“I’m so sorry,” Zavier whispers, bending to kiss her forehead. “I’m so fucking sorry, my love.”
“Am I dying?” she asks.
He doesn’t hesitate to answer her. “Yes.”
“She’s dying?” My voice echoes off the walls. “Do something!”
Zavier turns to glower at me from a few steps ahead. “What do you think I’m trying to do? I need to get her somewhere safe, assess her wounds and be certain hope is lost before I turn her.”
“You’re going to turn her?” I scream.
“If I have to,” he sighs.
“W-We talked about this,” Celine says, maybe to me or maybe to all of us. “I told Zav I wanted to wait to turn if I could, but that if something happened and he needed to turn me, he could.”
Her lips are unusually pale, and Zavier’s shirt is soaked with her blood.
It’s definitely nota stretch to say that she’s dying.
“Why did you jump in front of me?” I accuse, wiping hastily at my tears as we continue to climb the stairs.
“Because y-you’re my best friend.” She lets out a cry of pain. “I would d-do anything for you.”
“You might die,” I sob and Valen’s warm hand wraps around mine, pulling me with him so I’ll go faster.
“Zav w-will save me.”
“We need to move faster,” Zavier screams at Levi’s back.
“You’re right,” Levi says and Luna screams when he picks her up and tosses her over his shoulder. “Let’s go.”
Valen scoops me up, and I close my eyes to stop the way the air stings them at the speed we’re going. When he finally slows, we’re back in the ballroom and … I squish my eyes shut. Dead. So many dead supernaturals.
“Greyson!” Zav yells and my eyes open again. He’s speaking to one of the men I recognize from the opening speech of the gala. “Is this place secure now?”
The dark-haired man, Grey, shakes his head. “I can’t make any promises.”
“M-My mate … she’s dying. I need a safe place to turn her. I don’t have much time.”
With a sigh, Grey slides his hand into the pocket of his pants and procures a sleek silver card. “You can use my suite, but you will be paying for it to be cleaned of all traces of blood.”
“You’ve got it.” Zav wastes no time in snagging the card. “Let’s go,” he says to us.
Forgoing the elevator, the guys use the stairs, and their speed to get us to the suite in record time. I notice Levi isn’t quite as fast as the other two, and seems to use some sort of power that makes him shimmer at the edges, almost like I can see through parts of him. He catches me looking over Valen’s shoulder and winks.
When we reach the suite, Zavier wastes no time in getting inside.
The door bangs shut behind Levi and Luna.
On my feet once more, I rush over to the couch where Zav lays my best friend.
“If this doesn’t work, I’m learning necromancy to bring your ass back. I can’t have you haunting me,” I chuckle through tears.
She coughs up blood, and I quickly wipe it from her lips.
She doesn’t appear to have much longer if she’s not hitting me with a sassy reply in return.
As I stare at her, I realize this is the last time I’m going to see my best friend as a human.
