Having had dressed quickly in all black, Jack and Pearl not in our room to hinder my actions, I found my weapons easily, Pearl stashing them in my closet. Now, I waited in the shadows for a break in the people coming and going inside Ezra’s family’s suite. There were a multitude of Vampires going inside to say their ‘last goodbye’ to Ezra. It was enough to shatter my already nervous system, but I kept my mindset steady, knowing — needing to know — that I was correct in my assumption.
When it appeared that the last of a large group had exited, I raced down the hall to listen at the door. I heard no one. Cracking it, I peeked inside. The room directly behind the door reminded me of our bedroom, the entry the living room, albeit done in dark colors. And it was empty.
Slipping inside, I sniffed the air, and I locked the door so no others would enter to interrupt. There were so many scents they were hard to distinguish, but I was fairly positive, the scent alive and strong, that his dad and, another sniff, Bindi were through the open door at the end of the room and to the left. And Ezra was through the second door to the right. His scent was wrong, the smell of silver clinging. I swallowed the growl that wanted to erupt, furiously and instantly hating the mixture.
On light feet, I moved to the right. The farther into the room I went, the more sounds I picked up. The sounds of death. Cahal’s pleading voice as he drilled Bindi for alternative solutions to Ezra’s health in the room I had guessed they were in. Bindi talking soothingly, quietly, but giving no available options. And the labored breathing of the dying from Ezra’s room.
Listening at Ezra’s door, I heard no other heartbeats except for one slow cadence, so I turned the knob and gradually swung the door open, and just as gently shut it behind me. Then I turned to face the music. He was there. Lying on a bed of black satin, bare from the looks of it, under the thin sheet that had been pulled up to directly under his arms. The sheet clung to him because of the sweat pouring off his skin, which was his body’s natural process of trying to rid itself of the toxic silver. But no amount of sweating would help.
Walking forward into the room, which was only lit by two lamps at each side of the bed, I could see that his mocha skin was turning ashen and that his body was slightly trembling from the poison. The Mage had said he wasn’t in any pain, and I could only pray that was true. Feeling tears slip down my cheeks, I didn’t bother wiping them away.
My heart was crushed so badly I could barely breathe, my pants coming in great gulps as I carefully climbed onto the nearest side of the bed. Setting my items aside, a soft whimper escaped as I crawled to him. Normally this close I could feel his heat. But as I lay on my side directly beside him, I actually felt a chill coming from his body, instead of a Com-like fever when diseases hit. Death was approaching.
Resting on one elbow, I bent my face over his. His eyes didn’t move beneath their lids as some do in sleep. Instead, they were peaceful. His face glistened with his cold sweat, his lips dry and cracked, and his pallor hideous. My tears fell upon his face and he didn’t stir.
Leaning down, I swallowed through the blockage in my throat that physically hurt and began placing light kisses on his face. His forehead. His eyebrows. His eyelids. His cheeks. The tip of his nose. His chin. Staring at his lips, I brushed them with mine, the barest touch.
Pulling back, I lifted one of his heavy arms and placed its slack weight over my shoulder, resting against his side and lying my head on his shoulder. As I intertwined his fingers with mine, my eyes burned fiercely as our ruling rings sparkled in the lamplight.
As he lay dying, I held him, letting my tears fall as they may.
Voice hoarse and trembling as badly as he was, I began explaining, “So, I have a plan.” I sniffed hard, which didn’t help much as I still couldn’t breathe. “I think sometimes we’re all dumbasses. And Antonio has to live with us. Deal with us.” I rubbed my thumb slowly back and forth over his. “And he knows the future. But what would you do if you knew the future? You certainly couldn’t tell anyone because that might alter it, but that’s not to say you can’t give hints and pray that the dumbasses around you would understand.”
Rubbing my cheek against his cooling flesh, I stopped when another sob racked my body until I was able to pull myself together. Pushing my face closer to his neck, I kissed his jaw gently. “He said, she travels the journey alone.” I kissed his jaw again. “He never once glanced at you. If someone was going to die, if it was someone’s time, others would normally say goodbye, even if it was secretive. He never did for you.”