Page 172 of Black Sea

The first blood started to trickle down my throat.

“ Wait!”

95

Mornon

What the fuck was I doing?

Why the heck did I open my mouth?

What on earth was I thinking, screaming like that?

I stared at the blood dripping relentlessly from the elf’s chin into that fucking glass sphere, then I focused on the scarlet trickle on her throat thickening as the weapon went deeper and deeper into her flesh.

A sharp movement, and Nauriel would sever her carotid artery.

A sharp movement, and I would lose everything.

It could not happen, dammit. I had fought too long and too hard to see all my efforts go up in smoke.

To be overwhelmed by my elven side and what I felt for my mate.

There was only one thing I could do.

Only one decision I could make.

I clenched my fists tightly until my claws, which had sprouted from my black fingers due to the visceral wrath raging inside me, tore into my palms. “All right,” I said through gritted teeth.

My magic erupted into thousands of screams of different keys that detonated in my mind, and the darkness I controlled coiled around every single bone of mine like a giant serpent, hissing ferociously.

Nauriel stopped pressing the blade against her throat but didn’t lower it. Her eyes flashed as she stared at me for what felt like an eternity. “Say it,” she commanded.

I held back my anger because she had just dared to give me an order. Then, with resentment contorting my face and blood dripping from my fists, I declared, “I will give up my powers. And I will allow you to imprison them inside the Crystal.”

The evil within me rebelled violently, but I stayed strong even though its teeth were tearing me apart.

The elf narrowed her eyes, warily searching mine. The glass bubble jiggled, and Nauriel started bleeding from her ears as well.

She was about to collapse. If the barrier gave way before she could sacrifice herself, I would take her.

And Nauriel was aware of it.

“You’re just trying to distract me,” she snarled, resuming to press the blade against the torn flesh, slightly shifting it downward.

The cut deepened further. More vermilion liquid trickled down her neck, seeping under the collar of her armor.

“No!” I yelled instinctively, rushing forward, but the glass stalagmites surrounding the shield grew taller and increased even further, pushing me back.

“You’re deceiving me!” the elf screamed, sputtering blood. “You always deceive me.”

“I’m not, Nauriel,” I replied vehemently. “I . . .” I curled my lips, barely containing my fury. “I don’t . . .” I couldn’t say it, dammit. I didn’t want to say it. “I don’t want you to die,” I finally spat out.

She gave a sad half-smile. “You know I lied. You won’t despair over my death like any other elf would over his mate’s.”

I had always been completely sure of that. There was a boundary to how much my elven genes could influence me.

Then why the fuck was my stomach twisting in knots?