I turned to Cyrus, Augustine, and the Order, raising my arms up at my sides. “You’d have to kill me because I’m not leaving here tonight without her.” Everyone looked at me dumbfounded. “Now,” I said, facing Kane again, pointing at him. “I’m going to allow you five seconds to let her go before I rip out that sharp tongue of yours, use it to gut you like a fish, and wage a war against this entire town.”
“Sharp tongue? Like how sharp?” Kane asked, bringing the knife to the back of her shoulder. “This sharp?”—and Adora clenched her fists, blood pooling around her feet, with a scream that cracked me open again.
There was a heaviness in my chest, my muscles spasming under my flesh, ready to rip her from him at any moment.
Kane pointed the dagger at me, her blood dripping from the edge. “I’ll allow you five seconds to get on your fucking knees, Heathen, or I’ll cut this pretty little thing’s neck in half.”
Tears were draining out of Adora while the cold stole her cries.
She couldn’t face the crowd anymore, hanging her head.
Hot tears welled in my eyes as I was completely powerless.
“Three seconds!” Kane screamed.
I clenched my jaw. Staring at her with a tight throat, like I was struggling to swallow a still-beating heart. A tear slid down my cheek. And then another. The strangers surrounding me were watching me, cursing me with their eyes as if I were the one harming her.
The blood eclipse spilled above, a dark, crimson glow.
Fear paralyzed me as visions from that night replayed in my mind.
Summer heat, pain, and profound weakness.
Their thirst for power, and my defenseless body kneeling before it.
“Two seconds!”
Upon catching Adora’s gaze, tears splashed the rims of her green eyes.
Then he began to cut into her, and her eyes slammed shut.
“Stop! Okay,” I shouted.
A blur filled my sights. I couldn’t catch my breath.
I felt everyone’s eyes on me. My heart was pounding.
And I fell to my knees.
“Now let her go.” Defeat filled my words and all the spaces between them. “Please just give her to me.”
Kane’s brows raised, and a chuckle fell out of him. “Now the rest of you.”
But all the sounds were muffled. All these voices were in a fog because my breath was in my ears, and I couldn’t take my eyes off Adora, who stood with blood spilling from everywhere. Her palms, chest, collarbone, neck, lips. I was certain her back, even. Behind me, the Heathens were cursing Kane, and Kane’s face turned red as he screamed back.
“Julian,” I pleaded, knowing if he did this, the rest would follow.
Then everything had gone silent.
Around me, the crowd froze in shock. Not a soul moved a muscle.
Only nighttime swirled, a cold winter howl circling us.
I glanced back to my left and right.
The rest of them had surrendered.
All five Heathens were on their knees for Adora.
