“No, take me, take me!” Karson shouted. “I give up my life for hers!”
The entire room stilled. There was only the sound of my pounding heart.Tick-tock.
No, I wanted to cry out,no, Karson. He couldn’t give up his life for me. I would never let that happen. I’d die before I did. Tears burned my eyes as I stared at him.
No.
It will be alright, my love,I heard his voice whisper in my head. I almost gasped at the shock of it. Almost cried out his name.
No, I won’t let you.
As if you have a choice.A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he tried to ease my distress.
No, I repeated.I won’t let you sacrifice yourself.Tears trickled down my cheeks.
A firstborn always has a plan B and C.
That’s a fucked-up plan!I shouted. If he buried the bone dagger in his chest, it would be an eternity of pain. It would be worse than death for him.
The light sparkled in his eyes.I love you so much and I would sacrifice my life. I’d die a thousand deaths if it meant saving yours.
No!
Sarah snorted, breaking our connection. She looked down at me with a black witch’s smile. Then she returned her attention to Karson. “The offer may have expired.” She wasn’t going to let me live no matter what he offered her. She wanted to hurt him like he’d hurt her. She had nothing left, in her eyes, because her parents had betrayed her. All she had now was the power of revenge.
Ethan dropped to his knees and bowed his head in submission. “Sarah, I will do anything you want. I will go with you, spend the rest of my life at your side. Just set her free and let Karson go.”
Shock stormed through me. He was offering his life, his happiness, his freedom, for Karson, for me …
“No,” I wheezed.“Stop.”
Sarah’s laugh was bitter. “Look at you fools falling for a mortal girl and a fucking witch. You are pathetic.”
Ethan raised his head, blinking up at her. “I’m choosing you,” he murmured.
His words struck. I saw emotion cross her face, heard the sharp intake of breath. The firstborn had lived a lifetime of loneliness. To have someone by her side, not out of fear or rules, but because they wanted to be beside her, was something she craved, she needed.
“I’m choosing to be with you,” he said again, stronger this time.
No. You can’t, stop, I cried in my head.Stop.If he heard me, he didn’t react. He stayed on his knees, his blue eyes locked with Sarah’s.
Sarah stared at him, rage and sorrow and desperation storming across her features. But then her face hardened, and what was left was stone-cold hostility. She wouldn’t choose him. She would choose revenge and hatred over all else.
Ethan saw it too. His gaze jerked to me, and in his eyes was sorrow, an apology. But the firstborn wasn’t the only one who could switch emotions in the beat of a heart. Because even though he dropped his head so his long hair curtained his face, from the side, I saw rage, that pure, dark fury. And I knew he was going to attack, and if he did, Sarah would kill him. I couldn’t lose him. I wouldn’t, not over me. That was a heartbreak I didn’t want to live with. I’d die to keep him safe.
Wait.
Ethan blinked as if he heard me. There was a moment’s pause, a chance I took. I slid my hand out of my pocket and moved it to my chin.
“Sarah,” I whispered, my voice squeezing painfully through the crushing weight on my chest. “I’m wearing Karson’s protection mark around my neck. You can’t hurt me.”
She leaned down, so close, I could smell her coppery-tinged breath. “Yes, about that.” Rage stormed through me as sheyanked the necklace from my neck. “That’s easily removed, you stupid, little?—”
I sucked in a breath, my hand flopping open as I blew.
Chapter 71
Your Worst Nightmare
