A Kiss For You

by Rachel Van Dyken

  Had they seen it too?

  He turned to gauge Genesis's reaction. Tears streamed down her face as she shook her head in disbelief.

  Cassius let out a pitiful moan.

  "So you see…" Sariel rubbed his hands together. "…an abomination was allowed to live — still lives — for I've marked her, tasted her blood to be sure of it. Balance was wrecked the day she was born, and now we have someone from the same blood line living." He turned to Genesis. "Your great-great aunt should have made the call, should have paid for her sins. But she's dead, and soon Aziel's blood will leave your mate, and he will be gone from this world as well. So I tell you again, Genesis. You must choose who lives and who dies."

  Genesis

  My heart was shattering, breaking over and over again in my chest. It was hard to breathe.

  Watching Cassius with Stephanie — it was like I could feel his pain, his agony as he watched her skip off — knowing that she would never remember him.

  And things suddenly made sense. Why Stephanie was drawn to him. Why she loved him.

  Why he pushed her away.

  When all he wanted was to hold her close.

  Tears streamed down my face at Cassius's helplessness.

  Ethan looked absolutely dejected, his eyes black as he swallowed and gripped Cassius's hand.

  It seemed, in the end, peace had been made between them. But who was I to decide? I loved Ethan, but I wept for Cassius, for what he'd gone through. I'd always been told Dark Ones had no capacity to love.

  I'd been taught wrong.

  Sariel, on the other hand, clearly had no heart — to put his son through that, to watch that and still ask me to choose who lived and who died.

  I knew balance had to be restored.

  It was my bloodline that had ruined everything in the first place. Ara had been selfish, and her selfishness had caused a split between our races.

  But her selfishness had also caused a Dark One to love. And I couldn't be mad at her for that.

  "Time's wasting," Sariel said in an irritated voice. "If you don't tell me, I'll just assume you wish for me to eliminate both of them."

  "I love Ethan," I whispered. "But does that mean Cassius doesn't also deserve to live?"

  "This has nothing to do with what Cassius deserves or your feelings for Ethan." Sariel pushed me forward. His feathers brushed against my skin. "This is logic, pure and simple. Two plus two does not equal three. For humanity's sake… for the sake of the immortals and keeping both races thriving… a life must be taken."

  I trembled.

  "You think me evil." Sariel's voice was so cold, so detached. "But this isn't evil. This is life and death. This is the most simple fact about both worlds — something that unites us, despite our differences."

  "What about yours?" I asked. "What if I spilled your blood?"

  Sariel's eyebrows shot up. "Interesting. You'd spill my blood to save them?"

  "Yes."

  "Impossible. But brave."

  "A girl has to try."

  He held out the purple feather. "Take it and make your choice."

  My hands shook as I took the feather between my fingertips. How could something so soft be so deadly? The tip was pointed, like a knife.

  "I love you." My eyes filled with tears as I looked up to Ethan. "You know that. You hear my heart."

  "Genesis…" His eyes flashed. "Whatever you're thinking — don't. I can't live without you, but you can live without me." His voice cracked. "Cassius will take care of you, Alex, Mason…" His eyes pleaded with mine as a red and blue tear slipped down his cheek. "I'll always be with you." His hands reached out toward the feather, but Cassius moved him out of the way.

  "I was the one who did wrong," he said in a strong voice. "I deserve punishment." His face cracked into a smile. "And I cannot love." His nostrils flared. "Even if I want to."

  "But you did," I argued.

  "In the past." Cassius eyes turned black. "And now I feel nothing."

  "Lie." My voice was hoarse.

  His breath hitched as he reached for the feather, his fingertips grazing the edges of it. "Genesis, stay with your mate."

  Sariel hissed out a breath next to me.

  "Sometimes it's best," I held the feather out. "To love for a moment than to never experience it."

  "Genesis!" Ethan moved toward me just as Cassius reached for the stem of the feather.

  I stumbled backward.

  And pointed the edge directly into my own chest.

