by Tamara White
“I’m not going to change my mind, so please don’t try to guilt me. If either of you were in a position to be doing this, tell me honestly, would you just leave Talon or me behind? Would you leave each other?”
When they say nothing, I know I speak the truth. “Look, I’ll be fine. There’s no need for you guys to worry.” I go to Nikoli first, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. When I pull back, I cup his cheek tenderly. “I love you. No matter what happens, that won’t ever change.”
“I love you too, Emerald.”
I smile and go to Devin who looks like he’d rather not be here. He must hate the predicament we’re in, but he should have known the moment we got on the plane that it would not be an easy task to get Talon back.
The queen struck when we were all occupied with other, more important things. She must have watched the mayhem and knew this was her time to strike.
I think she honestly had only planned to talk to him when she visited, maybe plead for him to come back, but when she discovered our ties were no longer intact at the challenge, I think Maria saw that as the perfect opportunity to get what she wanted. Only somewhere along the way, her plans changed. She wants me, and if she can’t have me, she wants Talon to make me pliable.
“I’m sorry that we didn’t get more time, Dev.”
“Why does that feel like more of a goodbye than a promise you’ll win?”
“Because I can’t promise something I’m not certain of. I’ve seen Talon fight, trained with him, but I can’t guarantee anything. I can only do my best.”
He growls softly, and pulls me into his arms, wrapping a hand possessively around my neck. “You better do more than your best. You fucking kick his ass.”
He presses his lips to mine softly, then backs away, leaving me with my grandmother. We haven’t had the best relationship since I showed up, but I’m thankful that she came all this way with me. She could have stayed behind, refused to come, and let me go in blind, but she’s made this as easy as she could, especially since the politics surrounding this visit are not the simplest to navigate. I’m thankful of the time I got to spend with her.
“Remember, Emerald, you only have to knock Talon unconscious. If he can’t fight back, you’ve won.”
I nod, unsure what to say as she starts walking to the cage doors and I follow after her.
When we stop just inside the cage entryway, I hug her quickly. “Thank you for coming with me. I’m grateful for everything you’ve done.”
She pushes me away, but keeps a tight grip on my shoulders as she shakes me firmly. “Don’t do that. Don’t accept defeat until you have no choice.”
I offer her a weak smile, but I don’t feel all that confident. Talon’s feeding has weakened me more than I care to admit, and if anyone knew I had allowed him to take a drop of my blood before this challenge, then they’d be beyond pissed that I allowed myself to be weakened in such a way.
I’m still wearing my dress when I approach the queen and Talon, both of whom are standing in the middle of this cage. They, too, are still wearing their party wear, but Talon has taken off the white jacket and is wearing nothing but a pale silver, buttoned shirt, and his slacks.
Queen Maria smiles sweetly at me before pressing a kiss to Talon’s lips. When she’s done making my beast rage in anger, she leaves him and me in the middle of the cage and goes outside, locking the metal mesh door behind her.
There’s a small podium off to the right that she climbs and a fucking spotlight lands on her. “Thank you to everyone who wished to stay and bear witness to this challenge. As you probably all saw, the deal was set and the contract signed before we moved down here. Now, all that is to be agreed upon are the terms. My champion,” she gestures into the cage at Talon who bows deeply, “has chosen to use steel to complete the challenge. Does the opponent agree?”
Talon bends down and retrieves a sword that was lying unnoticed on the floor, and holds it loosely at his side.
“Steel is acceptable,” I respond with a blank expression, not wanting to give too much away.
“Do you wish me to have a weapon brought for you?” Queen Maria queries snidely, her eyes taking in my lack of weapons with criticism. Little does she know, I’m always carrying my weapons.
“No, what I have with me will do.” My swords come to my hands at will and gasps of surprise are heard all around me. Even Talon looks shocked by my weapons, backing up a step and glancing up to his queen with a question in his eyes. Maybe he didn’t see me summon them earlier.
Maria looks absolutely pissed. “How did you do that? Magic is forbidden in the cage. It should have been impossible for you to use any magic at all!” Her ire is clear in every word she speaks, her voice making the lower vampires near her whimper in fear.
“My granddaughter is not just a hybrid, Maria. She is the rightful owner of the swords of Merlin. They come to her whenever she wishes. You should know better than anyone what Merlin’s magic was capable of.” My grandmother smirks mockingly up at Queen Maria like she knows this news will piss her off.
“Those are the swords of Merlin?” Talon asks me, ignoring everything but my weapons and me.
“Yes. In fact, unintentionally, you were the one to bring me and my swords together.”
His eyebrows rise in surprise, but he doesn’t get a chance to say another word, because the queen’s voice is once again echoing around the room. “The challenge will commence when the light dims. For the challenge to be over, one of the participants will be unconscious or dead. The challenger who remains conscious will be deemed the winner. Do you both understand the terms as I have set them? Do either of you wish to amend them?”
We both remain silent and the queen nods, but I see the twinkle of delight in her eyes. “Very well, you may begin.”
