Page 44 of To Vanquish Darkness

The smile faded from Ren’s lips. “Strange to find a human with compassion for our kind. Don’t you think, Theo?”

“I told you. She’s a historian.”

Ren shrugged. “When you’ve lived for thousands of years, even pain is better than boredom. I wouldn’t expect you to understand.” He looked at her like a father would look at a sniveling child. “But this little experiment hardly gives unequivocal proof. Why don’t you try this instead.”

Ren pulled a long, sturdy stick from the stone floor and held it out for Clémentine to tie what looked like an old dirty rag to the end of it. Then he shoved the cloth into a bucket and pulled it out, sopping.

Amalie shivered. Two thousand years. They’d lived through wars and revolutions. Watched humans suffer through reigns of terror, pestilence, and plague. No wonder they were cruel. Humans must seem the equivalent of ants crawling under their boots.

Ren held the stick out to Paul who fished a flint and steel from his pocket. He struck for sparks, and in seconds, the rags were aflame.

“Care to do the honors?” Ren held it out, and Amalie took it from him.

She turned, taking in Theo’s rigid posture, then turned back. “Who is this for?”

Ren’s eyes sharpened. “Theo, of course. Unless I sense . . . affection?”

Amalie turned back, blood rushing in her ears. What part did Theo want her to play now? There was no affection, and yet he’d asked her to pretend in the beginning. If she’d done a more believable job, they wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place.

Why couldn’t she have drowned in their glamours and flushed when they appeared in the doorway? Oh, yes. Because she’d spent her entire life hating their kind and working to overcome their seductions.

But could she do this? Could she purposefully light Theo on fire? Amalie thought back to the night in the courtyard. How she’d run and stabbed Theo through the heart. She’d been sick. Disturbed. But she’d done it.

Now she had to do it again. Not only would it prove that she was an obedient little mouse, but she’d have more than Theo’s word that the other strategies for vanquishing vampires were obsolete.

Yes. She could do this. Shehadto do this. Marcel, Olivie, and the Pourfendeurs were counting on her.

Before she could second guess herself, she lunged, thrusting the flaming torch against Theo’s chest.

He didn’t move. Didn’t try to stop her. As the flames licked up his shirt, he simply closed his eyes as his lips curled, baring his teeth.

Again, the scent of burning flesh. The growls ripping from his throat. Amalie turned, unable to watch as acrid smoke filled the air. She flinched as Theo’s body hit the ground behind her, his cries interrupted only by scuffling against stone. She squeezed her eyes shut, clenching her jaw until the sounds died out.

Ren’s eyes were alight. “Beautiful work. Truly.”

Amalie gasped for breath. Was it done? She couldn’t bring herself to turn around and see the wreckage.

"You have to pay up." Paul wiped the tears from his eyes and put out a hand. Clémentine scoffed and handed him a thin metal object. He slipped it into his pocket with a cheeky grin.

"What was that?" Amalie snapped.

Paul sauntered over the stone. "Clémentine didn't believe you'd do it. She thought you were only trying to impress him, but that you'd end up licking his shoes before you ever caused him harm." Amalie's eyes flicked to Clémentine. The woman winked at her. "I have to admit," Paul continued, "this is the most fun any of us have had in ages."

“Perhaps not Etienne.” Ren grinned. He walked past her and nudged Etienne’s lifeless form with his boot.

Without thinking, Amalie shoved him. Hard. Ren didn't even wobble. He caught himself, spinning and moving close enough that she could hear his intake of breath. "Feisty. I can see why Theo likes you."

"Liked," Amalie corrected.

Ren's face split into a grin. He nodded toward Etienne's body, and Amalie followed his gaze. She held her breath, readying herself to view grotesque, mutilated flesh, then froze. Her brow furrowed as she stepped back and dropped to the stone.

What was happening?Moments before, Etienne had been lifeless. Burnt to a crisp, and now . . .

Her head shot up, and she scrambled across the ground, landing next to Theo. He looked worse. His skin and muscles were ash, his bones charred. Bits of hair melted against the few pieces of flesh that hadn’t been consumed by the flames.

She clapped a hand over her mouth, about to be sick. But then she saw it. Fresh. Pink. Amalie ran her fingers over the new, perfect skin forming over his shoulders, his arms, and?—

She yanked her hand back as Theo's heart started beating in his chest. The fibers of muscle flushed red, then squeezed and released once, twice, before flesh and muscle corded over his ribs and in a flash, sealed shut.

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