September Moon (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #8)(107)

“Finish this now,” Falon shouted at Arys. “Shya will regroup fast on the other side. You don’t have much time.”

Arys wore several cuts and gashes, but otherwise he was all right. He caught me as I fell forward.

“Do it,” I said, my voice thin and shrill.

He shoved away from me, muttering something inaudible beneath his breath. Arys was battling with himself. It was a fight he would not win. “I don’t want to.”

In direct contrast to his words, he grabbed me again and shook me.

I fought him, hoping to slap some sanity back into him. My hand cracked across his face, and he bared fangs at me. Fear clawed its way up my throat, and I choked on it. This was really happening.

Arys froze, staring into me and seeing something that freed the hunger he had carried for over a century.

“You know you have to do it,” I murmured. “It’s ok. I’m ready.”

Bloodlust burned in Arys. He jerked me closer, and with no hesitation, plunged fangs deep into my neck. Targeting my artery, he bit with the intent to kill. Blood gushed from the wound. Arys was ravenous, biting a second time.

The power of our bond soared between us, much like it had the night we had first slept together, when our twin flame union had united us. We were inside each other. Random thoughts and feelings flitted through my mind, all of them Arys’s.

As he consumed my blood and the power within it, I very clearly saw how much he loved it. Finally, after waiting for so long, after craving my death for decades, it was his at last.

There wasn’t a single piece of him that didn’t find absolute pleasure in this moment. He held me close, lovingly stroking a hand through my hair as he stole my life. Arys exuded genuine emotion. He loved me. I felt it. However, that didn’t change the elation he felt at making me his in every way.

Something buried deep within me began to writhe and squirm. Lilah’s key responded to my fading life, resisting the pull as I took it with me.

My surroundings began to fade. No longer could I smell the acrid odor of burnt flesh. The sound of Jez’s shouts were muffled and far away. There was a sharp pain in my abdomen, which echoed throughout my mind. The dark, twin-flame forged key shuddered and seized before shattering like a burst bubble. I felt cold and then, only numb.

The last thing I saw was Falon standing over Gabriel’s prone form. He watched us with a disaffected stare. Then my vision grew dark, and I succumbed to death.

* * * *

Everything was so white. I found myself in a plain room with no door, no windows, only a table with two chairs. A man sat in one of the chairs. His back was to me, but I knew who it was.

“Veryl? What are you doing here?”

Feeling strange and loaded with questions, I rounded the table and slid into the chair opposite him. A long off-white robe clothed me. Veryl wore a suit and tie in the same color. The absence of sound and smell bothered me, but I paid it little attention once I sat across from the vampire I’d killed not so long ago.

He looked the same as I remembered. Middle aged but handsome with eyes that reflected an inner knowledge I could only imagine.

“You don’t have much time,” he said. “I’m here to see you before you go back.”

“Back?”

“To the other side. To the living. You’re in between now but not for long.” Veryl sat back in his chair and pressed his fingers into a steeple. “I warned you about Shya, did I not?”

I felt ashamed, knowing without a doubt that I’d been wrong to murder this man. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you. There were just too many secrets.”

“There were,” he agreed with a slight head nod. “I too am sorry. I wish things had been different between us. It was my intention to protect you, not too harm you.”

I surveyed the small, simple white room. It felt safe and warm despite there being no obvious way in or out. “I suppose none of that matters now.”

“You’ve done well,” he said with a smile, revealing straight white teeth. There were no fangs. “I couldn’t be happier with how you’ve grown into your abilities.”

“So where is everyone?” I asked, feeling very disembodied. “Don’t I get some big welcome or something? Do I have to face everyone I’ve killed? Or just you?”

Veryl chuckled, and it was a sound of carefree happiness. “Just me. Everyone else is on the other side. You don’t get to join them yet. You’re going back, very soon. So let me make this brief. You must be prepared, Alexa. The evil you’ve faced, it’s not over. It is never really over.”

“What are you talking about?” There was a pang of disappointment that I wouldn’t see Raoul. Or Lena. I missed them both.

Veryl reached across the table and captured my hand in his. It felt warm and soft. “You’re not going to feel like yourself when you return. The turn will dominate you, making you a monster. But you must embrace your light. You’re going to need it.”

“You’re scaring me.” Though I said the words, I didn’t feel afraid. I felt detached, as if this entire thing were a dream that I couldn’t take too seriously.

“You’re not finished, Alexa. Not even close. As a Hound of God, you have a duty to uphold, regardless of whether you’re a vampire or not. The dark side will lure you into blood and mayhem while the light will guide you in love and honor.” Veryl’s expression grew grave. He leaned in close as if sharing a secret. “Possessing them both will be a great challenge. But if anyone can overcome it, it’s you.”