The spotlight on her goes out, and at the same moment a blade strikes my right side. “Son of a bitch!” I growl, twirling with my swords raised only for Talon to lunge at my other side.
I barely dodge his hit, cursing as I almost trip over my dress. I try to use magic to hem it, or hell, even take the bloody thing off, but nothing works. Guess the queen was right about magic being useless in here. I wonder if she rigged the cage just for me?
Quickly, I let both swords disappear while I rip the bottom of my dress off and summon them again a mere moment before Talon lands another blow.
My heart races as the minutes go by, each of us trading blows, but unlike me, he’s not tiring one bit. He’s just as energized as he was when we first stepped in the ring, and I’d bet good money on the fact that drinking my blood has a lot to do with it.
Talon suddenly lunges at me, breaking through my defenses. I rise up to meet his attack, anticipating him blocking me, but his sword scrapes off mine, nicking me along the cheek. I know it will heal pretty much instantly, but the sting of pain is annoying.
His eyes trail the drop of blood as it falls down my face and something changes in him. I can’t quite explain what it is, but it’s worrying, that’s for sure.
He comes at me again, this time faster, stronger, and more determined than when we started. I’m sure to all those who have been watching since the start, they now know he was simply toying with me. Letting me believe I’m strong enough to face him.
I dodge each swing aimed at me, doing my best to duck, lunge, and maneuver to avoid being hurt, but meanwhile, he’s been backing me into a corner.
The moment my back hits the cage, I know it’s over.
He lunges and instinct guides me as my swords rise to defend his attack. Suddenly, Talon moves right into the path of my sword and it’s over so quick I can’t believe what I’m seeing.
He... He...
Talon’s sword drops to the floor as my eyes go to the object still embedded in his chest. In his heart. He pulls away with a sad smile and the sight of blood staining his chest is the only thing I can seem to focus on as my swords disappear. Talon drops to the ground, unable to stand on his own, and it’s as if the world rushe
s in.
“No, no, no, no, no, no! You cannot die. This was not how this was supposed to go! Help! Somebody fucking help me!”
No one rushes in, and when I look at the fences, I see everyone watching with solemn expressions and understand why. This was part of the challenge—until we’re either unconscious or dead, and Talon is dying. They won’t enter until his life is over.
Talon’s breath wheezes as I cradle his head and tears start rolling down my cheeks. “What did you do?” I cry down at him. “You didn’t need to die to win! Why?” I sob, my heart breaking as I stare down at the man I came here to save.
“She...” He gasps, the word barely crossing his lips. “If she… couldn’t have you...wanted me to... kill you.” He coughs, blood splattering me in the face, but I don’t wipe it away. I just gaze into the eyes of the man I love.
“You’re innocent...” He hacks up blood and his eyes close. “Sorry,” his breath wheezes, “for not being a better soul-tie.”
His breathing suddenly stops and so does my own.
No, he can’t be dead. We don’t die.
The sound of the cage being opened is nothing but background noise, as are the voices of people who surround me and try to pry me from Talon. But I refuse to let go. He’s not dead. He’ll come back to life any minute now. Don’t they see?
“Em, honey, it’s over. He’s gone.” Nikoli’s voice is soothing as he tries to pull me away from Talon, but I refuse to let go. They’re wrong. He’s not dead.
“No! He can’t die. He’ll be back, just like Melanie said. We can’t die unless we all die at once. That’s what she said.”
I know I’m rambling, even as I look up and see the sympathy in the gazes of those gathered, I refuse to believe he’s gone from this world forever.
Britt kneels in front of me, reaching out a hand to wipe away a tear that falls. “Mer, that’s only if you’re bonded. You weren’t bonded anymore, remember sweetie?”
“He’s not gone,” I argue, unable to accept it. He will come back. He has to.
Britt rises and leans in to whisper to my grandmother. “Maybe we should just let her have a moment.” I hear every word, but I’m grateful. They’ll see in a minute, he’ll be back.
He won’t leave me. He can’t.
Thirty-Four
Time for Change
Talon
Pain racks my body, my heart feeling as if it’s been ripped from chest. My eyes flash open to darkness, looking for any threats, but the darkness is too thick for me to make out anything.
There’s a presence with me, one I can feel instinctively, which has my hackles rising as I flip to my feet.
“Who’s there?” I call out, trying to remember how I got here. The longer I think about it, the more clear it becomes.
I was fighting Emerald, my soul-tie, the woman I’m supposed to love. Why would I fight her though?
It was as if I had no clue what she was to me. What the hell did Maria do to me?
The last thought to come to me is of a blade nicking Emerald’s cheek and the determination that I would not be the queen’s puppet. I would not let Emerald become her slave, her pawn. If my death was the way to free us both, then so be it.
Which means I’m dead.
Is this all there is though? Darkness?
“It’s not all darkness, Talon. And you’re not dead.”
My head whips around to see a woman standing there in a soft gold dress. Her golden hair cascades down her back, and her eyes are a deep gold that pierces my very soul.
She approaches me slowly, appearing as if she’s merely gliding through the air. When she’s a few feet from me, she halts.
