“Couldn't have you giving up so soon. Their blood was still in you; it just needed some time to start working. Just like when Vesper's human part was starved to death and her vampire part was fed with blood. We have to die in order to be reborn.”
“And my magic? Will I get it back one day?”
He shrugged. “I don't know, but is that really what you care about?”
In all honesty, no.
They were.
And I was happy that I would live out my dreams with them.
Magic had once been my life, but it was also the reason why I was stuck in the coven. The reason why I was abused by him.
A part of me that was there my entire life would no longer exist. The Cedar I once was would be gone, but just like Max said, in order to be reborn, I had to die first.
I would gladly take it.
I could feel it working as I stared at myself. My tether to this in-between world we were in was starting to fade.
“Thank you,” I told Max. “Because of you, I met them. And because of you, we were able to stay together.”
He stood straight and gave me a smile. “You know, I only did it for myself.”
It was my turn to smile at him.
“You know I can tell that's a lie. You're a good one, Max. And I hope you can start living the life they stole from you. Morgan is waiting for you. She never gave up hope.”
The world around us started to fall away, and just as it was about to fully disappear into darkness, I heard him whisper one last thing.
“Make the most of it. Together.”
Vesper
Cedar was dead. There was no bringing her back, no matter how hard we tried.
I couldn't move. I couldn't bring myself to leave her, even as the vampires were gathering around us. Yelling at us.
Neither could Aurelia.
Her fake husband and Atlas were doing the brunt of the work, trying to keep people at bay. We would have to face them sooner or later, but this was not the time. If there would ever be a time for that.
I don't know how long it would take me to recover from this.
How could this happen?
How had we won the battle and still lost in the end? There was no way the world could be this cruel. I would rather have lived the rest of my days in an Adrian-filled misery with them or even died at his hands with them.
In both scenarios, we’d be together.
It wasn't the best, but it was better than this.
My eyes roamed Cedar’s body. Logically, I knew that she couldn't have survived something like that, but it didn’t feel final. My mind was telling me she was still alive. That at anymoment she might sit up, and we would all laugh like this was some stupid joke.
But it isn’t.
This was real life, and I had to face it. I had to be strong. Not just for myself but also for…
I couldn't even look at Aurelia for fear that I would break down even further.
