The girl groaned once, twice, swallowing the scream that was certainly welling inside her at the blinding pain.
“I once broke my leg in a similar fashion,” I told her. “So I know the agony you’re experiencing. Kill your friend, and I’ll let you live and ensure the pain goes away.”
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” she managed, keeping her voice even with effort.
I shrugged. “You don’t.”
She looked at me, looked at the dagger, and then hobbled over to her friend, who attempted to scrabble away, voice rising pitifully. She made it look easy, purposefully stepping over him and sliding the blade across his neck with a quick, fluid stroke. Her hands shook, and she let out a shuddering breath when it was done, but I was impressed with her fortitude. She chose her life over her friend’s. She was a survivor.
She returned to me with great reluctance, but also resignation. She knew she couldn’t escape me by running, especially with her leg in such a state. Her only choice was to comply and hope I was as good as my word.
Of course, I was not.
Blood splattered her pretty cream dress. She was a vision, a perfect angel of death. I was in awe of this human as she threw the dagger at my feet. Her jaw was clenched, the tilt of her head defiant.
“Oh, you are going to be fun,” I chuckled, eyes gleaming. “I think this will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
I’d thought a confrontation with Raven was imminent, but she watched the regret, the torment, strewn across my face with a glint in her eyes. “We’ll continue this later,” she said, waving a hand. “I think I’ll leave you boys alone to … sort this out.” She sent me a cruel grin before melting into the night, without inflicting a single scratch.
I took a step toward my friends, and Ambrose flinched visibly, taking a step back.
I swallowed hard. What could I say? Everything Raven had said had been the truth. They’d heard it confirmed from my own mouth. “I … I’m sorry.”
“Thomas Grange was right,” Ambrose said. He laughed bitterly. “I knew you were too good to be true. Something was always a little off. It all makes sense now.”
Violetta shifted uneasily. “But he’s human now. He can’t hurt us. He hasn’t even tried to.”
“But the moment he regains his powers, do you think he’ll hesitate?” Ambrose asked, practically spitting the words.
I flinched at the malice in his voice. “I wouldn’t hurt any of you.”
“He did save us from the vampire before,” Violetta pointed out. “And even just now, he was ready to fight for us.”
“Fight for his chance at my hand, you mean,” Ambrose said. “He’s using us. Usingme. So he can return to being a vile creature of the night.” He shook his head in disgust.
My gaze shifted to Maxwell, who’d been silent throughout this exchange. He continued to watch me, face a blank. I wish he would yell at me, rage against what I’d done. I needed to know what he was thinking. I deserved every ounce of ire he felt.
I’d forfeited my chance at immortality. Ambrose wouldn’t allow me to continue in the competition now. He certainly wouldn’t ask for my hand, or let me anywhere near the list of hunters. The best thing I could do was put as much distance between myself and them as possible. I felt light-headed, like my mind was detached from my body. “I’m sorry for the pain I’ve caused you all. I’m too dangerous to be around you. If I regain my powers, I … don’t know what I’ll do. I won’t risk hurting you.” I hesitated, stomach dropping at what I was about to say. “I’ll leave.”
“Oh, you think you can just walk away?” Ambrose demanded. “After what you’ve done to me?”
I took a step back as he stalked to me, eyes blazing. Just a few feet from me, he leapt at my throat.
“How dare you!” he shouted into my face as he pushed me into the ground painfully, knees pinning me to the earth. His fingers dug into my throat. “You abomination! How dare you kiss me! How dare you even look me in the eye!”
He was crushing my throat, yet I welcomed the bruising pain. I would not fight him. I deserved this. I closed my eyes, thinking that perhaps my life would end with that snap of bone I loved so much. That would be better than the disappointment, the resentment, in the faces of my friends.
“Enough, brother,” Maxwell demanded, and a moment later, Ambrose’s weight lifted. Maxwell was holding his brother back, jaw set, determined.
“Unhand me!” Ambrose yelled at Maxwell. “We need to bring him before the council to answer for atrocities against the human race. We need—”
Violetta screamed.
At first, I thought it was due to the shocking scene of Ambrose trying to reach for me again, malice twisting his face into something ugly, but that wasn’t it.
The brothers had gone still and peered back into the crypt. I felt the heaviness in my chest abate slightly, curdling into dread as I realized that Violetta was no longer with us.
I started as Violetta screamed again, an echoing that resounded from inside. Ambrose rushed within, needing no more convincing.
