Page 79 of Dark Embers

Spurred with fresh hope in my secret quest, I shot off the couch. “I’ll fill you guys in later,” I said to my friends before joining Mrs. Sharp in the hallway and closing the door behind us to keep our conversation private.

“What is it?” I asked, my pulse pounding with excitement.

Conflict pinched her brows together as she paused in deliberation, spiking my curious anticipation. “I debated for some time over telling you this, but I think it’s something you need to hear. I…” she lowered her voice to a whisper. “I found someone who was successful in breaking an imprint.”

Adrenaline flooded through me, and it was all I could do not to jump for joy. “Who is it? How can I find them?”

She began wringing her hands in front of her. “Actually, I asked him to come here and share his story with you. He’s waiting in my classroom for you.”

My eyes widened, my chest nearly bursting with determination. I strode past her, eager beyond measure to meet this mysterious person and get the answers I so desperately needed. But Mrs. Sharp caught my upper arm in her firm grip, making me pause and look back at her.

“Just…be careful,” she pleaded. “And take the lesson he has to share to heart. Okay?”

I nodded, gently pulling my arm from her grasp. “Thank you, Mrs. Sharp.”

I sped across campus, my heart beating like a war drum as hope fueled my long strides. This was possible. Someone had done it. And if they could, then surely I could too. I was finally going to discover how to save Arya and me from this damnation the fates had destined for us.

I entered the building and practically ran to Mrs. Sharp’s classroom, forcing myself to slow down before stepping into the room. The man leaning against the front of her desk with his arms folded was large and muscular, the hagrid lines of his aged face making him look even more intimidating, especially when he lifted his gray gaze from the floor to look at me.

“You must be the foolish dragon with the death wish,” he said, his voice rough and gravelly.

I swallowed. Death wish?

I extended my hand as I approached him, exuding the authority of my lineage to match his hostile energy. “My name is Tobias Dracul. I’m grateful that you have come here today to speak with me.”

The man eyed my offered hand, ultimately letting it hang there until I withdrew it.

“Why don’t you just sit down, boy?” he suggested gruffly.

My hackles rose at the dismissive tone he used. No one talked to me like that. Didn’t he know who I was? But I really needed to hear what he had to say, so I swallowed my pride and sat at the closest desk to where he stood.

While I had unfortunately inherited my father’s temper, my mother had taught me to be polite and diplomatic, to always respect my elders, and from the looks of it, this guy had been through some shit.

“Why do you want to break your imprint?” he asked.

I stiffened at the question, debating how to best answer. I could lie, but this man had come all this way to share something integral with me, so the best I could do was be as honest with him as I could in return.

“It’s complicated. There’s a darkness on my family line, and the girl I’ve imprinted on doesn’t deserve to be dragged into it.”

He pursed his lips and nodded, seeming to accept my response. “Very well. My name is Shepherd Gray, and I should warn you that what you seek comes at great cost.”

His eyes bore into me, attempting to drive his warning deep into my soul.

“I understand,” I said. “How did you do it?”

He sighed heavily, looking away. “I discovered it by accident. My wife died three years ago. I’m sure you know enough about the imprint bond to know that when your bonded mate dies, your own death is inevitable. It’s a long, slow, unbearable process, and I couldn’t stand it.”

I scooted closer and braced my elbows on the desk as I leaned forward, barely perched on the edge of my seat.

“I loved my Annabelle more truly than anyone could ever know,” he continued, his reddened eyes misting over. “The cancer took her so swiftly, we didn’t have time to find a harpy to heal her. When she died, I wanted to go with her. I had nothing left to live for. She was my sole reason for being on this earth. Protecting her was my only purpose, and I’d failed.

“I knew death was coming for me, and I was determined to skip the torture of a slow death and join her in the afterlife. So, one night, I slit my wrists on our bed and waited for death to take me.”

Shock and despair stabbed through me. I could imagine the pain he must have felt. Being away from Arya physically hurt and drove me insane with the desperate need to see her. If she died and I knew I would never see her again…I could only imaginethe deep and utter anguish I would feel. I never wanted to know what that was like.

“So, what happened?” I asked after a long silence. Clearly, he hadn’t died. He was standing right in front of me.

“My sister had come to check on me,” he replied, still looking off into the distance. “She managed to get to a harpy healer right away, and they resuscitated me. My heart had stopped for three minutes. I was legally dead. And when they got my heart beating again, I woke to find the bond severed.”

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