A Shade of Vampire 84 A Memory of Time - Bella Forrest Page 0,60

a lighthouse, and she didn’t hesitate. Extending her claws, she attacked them, but she didn’t really try to take the soldiers down. One of them cut off her head, and that was the end of Jacinda Arneth.

Normally, the Unending inside her would’ve strived for survival. But the girl had given up on living. Her body had already begun to shut down as her soul withered. She’d killed someone she loved, and she couldn’t forgive herself.

“I had to end myself,” Valaine said in multiple voices.

My breath got stuck in my throat. It wasn’t just Valaine talking anymore. All her reincarnations had returned. This was the Unending, awakened inside Valaine. I’d finally reached the first of the First Ten for a second time.

This was the opportunity I’d been waiting for. It had come on the heels of great suffering and death, but it had come, nonetheless. I sat in front of Valaine, but I saw in the black depths of her eyes that she wasn’t alone. They’d all come to the surface.

Phantom’s hand covered mine. “This is it. We’re getting closer.”

My heart had stopped beating.

Time had stopped flowing.

Unending was reaching out to me.

Esme

With two teams deployed to search for the remaining Whips, my tasks were somewhat limited. Thayen stayed with the Visentis boys—under Kalla and Mira’s close supervision—so I didn’t have to worry about them for the time being. My brother was busy with Valaine, Phantom, and Morning, and there was nothing I could do to help them, either.

I went on several patrols around the city, occasionally bumping into Nethissis and Seeley, but it was late at night, and there wasn’t a single soul around Roano. It was as if the darkness chased everyone and everything away from this place. Then again, the Nightmare Forest was very much alive and full of danger just fifty or sixty miles to the east.

With every hour that passed, I became increasingly restless. Not bored but definitely restless, until I figured out what had been bugging me all along. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, however—I missed Kalon. I longed to see him, to touch him, to whisper in his ear and promise him that everything would be all right. Most of all, I yearned to see him awake and well, healthy and cheeky and playful as he’d always been.

Newfound energy flowed through me as I made my way up to the north tower, wondering if I might be able to get a few minutes alone with Kalon. Time had mentioned that it wouldn’t be a good idea to wake him up, but I wanted to revisit that topic with him. The more selfish side of me ached for a reunion. I just needed to see Kalon awake and remind myself of why I was doing this.

I reveled in the tomblike silence as I climbed the stone steps. When I reached the door leading into Kalon’s room, I knocked twice. Time came out, squinting. He looked as though I’d just woken him up. “I thought Reapers didn’t sleep,” I said.

“We don’t. It’s a habit I picked up from the living,” he admitted. “I don’t really sleep. I just lie down and close my eyes and listen to the nothingness within. It’s very relaxing.”

“Sorry if I disturbed you.”

“No trouble at all. These are tough times, and I’m not always comfortable when left alone with my thoughts,” Time replied. “How can I help you?”

I put on my most innocent smile. “Since you’re asking…”

“Oh, Esme.” His expression changed from serene to sullen. “You want to wake him up.”

“Is it really that big of a problem?”

He shook his head. “Not really. But if we lose this fight, Kalon will die. Seeing him now will only make things worse for you.”

“I appreciate your concern, but I can handle it,” I said. “I really want to see him. He needs me, if only for a few moments.”

“There’s also the risk of him experiencing a surge in symptoms if he stays awake for too long. I’ve slowed down his metabolism with my ability, and once I bring him back to this normal time flow, the Black Fever might try to catch up. Emphasis on might. It’s not like I’ve dealt with Black Fever before coming here, so most of what I’m saying is theoretical, at best.”

“So he can’t be up for more than what, a few minutes?”

“At most,” Time replied. He stepped aside, allowing me to enter the room. “I can give you a few minutes without putting his health in danger.