  "No!" Ethan roared.

  Sariel turned his back to both men, covering me with his wings as I fell slowly back, my heartbeat slowing in my chest until I didn't feel a beat anymore.

  Sariel's face broke out into a smile as his wings blanketed my fall to the ground. His forehead touched mine, and with a brief touch of his mouth against mine, he whispered, "Fear is not welcome here."

  "Not afraid," I choked out.

  "I know." His eyes blazed white. "There is no greater sacrifice than laying down one's life for the life of a friend."

  The room flashed white.

  And I knew I was dead.

  Ethan

  I couldn't reach her in time.

  My body screamed and a part of my soul, perhaps the last piece I actually possessed, went dead in my chest as the sound of her heart slowing brought me to my knees.

  Dead.

  I knew what death sounded like — and I'd just received the final blow of my existence.

  Sariel disappeared.

  Leaving her body behind. Her lips were blue as if the angel had infused his blood into her mouth before leaving me behind to pick up the pieces.

  I let out a guttural moan. Tears streamed down my face. I couldn't hear her heart. I couldn't feel the warmth.

  Heat seared my limbs as my blood boiled, killing any of the angel's blood still left in my system.

  Cassius slowly walked over to her body and shook his head. "Humans… are not supposed to die for darkness."

  I couldn't speak.

  It hurt too much.

  "Kill me too," I whispered. "Please."

  Cassius's eyes flashed. "She wouldn't want that."

  "She's dead!" I roared, charging him. "Just kill me."

  Cassius flung me across the room. I stumbled against the farthest wall and charged him again.

  With a flick of his hand, my body stilled. He'd frozen me, the bastard.

  Vampire blood boiled to the surface, heating the ice.

  "You'd do anything to get her back, but you take a chance she isn't the same." Cassius sunk to his knees. "You take the chance that you may lose her."

  "You mean to make her immortal."

  "Only I can bring her back from death."

  I turned my head. "You know what your touch would do to her."

  "Not with certainty," Cassius whispered. "No."

  "She may become immortal — but forever be tied to you."

  "But she would live," Cassius said. "It's your choice, but her heart stopped beating two minutes ago. We are running out of time."

  The ice completely melted around me. I rushed toward her lifeless body and shook my head in disbelief. "I'd rather she live — a full life — a life she deserves, even if it's apart from me — than survive one more second with her light extinguished from this world."

  Cassius nodded. "Grab her hands."

  They were cold, so cold that her fingertips nearly burnt me.

  Cassius leaned forward, his lips hovering over hers. Eyes white as snow, his face began to immediately heal as his mouth grazed hers, and then he whispered, "Breathe."

  She was still motionless.

  Blue lines made their way from his temples and neck toward his lips as he blew across her lips and whispered again, "Breathe."

  His hand moved to her chest, and with one more exhale, he pushed down and commanded, "Breathe, human."

  Genesis choked and then inhaled. I gripped her hands as hard as I could as her fingertips began to warm against mine. Body tau
t, I waited for her eyes to open, waited to see if they would be white like Cassius's — or green like mine.

  She was breathing.

  Her heart stuttered.

  And then began to take off.

  "Why aren't her eyes opening?" I yelled, reaching for her shoulders. "She's alive, she's breathing but—"

  "I don't know." Cassius rubbed his face. "It's been a while since I've actually given immortality to a human." His eyes were no longer white but bright blue, his skin pale.

  "I'm sorry." I choked on the apology. "I know what it cost you to do that."

  Cassius said nothing, rubbing his hands together as if to ward off the chill of his own blood.

  He would be weak for days, possibly weeks. After all, he was still part human.

  "What do we do?" Her heart still beat, but color wasn't returning to her face.

  "We take her home," Cassius whispered, "and wait."

  I rode home in the back seat, Genesis cradled in my arms. I kissed her neck — I even bit, hoping my blood would help infuse some of what Cassius had given her of himself.

  I was desperate.

  I loved her.

