I felt Arys’s light touch on my mind. He said nothing, but clearly made his presence known. I hated that this moment had to happen in front of him. I hated that it had to happen at all.
“I’m not doing that.” I shook my head sadly. I wasn’t ready to face these feelings. “I won’t.”
Weakened as he was, Kale still had no problem getting mad. “Dammit, Alexa. Don’t kid yourself. We’ll both regret it, you more so than I. Walk away.”
His tone was firm. Serious. He just might hate me for what I was about to do. There was a good chance he wouldn’t be the only one.
“I’m sorry, but your death can never be by my hand.”
“I f**ked up, Alexa. It’s not your problem. Walk away.”
“Stop saying that!” I stood quickly and clenched my hands into fists. My long claws cut into the palms of my hands.
I turned to Arys, finding him closed off. With arms crossed, he fixed me with a disaffected stare. He gave the impression that he didn’t care. It was a lie.
‘I have to do it.’ I pushed the thought to Arys. ‘I can’t live with his blood on my hands.’
Arys merely stared, silent and grave.
Falon feigned a dramatic yawn. Checking his non-existent watch for the time, he loudly declared, “At this rate, the sun will rise, and there won’t be a decision to make.”
“Feel free to leave,” I snarled. The pressure was mounting, and I was buckling beneath it.
“And miss this? Not a chance. I want to see you cave.”
Shya held up a hand and gave Falon a look. To me he said, “Alexa. Your choice?”
One last try. I had to. “There has to be another way. You’ve made your point, Shya.” I wasn’t going to beg, but the temptation was there.
He moved fast, a blur of black. He grabbed Kale in a bone-shattering grip, holding his head at a dangerous angle. That was the only answer I was going to get.
“No!” My shriek echoed through the night. For a split second, all I could hear was the pounding of my heart in my ears. The fallen body of the dreamwalker was a very real example of how ruthless Shya was. I still didn’t know the poor kid’s name.
Shya released Kale and held his hands out in expectation. This was it, now or never. Kale stared up at me with a silent plea. I couldn’t bring myself to give him what he asked for. If I didn’t act now, I never would, and Shya would make my choice for me.
“Fine. I’ll do it.” My fate was sealed the moment the words passed my lips. “Now let me help Kale. He needs blood.”
“By all means.” If Shya’s smile got any bigger, it was going to become the scariest thing I’d seen all night.
I watched him cautiously, unwilling to take my eyes from the demon. I reached for Kale, and he tried uselessly to push me away. It took great effort in his weakened state.
“No, Alexa. Leave me. I’ll be fine.” He slumped over on the grass, unable to stay upright.
I knelt close and pulled him into my arms. Anger flashed in his eyes, but he didn’t have the strength to do anything about it. Shoving my hair aside, I bared my neck and offered it to him. His hunger sparked to life. Still, he resisted.
“Do it, Kale. You’ll never make it out of here on your own if you don’t. I’m not leaving you for the sun.”
I had watched a vampire burn in the sun, and it had instilled a deep fear within me. When I rose as a vampire, as I was bound to, I’d vowed to never screw with sunrise.
His hunger was palpable. His reasons for refusing were likely personal, none of which mattered right now. I reached out to drape him in my heady power, luring him in like I had so many times before.
Kale’s eyes widened, and I saw accusation in their depths. I might as well have been forcing a syringe filled with heroin on a junkie. Kale had a weakness for my blood and the power within it. What had weakened him before would strengthen him now, and I wasn’t going to feel guilty about using my influence over him.
My eyes locked on Arys. He had moved closer, drawn by the power I’d encircled Kale with. The expression he wore was hard to read. The fire behind me was reflected in his blue eyes. I held his gaze, waiting for him to do something, anything to stop this. He only watched in silence as I offered my neck to Kale.
With a ravenous hunger, Kale pulled me roughly against him, exerting the strength only bloodlust commanded. He was lost in my thrall, a victim to my influence.
With that vicious hunger, he bit into my neck, tearing a cry from me. He pulled back and bit again, fast and deep. Panic thrilled through me in response to his animalistic assault.
I couldn’t tear my gaze from Arys who watched with a hard set to his jaw. He didn’t make eye contact with me. Instead, he watched Kale spill my blood. Arys’s expression was guarded, and he had withdrawn his touch from my mind.