Page 82 of Wake the Dream

Her mouth worked slowly, and when she finally moved to face her mother, only grim resignation remained in her eyes. “Fine!” she whispered, tightening her hold on Kieran. “Take me.”

It wasn’t a choice, not really.

“Illaria, what the hell—” he sputtered, coughing and forcing new blood to geyser out of the bullet wound.

“Take me instead. I’m ready. I’m ready to wake up.” She swallowed over the last of her tears and felt them dry. No more tears. No more anger. Only calm logic. “I’ll wake up.”

Chapter 20

Kieran

“Oh, my darling girl. My darling baby girl.”

Through the haze of agony, Kieran heard Oona’s words, the soothing sting of them. He wanted to tell Illaria it wasn’t worth it, that he wasn’t worth it.

Not when siding with her mother meant a fate worse than physical death.

Illaria could still win this thing if she stopped thinking, if she stopped blocking her powers and gave Oona what she deserved.

His mouth opened, closed, trying to form the words he desperately wanted to speak. The moment he felt her hands leave him, he knew it was too late.

“Don’t do this,” Kieran managed, his right arm pressed into the ground to take the pressure off his left.

God, he’d never been shot before. Not an experience he wanted to repeat.

“I’m sorry, Kieran. But this is my family we’re talking about. It’s time for me to do what I need to do for them.”

Her tone gave him no room to argue with her. Too bad for Illaria. Arguing with her had become one of his specialties.

“I refuse to let you do this because you think it will save me.” Muscles contracted and blood poured from the hole in his chest. The pain rattled him, the silver bullet meant for someone else. Now he’d become a bargaining chip meant to force Illaria’s compliance.

Definitely not a position he liked being in.

“I’m not doing this for you,” Illaria protested. She stood on wobbly legs, staring at Oona while the vampires shifted restlessly around them. Waiting for action.

Kieran saw the moment they decided to strike, although it was too late.

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