Page 92 of House of Crimson Hearts
“This isn’t over,” he says and bolts.
Thank fuck. I collapse back on the ground silently praying to the Mother of Blood.
I glance at the castle and those twenty metres of space between me and the porch suddenly feel like a marathon away. I haul myself up. But I can’t get the air deep enough into my lungs. My breathing is shallow and rapid, with every staggered step forward, static rips through my vision.
I manage three paces and stop.
I can’t do this.
The door opens and Octavia’s face appears.
“FUCK,” she screams. “WHAT THE FUCK?”
She races out from under the porch, her skin immediately lights up, smoke hissing from her arms.
She screams and steps back under the porch.
Her breath hitches, she’s panicked, her eyes wide. She glances out from under the porch cover and up at the horizon. Shit. It’s too late even for her to come out, and I’m not sure if I can make it there.
Her chest heaves up and down. Then she stills herself.
“Look at me,” she says, her voice suddenly calm, controlled, assured. “You need to look at me, Red.”
I do. I crane up, my hand on my knee supporting myself. Being bent over is so much better than standing upright with how my ribs feel.
“I—” I start.
“Just one step. Take one step and then another. I want you to walk to me.”
I try. Really, I do. I take one step, then another. The image of her moving towards me last night washes through my head. The way she pushed me into the door. If only I could move like that, use the heat and energy of our desire.
But there’s only searing, throbbing heat racing through my body this morning. And every step is fucking agonising, bolts of pain and blistering anguish tear through every inch of my body.
I sag. Drop to my knees.
“I can’t,” I say. But the words are garbled.
“Let me compel you. Look at me and I’ll make you come to me. I can get you to me.”
“No,” I shriek, finding my voice. “Never. Ever. Compel me.”
“This isn’t the time, Verity. I can hear your heart rate, it’s slowing. You NEED my blood. You’ll die if you don’t take it.”
“Said. No,” I gasp and finally look up to catch her eyes. There are lines across her brow, furrowed deep like scars.
Even though my vision is smattered with grey, I still recognise that it’s odd that she’s worried about me. I’ll be fine, I just need to walk a bit more.
I push up onto my feet, pain lances through my ribs so sharp I can’t catch my breath. I’m panting. My lung must have been nicked, I can’t seem to get my breath deep enough.
“That’s it, keep coming, it’s only another ten metres,” Octavia says. Her eyes frantically looking from me to the dawn sun rising above the horizon.
“HURRY, VERITY. PLEASE.”
But a cough spills from my lips, filled with blood that showers the gravel in a pretty splatter of red.
I look down thinking it’s a pretty mosaic and then I collapse to the ground. I know now that this is how I die. Vampires got my entire family and there’s nothing I can do about it.
“VERITY,” Octavia is screaming. She turns back into the house and bellows, but her voice is fading in and out of focus.
