An End of Night (A Shade of Vampire #16)(41)

“I have too many reasons to disbelieve you,” Kiev said. “As far as I can see, every action of yours to date has led up to this ritual. From the moment we met, to allowing me to be kidnapped, dragging me from the life I’d managed to rebuild for myself, keeping me with you in your chamber for centuries so that you could stay alive… it’s all been leading up to this point.”

“I wouldn’t be alive today if I didn’t love you,” she said, desperation in her voice. “I told you that already.”

“Then we do not share the same definition of love.”

She cast her eyes about at all the witches, waiting and staring up at her, then fixed her gaze on Magnus once more. “Then what do I have to do to prove it to you? Tell me!”

Kiev glanced down at the ceremonial setup. “Back out of this ritual.”

Lilith’s breath hitched.

“That’s the only way you can prove it to me.”

She gaped at the vampire. She glanced down at the pool, then back at Magnus. “Magnus, you don’t understand—”

“I understand more than you think.”

“I have to do this.”

“Then you choose this ritual over me.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Yes, witch. It is.”

She bit down hard on her lower lip even as it trembled.

Silence followed as she stared down at her feet. Even though I felt crazy for it, I couldn’t help but feel pity for the woman.

Although there was truth in Kiev’s words, I couldn’t deny that Lilith did love Magnus. She hadn’t made the right choices in her life, but then neither had I for much of my own life. I’d had a glimpse for myself of what her upbringing had been like. It was hardly any wonder that she’d turned out the way she had. And yet she had found room for Magnus in her black heart. Even though Magnus was hardly a ray of sunshine, it seemed to me that to Lilith he had been a light in the darkness and evil that was her existence. I could only imagine the pain that Kiev was inflicting on her.

“Don’t listen to him,” Rhys had begun to shout. “Get away from him!”

Isolde and Julisse both tried to approach Lilith, but she blasted them back before they could come near.

Slowly, Lilith raised her gaze to Magnus once again. Her dark eyes were drowning in pain as she whispered, “I cannot choose you, my love. You don’t understand… I was born for this.”

“And I was born for this.”

Whipping out Caleb’s knife from his belt, Kiev plunged it right into her chest.

Shrieks abounded as all the witches and warlocks present hurtled toward Kiev in the air, only to be unable to pry him away from Lilith.

“For every evil born, another is born to counter it,” Kiev hissed into Lilith’s ear. “I’m not the man you thought I was. Raised by the enemies of your ancestors, I was designed to be your downfall… I played you at your own game, witch.” He paused, watching as blood spilled from her mouth, her youthful appearance rapidly fading and turning corpselike before our very eyes.

Then Kiev spoke the last words her tortured soul would ever hear.

“I, Magnus Helios, never loved you.”

She’ll never know just how much of a lie that is.

Chapter 28: Rose

I jumped as screaming erupted behind the rocks. It sounded like someone was being murdered. I prayed that someone was Lilith.

I looked toward my parents, raising my eyebrows. Then all eyes shot up toward Mona.

I wanted to call up to her, but she was too high up. I couldn’t risk being heard. Corrine and Ibrahim lifted themselves into the air to see what was happening. Corrine gasped. Then they both lowered themselves down.

“What?” my father demanded, gripping Ibrahim’s shoulders and shaking him.

“Lilith,” he said. “Kiev did it.”

Mona descended behind Ibrahim and Corrine, her skin looking sallow.

“A rotten corpse,” she said, her voice choked. “That’s all that’s left of her. The last Ancient among us.”

“Where is Kiev?” Helina asked, her eyes lit with panic.

“Guys,” Aiden said suddenly. “Look.”

We all spun round to face him. He had stepped within the boundary.

It seemed that with Lilith, the boundary had vanished too. We all hurried forward and were able to enter as though no barrier had ever existed.

There was a wheezing sound behind me. I turned in time to see Mona falling to her knees on the sharp rocks, bent over double. My mother and Matteo rushed to her, laying her down gently on the ground as she seemed to lose control of her limbs. Her eyes drooped and shut.

Corrine hurried over too and bent down, touching her forehead.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“I have no idea,” Corrine said.

Matteo, Erik and Helina pushed through, squatting next to Corrine and peering down at Mona.

“It must have something to do with Lilith’s death,” Erik said. “Mona’s powers were dependent on her.”

“She’s blacked out,” Corrine said.

I backed away from the crowd huddled around Mona and, cupping my palms, dipped them in the waves. Then I rushed back to the unconscious witch and tipped the water over her. That didn’t help.