“Who are you?” I demand, wanting answers about who she is and where on earth I am. She said I’m not dead, but I know without a doubt that I sacrificed myself to save Emerald. The queen wanted me to kill her, demanded it before the party ever began. However, part way through the party, she called to me, told me that Emerald would make a good addition to her army. She wanted the hybrid.
Even in my state, I knew what would happen if someone as innocent as Emerald was forced to be with the queen. She’d never be the same.
“I am the Eternal Guardian known as Fate. It is my job in this realm to guide those who need it. The only reason you are here at all is my dreadful, interfering son.” She shakes her head and her lips are pulled down in a frown, but there’s a fond twinkle in her eyes, which leads me to believe she’s not as angry as she’s making out to be. “My son has been tweaking the strings that weave this world together, trying to rectify the damage another being caused.” She sighs sadly. “It has resulted in me leaving my comfy home to interfere in the world in order to keep the strings of Fate on the right course. You are one such string.”
“So, I really am dead then? What happens now?”
I knew waking up here without a completed soul-tie that I would not be returning to Emerald, Nikoli, or Devin. From everything Emerald had told me about Melanie and the words she spoke when she had encountered her, I knew my time in the world was up.
Fate laughs, making a soft tinkling sound. “Oh, you’re not dead yet, but you may wish you were. You are not a creature of change, Talon, and the change that will befall you is one that will cause you to rebel against the world. Rebel against your maker. Tell me, if I sent you back this very moment, would you go on a rampage and kill the one who made you what you are?”
There’s no hesitation in my voice. “Yes.”
She smiles at my answer, her eyes twinkling in glee. “Excellent. I love watching a good fight. Especially between two equals. I suppose I should send you back, but there is one more thing I wish to know.”
“You’re really going to send me back to them? To Emerald and my brothers? How come I am not truly dead? Was Melanie right about us not dying for real unless it was together?”
“Melanie is an envoy for the Guardians. She is given information that will help people keep on their strings. You can die, as can Emerald, but as to the how, it’s not time for that to be revealed, though I suspect my son has shown Emerald the one capable of causing your deaths, she just hasn’t put the knowledge together yet. She will soon though.”
I nod, feeling slightly relieved that Emerald is safe from death for the most part.
“Now, as for sending you back, I will, of course, return you to your world in return for some information. You see, it’s been a while since I was in the living world. Educate me once again how you vampires are turned, and about the bond that connects you to your maker.”
“That’s what you want to know?” Why does such a thing matter? She’s Fate. Surely this kind of thing is ingrained into her very being.
She waves her hand dismissively. “Oh, it doesn’t matter right now, I’d just like a little clarification.”
“And you’ll send me back once I tell you?”
She nods with an eager smile, her eyes sparkling brightly in the darkness. “Of course.”
What harm could it cause to tell her how a vamp is sired? I mean, she surely must know if she is indeed Fate, but it still feels strange that she feels the need to have me reiterate the ways our kind are turned.
“Well, most vampires are turned in either one of two ways. The first being an exchange of blood. The vampire will bite a human, and feed on them until they are on the very brink of death. At this point, the vampire will then offer up their own blood to the human. The blood consumed binds with the human’s remaining blood, and turns them into what we are. It is a long process and one usually adopted by those who are the weaker of our kind, as only the most powerful are able to turn humans using our other method.”
Fate’s eyes are practically burning into me as she eagerly waits for me to continue. “And what’s the other way, Talon?”
“The human is killed after drinking a vampire’s blood. They are compelled to drink almost the entirety of its soon to be sire before their death. When the human awakens, they will be almost of equal strength to the on
e who turned them.”
“Utterly fascinating,” Fate breathes, her eyes never once leaving mine. “Your kind has always dealt in blood and death. It’s simply breathtaking.” She sighs, her eyes filled with a kind of longing.
She shakes her head to clear whatever thoughts that made her go starry-eyed before me, and offers me a small smile. “You may go now, Talon, though I would like to offer one piece of advice and ask you to deliver a message.”
I nod and wait for whatever it is she wishes to offer. After all, she is Fate. Her advice could be the difference between life and death if she wished it so. “My advice to you is simple—stop letting your past cloud your future. If you keep going on your current path, all you love will die.”
Well, fuck. That’s not the good news I was hoping for. I’m not even wholly sure what she means.
“And your message?”
She smiles wickedly and steps close until she’s but inches from me, towering over me. She leans down so her lips brush against my ear softly, drawing a shiver of revulsion. “Tell my son I said, ‘well played.’“
I frown, about to ask who her son is, when she pokes a finger at my chest over my heart. Suddenly, a burning pain in my heart causes me to gasp out loud. I grit my teeth to stop another sound of pain from slipping free as the darkness fades around me.
My eyes snap open, and the scent of caramel and vanilla that is distinctly Emerald is the first thing to register in my foggy mind, quickly followed by the scent of her blood. Rage courses through my veins, and a voice in my head demands retribution for our soul-tie being hurt.