If you live, so help me. Fuck,” he cried out.
Agony flared in my chest as he removed the knife and pushed down over the wound.
“No.” I tried to turn out of his hold. “I … must die. It’s the only way.” Sobbing sounded as Tessa threw herself down next to me. I let out my own heartbreak at her pain, not able to stop the crying that poured free of me. “I’m sorry. I … love you.”
“Not this way,” she sobbed. “Take my blood. I can save you. I’ve seen it.”
“You can’t.”
The room was already fading and each word was getting harder to speak than the last.
“Marko?”
“Shh. Kiss me. One … last time.”
The sobbing grew louder as she lowered, but I couldn’t tell if it was coming from her, me, or Hunter. Everything was so dark. I didn’t like the dark, but I had Tessa. Her energy was my light and I held to it with every last breath that struggled free from my lips.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. I love you,” she cried.
The pressure only lasted for a second against my numb lips, but it was everything to me. She and Hunter had been together when I first saw her, and I was leaving them together. Something in that gave me peace as I felt myself drift away. I had never been the hero of my story, but somehow the love of a woman and a dear friend had made me become one in the end.
Epilogue
Tessa
“Do you think it will always be this way?”
More tears rolled down my cheeks and stopping them was impossible. My heart ached and there was no removing the heaviness that was weighing me down. My eyes rose back to the memorial and I wiped away the new stream that trailed down my face.
“I feel as though we’ve had this conversation before.”
