I realize the ground isn’t frozen. “I don’t think we’re in the right spot. Hold on.” I get my bearings and point at the trees. “They come from there, but they’re in the castle right now.” I shut my eyes and breathe in the air. “You feel that?” My eyelids open. “The Death Walkers are close.”
He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me close, kissing my neck. “I need to tell you something before we do this.”
“Alex . . .” I struggle to keep my eyes open, knowing we can’t go to that place just yet. “Now’s not the time. We still need to call your dad and—”
He slides his hand up my chest and hooks a finger underneath my chin, tipping my head toward him. “I have to say this first, okay?”
I nod, swallowing hard.
“I need you to promise”—he fights back tears as he struggles to remain in control over his emotions—“that if you somehow do survive this, you’ll make sure you and our”—he touches my stomach, and I notice how badly his fingers are trembling—“daughter will live a beautiful, long, and happy life together.”
“Alex, I’m not going to live. I—”
“Just promise me,” he cuts me off, his green eyes smoldering with so much passion I can feel it in my chest.
Unable to form words, I simply nod, giving him the promise he needs at the moment.
“Thank you,” he says, relaxing a smidgeon.
He stares at the other side of the lake then suddenly kicks into Keeper mode, dragging me with him as he strides for the hill.
“What are you doing?” I ask, jogging to keep up with him.
“Making this right.” He dodges around a large tree and picks up his pace. “You said they came from the trees, so we need to be able to see them coming and have enough time to . . .” he trails off, his jaw tightening.
I know what he’s going to say.
Time to kill the star.
We run past our hideout and violet bush, going farther into the forest. I stamp the memory in my thoughts, wanting to take it with me—two kids pressing hands tightly, promising to be together forever. Little did they know their time would be short-lived, that their forever would merely be a glitch in time.
We walk a half circle around the lake, breaking from the forest edge and out into the open. The lake stretches in front of us, giving us a clear view in every direction.
He fishes the phone from his pocket. “What did I say when I called?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t hear.” I hold his hand. “I guess just say whatever you feel you need to.”
He dials a number then puts the phone to his ear. “Look out your window,” he says, raising his hand and flipping the castle off. “If you want us, come and get us, you fucking asshole.” Then he chucks the phone into the lake.
“Awesome choice of words,” I say.
He smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
Then, suddenly, everything is moving in fast forward. Stephan, Demetrius, and the Death Walkers barrel out of the front door of the castle, their cloaks blowing behind them as the grass and hill freezes over like an iceberg.
Alex’s grip tightens around my hand. “Breathe, Gemma.”
I suck in a breath as the ice crackles across the lake, heading straight for us. Alex says something to me, but his words get lost in the wind.
Tears flood my eyes as I stare at the trees with my hand on my stomach.
“You’re going to be okay,” I whisper to our daughter. “Soon, this will all be over, and your father’s going to take care of you.”
Alex hears me, and his head snaps in my direction. “What did you just say?”
I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter.”
His expression turns angry as he grips my shoulder. “Gemma, what did you do?”
“What I had to,” I say softly.
His eyes widen and his lips part, but before he can say anything, the sky greys as the sunlight is stolen away.
“This is it,” I whisper. “The end is coming. I can feel it.”
“It’ll be all right,” he whispers. “No matter what you think is about to happen, it’s not.”
Suddenly, I worry that maybe I’m not the only one who’s done something on the side.
“Alex, what did you—”
He kisses me before I can get the words out. He kisses me like I’ve always dreamed of being kissed—with no holding back, like we’re only two people left in this world, like he can finally