Page 105 of You Only Love Twice
"And he's not angry at you for the way you feel about Dmitri," Isabella said quietly. "You never failed him. He never, ever thought you failed him in Russia. Indeed, perhaps it was quite the opposite."
If she could shed tears, she was fairly certain she would be right now. Gemma scrubbed at her face. "Oh, heck." She felt all flushed and hot, and knew her cheeks would be a blotchy mess. "Here I am trying to comfort you, and you're destroying me. I'm supposed to be able to hold myself together better than this."
"I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not," Isabella murmured, turning toward the gate. "I just wanted you to know. I hope you'll forgive me one day."
Gemma trailed after her, feeling all puffy and horrid. "There isnothingto forgive."
"I've done terrible things, Gemma, and I don't know how to take them back." Isabella's voice grew very small as they slipped through the park gate and started making their way back to the safe house. "I don't know if there's any hope for me. There's so much anger inside me. I wanted to hurt him back. And now it's too late."
"What are you talking about?"
Isabella's eyes gleamed as they slipped down the back lane toward the walled garden behind the safe house. "I don't deserve your friendship. Promise me you won't hate me when all is said and done."
"Oh, tosh. You're not in charge of my feelings for you. If I say you're a friend, then you're a friend." She squeezed Isabella's arm. "And I couldn't hate you. I honestly couldn't. We'll sort this... this Malloryn thing out."
He thought of her as a sister?
It was still so incredulous she had no clue what to think about it all.
"Gemma!" Isabella's eyes widened, the first sign Gemma had of something wrong.
"Hello, Miss Townsend."
A voice right behind her.
She spun around, lashing out with the knife that slid so easily to hand, but it was too late. Something smashed across her temples, and Gemma barely had a chance to stagger before her body went out from under her....
* * *
The candle flickeredin the breeze as Obsidian waited in the tower overlooking Malloryn's safe house.
He'd left a note on Gemma's bed again, but that had been hours ago. Long enough for the candle to eat its way halfway down its length.
He couldn't afford to linger much longer.
Ghost wished to meet with him, according to a message from Silas. He wasn't certain if he returned the sentiment. The more he thought about it, the more he longed for the nights he spent with Gemma.
But Ghost would never let him go.
Not willingly.
The brotherhood ofdhampirhad been forged in loyalty, all those years ago, but loyalty cut both ways.
Would Ghost accept his offer? Gemma's life in exchange for Obsidian's?
The thought of surrendering his will to that of the otherdhampirmade his stomach crawl, but what choice did he have?
He couldn't run—she wouldn't go. And one press of the control device that Ghost kept in his breast pocket would obliterate the device in his head, ending his life. If Ghost didn't need his "Wraith" so badly, he had the feeling it would have ended already.
This is not loyalty.
This is not brotherhood.
It was only now, when he had no choice, he saw the truth.
You could kill him,whispered a dark part of himself that always lingered beneath the surface.
Kill Ghost and the threat to Gemma dissipated.
