A familiar face with wide brown eyes was inches from hers. Worry and anger flashed through the man’s gaze, and he shook her shoulders.
He screamed, “What are you doing?!”
She snarled, trying to rip herself out of his grasp. Why was this man yelling at her?
“Viv!”
Couldn’t he hear the beautiful song? She needed to get to it.
Wrenching herself out of his grip, she reached for the water. He shouted something else, grabbed her wing, and pulled.
She screamed, pain lancing through her back.
“You can’t touch it!” he insisted.
What? Of course, she could. She had to.
Come, come, come.
He yanked on her wing again, his other hand grabbing her leg and tugging her back.
Why was he doing this?
Angry tears leaked down her cheeks as she growled and twisted, slamming her fist into his arm. He didn’t release her, instead shouting something she didn’t understand.
She ripped herself from his grasp and flung herself towards the water. Fingers outstretched as far as they could go, she reached for the shimmering liquid.
Close.
She was so gods-damned close.
The glowing crystals called to her.
“I’m sorry about this.” The words were muted and barely made it past the water’s call. “I hoped I wouldn’t have to use this.”
Before she could question what he meant, something slammed into the back of her head. She stumbled, her fingers hovering above thewater.
A grunt came from behind her. An iron grip clamped around her legs.
“What are you doing?” It took everything she had to force the words out of her mouth.
The man frowned, his eyes full of dark emotion. Should she remember who he was?
“Please forgive me for this.” He withdrew a black vial from his bag, tugged off the cork, and forced her lips open.
He poured the bitter liquid into her mouth, and she screamed.
Fire.
It burned as it ran down her throat. Her wings receded, and tears spilled down her cheeks as the liquid destroyed her from the inside out.
Black spots edged at her vision as she choked and sputtered.
She gasped, “Why?”
He said something, but she didn’t hear his response as darkness pulled her under.
Vampires aren’t Fire-Proof
