Page 45 of Last Hope
It had hurt her to watch her sleeping form and not even be able to reach out and touch her, kiss her or to even say her final farewell. She could only hope that after she was gone Anya would survive the pain and eventually move on without Isis.
But it was either turn herself in or live the rest of her life on the run and risk the deaths of all those whom she loved. And she couldn't live with herself if she knew she was causing the deaths of so many loved ones.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked down at her mug wondering just how they planned on killing her. Maybe they'd do it slowly and painfully to make her suffer or maybe they’d do it quickly and get it over with after all of the trouble she had put them through.
She looked at her palms; dark, like the rest of her. She was clad in black pants, boots and a turtleneck all which hugged her figure nicely, showing off the perfect shape of her rounded hips, strong thighs, calves and legs in general. She was tall, and curvy which she had been when she was human but even more so as a vampire. It was as if the vampire virus in her system had perfected her body to attract humans in order to feed from them.
She had noticed more than one male human stare at her with wide lustful gazes. But it didn't matter who stared, didn’t matter why. Soon she’d be dead and no one would stare at her with lustful eyes ever again. No one would stare at her any type of way ever again.
Not with lust or anger or love.
Anya’s spring gold and silver eyes would never look at her again.
“Isis.”
She heard Anya’s voice as if her Soul Mate was right there in front of her. She shook her head back and forth. The sadness had her thinking that Anya was with her; but she wasn’t. She had left her back at the apartment with the children.
“Isis!”
Isis looked up, praying she had imagined it but sucked in a sudden breath when she saw Anya.
Her Soul Mate was in a simple white T-shirt that highlighted her thin figure underneath and slim jeans that hugged her tight at the waist, bottom and legs but opened up at the ankles. Her skin was flushed, whether from anger or the cold outside, Isis couldn’t be sure. Her hair was in wild disarray and tangles over her shoulders almost as if she had ran to catch up to her.
Isis stood slowly but couldn’t seem to find words that would explain why she had left. Instead she said, “Where are the children?”
Anya let out a breath. “I left them with Quinn and put a spell on the apartment so that no one can come in or out. They’re safe.” Isis nodded and remained standing. They stared at each other for a while before Anya broke the silence. “Why did you leave without telling me?”
Isis bit her bottom lip and shrugged, shuffling her feet. “I knew you would try to stop me if I did. It's just easier this way.”Goodbyes are too painful, she added mentally.
Anya scowled. “So you’ve already decided that you’re going to turn yourself over to Caesareon’s followers?”
Isis swallowed. Anya knew, but Isis still had to answer. She held her head high. “Yes.”
“And you're prepared to die?”
“Yes.”
This time Anya took a few steps forward until she was directly in front of Isis and took her face in her hands. “How many times do I have to tell you that you’re not alone? You don’t have to go to them prepared to die. We can fight this, Isis...together.” The silver and gold blazed in her eyes with intensity. The severity of her words pierced her like the slices of knives.
“I can’t lead you to your death. I won’t stand by and watch you die.”
The hollowness in her chest ceased to be and tears prickled behind her eyelids.
Anya smiled a small, sad smile. “You won’t lead me to my death,” she said certainly. “I will not die, because I have so much to live for and I plan on fighting. I won’t die tonightbut they will.”
Isis closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to Anya’s and relished in the sparks that flew between their touching skin. She wanted Anya by her side so badly. She wanted to believe they could fight together but she had to look at it realistically. She wouldn't let anyone else die for her. Anya had to live...because if she didn’t, Othello and Lucinda would be alone. And they needed somebody.
Anya squeezed Isis’s face “Listen,” she must’ve read her thoughts. “Where you go, I go. I’m not going to let you give up. I love you.”
And then she pressed a kiss to Isis’ lips. It was all fire and ice between them. It didn’t matter that they were in public or that curious eyes had turned to stare. All that mattered was Anya, and that this might very well be their last moment together.
She enveloped herself in the kiss, opened her mouth to Anya. Teeth and tongue mushed together in a melody so sweet it made her heart dance.
She wrapped her arms around Anya’s waist who, in turn, curled her fingers through Isis’s hair. Suddenly there was no space between them but it felt like they were miles apart. They wrapped themselves in each other; in body, mind, in essence. Isis kissed her Soul Mate as if the world were about to swallow them whole right then and there, separating them for infinity.
The sound of the television volume being turned up startled them both away from each other’s arms and staring at the television screen.
It was pure static at first. The store owner was frantically pressing the remote in an attempt to turn it down but it didn’t appear to be working.
