Willing to try anything I tore into my wrist with my fangs to get my blood flowing to feed him, but his body suddenly stopped thrashing, completely calming as his eyes remained glued to my own.
“Barnabus,” I murmured, choked up by emotion as tears dripped from my eyes, onto his cheeks.
Was he okay? Why had his body stopped convulsing?
Your blood can’t heal me, nothing can. My body is slowly shutting down and will soon be unresponsive to even my own brain, so I can’t be used against you now. I will pass in peace.
“I can’t lose you too,” I cried, slumping over him as my own body shook with sobs. “I can’t.”
You aren’t losing me. Just like we never lost Myrin. The memories of our loved ones can never be stolen from us, not even by death herself. I have lived a life much too long, Kyella. As has Lazarus. Take the other flower in my pocket and end this. It is now in your hands to shape the future into that of the one we have fought and sacrificed for.
Barnabus’ words filled my head, soft and weak, and I realized that he was truly dying…and there was nothing I could do.I rushed to think through everything I had read about the flower, trying to find a solution…anything to fix this as I pushed myself off him and cradled his face in the palm of my hand.
“Thank you for believing in me,” I whispered softly as the light began to fade from his eyes. “I will not fail you or Myrin. These lands will know peace and equality.”
"Oh, what a fucking joke,” Lazarus scoffed, his voice closer than I remembered him standing, making my hackles rise.
Something within me awoke at the thought of him witnessing the end of my friend’s life. The death he caused. Barnabus deserved privacy in his last moments, comforted by someone who cared for him.
Laughter echoed through the hall.
“Come, Kyella,” he called out in a strong, commanding tone, but I would never play by his rules.
Hot tears streamed down my face anew as Barnabus words echoed through my mind for a final time, so faint I could barely hear them.
The only person who needs to believe in you now, is you.
My body trembled as the focus in his eyes flickered, like he was staring through me…until all light from his eyes was gone.
He was dead.
Barnabus…was dead.
And there was one person to blame.
Lazarus’ laugh only doubled, bringing out the blind fury that had come over me in the moments after Myrin’s death. I gave into the cold, indifference. It was imperative that I let it wash over me, otherwise I’d never be able to fight through my sorrow.
Sliding my hand into Barnabus' jacket, I grabbed the flower and slipped it into the pouch at my waist. As Lazarus rounded us, moving around Barnabus’ feet to stand on his other side, he looked down on him with pity and disgust clear in his gaze.
“What an idiotic fool, thinking he could take you from me,” he murmured, as if Barnabus and I shared anything other than the bond of family.
This man was beyond fucked in the brain, the way he thought of me as his possession and viewed the world in relation to me.
His words ran through my mind as the wheels began to turn, formulating the only plan I could think of that would get me close enough to the vile vampyre to end this.
It was risky–but I needed to believe in myself.
He could have killed me countless times over, but he chose to drag this out—to toy with me. He truly wasn’t afraid of me, but he did want me alive, and he wanted me all to himself. That much was crystal clear to me with the way he tried to make excuses for my actions that disgusted him, like he was trying to convince himself that he could get over them.
I was smart enough to know that I couldn’t face off with him in hand-to-hand combat. He had the upper hand, but I would exploit the one weakness he had shown: me.
It felt like acid rose in my throat as I lifted my eyes to stare deep into his crimson ones, forcing any trace of malice from my gaze as I said, “You’re right. No one else is strong enough for me to be with. You’ve proven your superiority, and I want to help you.”
His eyebrows slammed together as he stared at me, slack-jawed at my admission.
I held my breath, waiting for him to call me out on my shit, and then I truly wouldn’t have a plan. Seconds ticked by as I forced myself to remain calm. But once again, he showed how fucking unhinged he was as all malicious intent toward me seemed to melt away with the way his shoulders sagged in relief in tandem with his smile.
Walking toward me as I slowly moved Barnabus’ head from my lap to rest on the floor, he offered me a hand. Placing my hand in his, I forced my lips not to curl up in disgust with the contact as he pulled me to my feet. Pushing down the shudder that wanted to overtake my body, I stood stock still as he raised his hand to brush against my cheek with a featherlight touch.