  And I refused to believe that she would stay in that state, comatose, unable to react to the world around us.

  When Cassius pulled up to the house, Alex and Mason were already outside, running toward the car.

  Alex opened the door first. "What happened?"

  I couldn't speak. I just shook my head, holding her closer to my body as Mason shoved Alex out of the way and let out a guttural howl before changing in front of my very eyes and running off into the darkness.

  "It's still fresh, the death of his own mate," Alex whispered.

  With a nod, I slowly lifted Genesis up and got out of the car. Alex shook his head and glanced at Cassius. "Stephanie's been asking for you."

  "Stephanie is dead to me," Cassius said in a cold voice.

  I froze and turned slowly, ready to rip his head from his body. "She better mean more to you than you say, Cassius. It's because Stephanie breathes that Genesis sacrificed herself. Go. Now. Apologize. Tell her the truth."

  Alex cursed. "No." He shook his head. "No. It would destroy her. It's been over a hundred years. Just let her believe the lie. It's better for everyone."

  "She has no idea what she is!" I roared. "And Cassius saved her pathetic life only to have her turn over Genesis to the very archangel who commanded her death!"

  Alex hung his head. "She's my sister."

  "Not by blood."

  "In every way that matters." Alex clenched his teeth. "You're asking me to tell her I lied to her my entire life? About what she was? About who she was? You know the best part? I weakened myself purposefully to keep her strong, to keep the glamour in place, and now you want me to take that all away? All those years?"

  "Alex." Cassius held up his hand. "I should have never asked it of you."

  "You are king," Alex said in a deadly voice. "You speak. We do. Regardless of right and wrong."

  "And I was…" Cassius seemed to trip over the words. "…very wrong to ask you to limit your own immortality in order to shield people from what she was — who she is."

  As if hearing our discussion, Stephanie slowly walked out of the house, tears streaming down her face. "Is she dead?"

  "No," I growled. "She's going to be fine."

  "I'm so s-sorry," Stephanie sobbed. "It's my fault. I just wanted… I don't know why, I can't explain why. I just… something has always been missing."

  Cassius swore while Alex held up his hands and walked off in the other direction. "I'm taking the car. Let me know what you decide. I can't watch this."

  Stephanie wiped her cheeks. "I'll help you take her to the room. Maybe if she's in some place familiar, she'll wake up."

  I grunted and pushed past Stephanie. "Maybe."

  "Ethan…" Stephanie croaked. "You have to believe me. I'm so sorry."

  "I know," I whispered hoarsely. "I know." With a curse, I turned to Cassius. "Tell her, or I will."

  Stephanie sniffed. "Tell me what?"

  Cassius seemed to pale in that instant, all at once, as he swayed on his feet, gripping the door with both hands. "Stephanie…"

  "What?" She looked between us. "Cassius, what's wrong with you? Why do you look so weak?"

  "He saved Genesis," I answered.

  Realization dawned on Stephanie's face as she stumbled back from both of us. "When she wakes up… she'll belong to him."

  I didn't say anything because I didn't know what would happen, and neither did Cassius.

  "Possibly," Cassius finally said.

  Stephanie choked out a sob and ran past both of us and up the stairs.

  "Cassius," I growled. "Tell her."

  "Yeah." He licked his lips. "Just let me catch my breath first."

  "It won't get easier with time."

  "I know." He hung his head. "Let me just… give me just…" He shook his head. "Something's wrong."

  "Cassius?"

  "Very wrong." His eyes narrowed until they were fully white then black, tiny pinpricks. "I think I'm dying."

  The last sentence he uttered before falling to the ground.

  Genesis

  Sariel was standing with me, holding my hand. It felt good. He wasn't so cold anymore, mostly warm like me.

  "His blood calls to you," Sariel whispered.

  "Who?" I felt happy, complete, yet a part of me missed something, like I was staring at a really pretty picture, but it was missing something epic, something that would change my world.

  "Cassius and Ethan, both of their blood fights for you right now. I'm afraid you must yet again make a choice."

