Page 45 of To Vanquish Darkness

Ren sighed above her. "Impressive, I know."

Amalie yelped and scrambled back as Theo pushed up from the ground. "You—I saw you. You were dead."

"I'm beginning to doubt your observational skills." Theo shot her a look, then curled over, as if taking stock of his limbs. A sheen of sweat coated his skin, and his face held a ghoulish tint as dark shadows bloomed under his eyes.

"You can regenerate,” she hissed.

"So it seems." Theo grunted and hauled himself to his feet.

Amalie forced herself to stand next to him, only then noticing that Etienne was on his feet next to the others. The whole world seemed to spin. "How is this possible?"

Ren leaned against the wall. "Le Sombre was thorough in his cursing."

Thorough. They couldn’t escape it.

Amalie's mind reeled as they crossed the roof toward the rest of Theo's coven. That was why they'd been laughing. They hadn't been concerned for either of them in the least. Did all vampires know this? Had they all experienced death at some point without giving up the ghost?

"What's next on the list?" Ren rubbed his hands together. "Garlic first. I love how that makes your mouth burn, and then . . ." He reached down and lifted the stake from the pile.

"No." Amalie shook her head. "I’m sure about that one."

Etienne gave her a strange look, and she realized her mistake.

“You’ve seen a vampire stabbed?” He twisted the sharpened ash wood in his hands.

Amalie swallowed hard. “Once.”

“The Pourfendeurs in the city. They’ve grown more brazen. Trying to show off their skills in public.” Theo stopped next to her, and his glamour hit her with full force. Her emotions were compromised, and she didn’t have her normal walls up. Amalie swayed on her feet, pulled like a moon to orbit a planet of greater mass.

Theo turned his head, and though a smile was on his lips, something pooled behind his eyes. Pain. Sadness. How had she never noticed it before?

She shoved her hands into her pockets to keep them from trembling.I feel it.She'd set him aflame, heard his groans of agony. Was she going to continue with this?

Was it truly possible that Theo was above death like he’d said? That all of them were? That there was no mortal weapon strong enough to take their lives?

The rest of Theo’s story began to carry more weight. If this was the best entertainment they had to look forward to, why wouldn’t they want to be released?

There it was. Another pang of compassion.

Amalie gritted her teeth and turned away from Theo. Her eyes settled on the smooth arc of a blade protruding from the weapons pile.Maybe it couldn't be a mortal weapon.Theo had said this sword he hunted had supernatural power. Maybe there were other blades with similar qualities. Especially one blessed of the gods.

"Is that authentic?" Amalie pointed, and Ren's eyes glittered.

He reached into the pile and pulled out the sword, its sharpened edge gleaming in the waning light. Platinum. A naturally weak metal fortified by the gods to exceed even steel in its strength. It was mined and traded, forged and fought for throughout history.

Ren passed her the handle, and Amalie coiled her fingers around the carved wood. The sword was weighty. Top-heavy.

Ren’s smile was wicked. “This is capable of more than stopping his heart.” His eyes landed on Theo’s neck, and Amalie swallowed hard. Her own wounds, the marks he’d given her, throbbed under the strip of fabric around her neck.

Theo leveled his eyes on hers. “Where would you like me to be?” His tone was low and soft, and Amalie’s center dropped out of her. Why was she agreeing to this? Why was he allowing her to torture him at Ren’s command if he knew he’d continue living?

He scrubbed his hand over his jaw, and Amalie’s heart picked up speed. This was unfair. It was wrong. Vampires prowled in the shadows hunting humankind and then here she stood feeling sorry for one?

Anger solidified within her like shaken cream. Her father wasn’t given a second chance when his head was split by a rock and water flooded his lungs. Her mother wasn’t given mercy when Theo set his sights on her blood.

I didn’t kill your mother.

Her breath came quick. He had to have been the one to kill her. She’d seen no one else.

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