A Shade of Vampire 84 A Memory of Time - Bella Forrest Page 0,12

out of Valaine’s Aeternae vessel. They thickened the air and drew layers of frost on the tunnel walls. Steam rolled out with every exhalation.

“Tristan!”

He couldn’t hear me. He wrapped his arms around Valaine and held her close. There were tree roots poking out through the tunnel walls, and they began to blacken and rot before gradually drying and falling off like gangrenous limbs. I remembered Tristan’s description of Valaine’s previous bout of darkness, and the similarities were downright terrifying. I knew he had to stop her, to help her get back to the surface of her consciousness, but she was hurting him.

I couldn’t let that happen.

Kalon’s voice broke through. “Esme, don’t!” he shouted, though I was already running toward Tristan. I reached my brother in a single short breath, and the disease hit me like a physical blow. Hard and merciless, right in my chest. I heaved, struggling to retain my senses as I grabbed Tristan’s hand and tugged with all my strength.

There wasn’t much of it left, however. My arms were soft, like jelly.

“Esme, get away!” I heard my brother say.

“No, I’m not leaving you!” I screamed.

“You’re getting sick,” Phantom murmured, her voice echoing in the back of my head.

Valaine’s lips parted, her head tilting back. “What’s happening?” I asked, nausea raising bile in my throat. Smoke… black smoke came out of Valaine’s mouth. It smelled like smoldering tar, and it felt like the purest form of suffering. It broke my heart to see her like this. The symptoms of her Unending condition were getting worse with every one of these episodes.

Tristan inhaled some of the black smoke, and his eyes rolled up into his head, white as marbles. He froze, just like Valaine.

“What the hell is happening?!” I gripped his shoulders and shook him as hard as I could. Morning swiped out a hand, releasing a flash of light that briefly blinded me. I was thrown back, hitting the ground.

“Get away from him,” Morning said.

I scrambled to get myself back up, and I started running. Adrenalin coursed through my veins, but I didn’t stop running. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Tristan. There wasn’t anything I could do to get my brother away from Valaine. She wasn’t listening. She couldn’t hear him. She’d lost all control, and the darkness spreading out of her was killing everything in its path, including the trees growing above. I could think of no better trail to leave for the Darklings, no better proof that Valaine was dangerous.

Of course, I also understood that none of this was her fault and that freeing her was absolutely imperative, but… this was my brother. Tristan was falling apart, stricken by the Black Fever, and I wasn’t sure he’d survive it, even though he was a vampire. This was a whole new level of intensity for this disease-like curse, and I worried that none of us were safe.

Valaine’s suffering was lashing out against all forms of life now, not just the Aeternae. I couldn’t be anywhere near her, so I bolted through the tunnel, desperate to put more distance between us. I couldn’t let anyone else get hurt like this. It killed me to leave my own brother behind, but I had no choice.

My legs gradually softened, and panic struck me hard. I fell. My whole body surrendered to the disease. Black ink filled my veins, dancing beneath my white skin. The fever burned through me like the fires of an inferno, and I understood there wasn’t much time left. Something dragged me farther away, and I struggled to free myself. Glancing up, I caught a glimpse of Kalon.

“Kalon! We need to go! Now!” I cried out.

“I know!”

We both glanced back to see what I’d left behind. Though smaller in the distance, I could still see them. Tristan and Valaine were leaning on each other, tendrils of black smoke stretching and swirling around them. Phantom and Morning had pulled back, staring in disbelief as the smoke swelled and swallowed my brother and Valaine.

I heard myself scream. It echoed through the tunnel. I froze. There was a thud behind me. Moments passed in agonizing silence as I managed to pull my gaze away from that lethal darkness. Coughing and heaving still, I looked down and found Kalon on his side. Black blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He quivered, sweat dripping from every inch of his skin. He looked awful. This was the Black Fever hitting him. It was spreading faster through the tunnel than I’d