  I sighed, my heart remembering Ethan, my mate, my love. "He's so warm. Why is Cassius cold?"

  "Opposites, I suppose." Sariel squeezed my hand. "It was never meant to be like this, Genesis."

  "Like what?" I continued watching the waves crash in front of me. He'd brought me to the beach. It was calming, beautiful.

  "This…" Sariel held out his hand. "Dark Ones were never meant to exist, but it seems a human is just like a siren in the sense that their blood sings to angels in a way immortals' does not."

  "Was Cassius's mom beautiful like him?"

  "Yes." Sariel hung his head. "And she died just like Ara."

  "Because she loved you?"

  Sariel was quiet then whispered, "Because I loved her — too much."

  "How can you love someone too much?"

  "When that love overcomes all sense of reality and logic — when the love once beautiful starts to create fear and jealousy. Just because something starts out good does not mean it ends good. Do you understand?"

  I sighed and laid my head on his shoulder. "You aren't good, but you aren't bad either. You're simply both."

  "That I am." Sariel sighed. "His blood still calls. When you return to them, you'll have to make a choice, Genesis, but it's yours. Not theirs. Cassius gave you his essence."

  "Will he die because of it?"

  Sariel closed his eyes; a blue tear slid down his cheek, hitting me in the shoulder. "That depends on the balance of things."

  "But…" I frowned. "I thought balance was restored."

  "Yours… Ethan's." Sariel rubbed my hand. "But Cassius is still very much unbalanced. That's what love does to a Dark One. It is also why it is forbidden."

  My eyes welled with tears. "He loves Stephanie… in that way?"

  "He stayed away from the girl for a very long time… pushed her so far out of his mind, out of his consciousness, that he simply rejected the idea of even knowing her. When a female was needed, as an Elder I put the suggestion in his mind, made him think it was his own… made him think he was powerful enough to face his past in hopes he could finally start living."

  "Instead, he got worse." I sighed.

  "Because every day her smile reminds him of what he can never have."

  "There's always a way," I argued.

  Sariel let out a laugh. "And this is
why I like humans, always optimistic."

  "What other choice do we have?"

  His eyes met mine. "Exactly."

  Ethan

  Not how I expected to start my day or end it.

  Cassius was in the room next door to mine.

  Genesis still hadn't woken up, but her breathing had evened out. Her heartbeat sounded less erratic. I had faith she was just healing — taking her time.

  "Have you tried kissing her?" Mason said from the doorway.

  "What?"

  "Kissing her." Mason walked into the room, his arms folded, eyes tense. "In those movies, the prince always kisses the princess."

  "What the hell are you talking about?" I growled. "What movies?"

  "Like the King Lion movie… there's tons of them. I had nothing else to do, so I went out and bought them because they made Genesis happy, and I was losing my mind with worry so I watched a few… or maybe… seven… and the prince always kisses the princess."

  I fought hard for patience as my fangs elongated, wanting to take a bite out of his silly neck. "You watched cartoons. All day?"

  "I made steak…" Mason fidgeted with his hands. "…for when she'd return. I thought maybe we could share it."

  I glanced back at Genesis. "She would like that."

  "I figured it would give her something to look forward to."

  "Sharing meat with a wolf?" I smirked.

  "And watching cartoons." Mason pulled a seat up to the bed. "And it's worth a shot. Maybe kiss her, then tell her about the steak."

  Werewolves.

  "Any change with Cassius?"

  Mason shook his head. "His temperature drops for seconds before it skyrockets again. It's like he doesn't have enough blood to self-heal."

  "He gave it all to her." Tears filled my eyes. "To save my mate."

  "There must be something we can do for him," Mason growled. "He's still king. He's still…"

  "Our friend. Brother," I finished. "Watch her for me? I need to find Stephanie."

  Mason's face was impassive, but I could hear his heart pick up speed. "So, you'll risk breaking her heart by telling her the truth?"

  "Yes." I licked my lips.