Catalyst Page 0,63

him."

Will nodded once, and looked over his shoulder at her. "I can't turn back." It sounded like an apology. Kahli swallowed hard. Taking his shoulder in her hand, she turned him around. His eyes were filled with sorrow.

Meeting his gaze, she said, "I know."

His voice was barely a breath, "My loyalty is forced. I have no choice."

"I know, but you can't go into the palace, Will." Kahli didn't know why she knew, but if Will went in tonight, he wasn't coming back out. Both hands were on his shoulders, holding him tight, "Please."

He shook his head, a crooked smile laced his perfect lips. "I don't get the choice, Kahli."

"I'm not giving you a choice, Will." Desperation shot through her body. Kahli pulled him close, wrapping her arms around his neck, still clutching the flashlight in her hand. She slammed her body into his, kissing him like she thought she'd never see him again. Her heart beat harder when she leaned into him. His scent filled her head and she breathed him in. Will's arms lifted and wrapped around her waist. He kissed Kahli back, his hands holding her firmly against him. Will's lips tasted like snow. They were smooth and cool. She wanted to stay there like that, just the two of them, but there was no other option. Whatever was going to play out inside of the palace walls could have to do so without Will Tatum.

Pulling back from the kiss, Will looked at her. "Kahli," he breathed, his eyes liquid blue, smiling at her like she intended to keep him in the garden with kisses. Guilt made her hesitate, but she had to. The flashlight came down on the back of his head, hard. Will's eyes rolled back into his head when the metal struck. His shoulders slumped as he fell forward.

Kahli caught him, and lowered Will to the ground, pulling him toward the pile of dead vampires. "I'm so sorry, but I can't lose you."

She moved the vampire's bodies and slid Will into the pile. Arranging arms and legs, she positioned them so that they covered Will. Their blackened blood smeared across his white suit like a line of tar. Kahli noticed the ripped out throats, the King's signature, and made sure Will's perfect neck couldn't be seen beneath the pile of arms and legs. Will breathed softly, but no one would notice, at least she hoped they wouldn't. By the time Will woke up, this would be over, and things would fall in his favor, or they wouldn't. But at the very least, it gave him a chance to live that he didn't have tonight if he continued doing what Reggie wanted.

Chapter 30

Cole was leading a group of anemic humans out into a snow storm during a palace siege. In the back of his mind, he knew it was crazy, but he didn't leave anyone behind. They followed close behind him, scurrying down the hallway like scared mice. Cassie was on his heels. "Cole, they're not used to this. You have to slow down," Cassie huffed, trying to keep up with him. His long legs made his stride longer than hers, and he was practically running.

"Can't. You know that. If they fall behind, they get left behind, and from what I heard in the control room, they don't want that."

"What do you mean?" she asked in hushed tones, as Cole's eyes darted up and down the corridor, expecting to see a vampire at any moment. He clutched a metal stake in his fist, his bicep bulging.

"I got hold of the Captain earlier and she told me something rather interesting. If the Queen is defeated tonight, we all get our heads lopped off. Every last one of us is to be executed. The Queen doesn't want to leave any loot for the new monarch." Cassie's mouth dropped open in horror. He glanced past her, watching the others hurry toward them, before asking her, "You still want me to show them mercy, Cass? They treat us like animals. Turns out the palace lifespan isn't as long as we thought." He waggled his eyebrows at her. It was Cole's way of gloating, of saying he was right.

Cassie felt weak. She didn't think of the vampires as oppressors. There were good and bad vampires, at least she thought there were, but this made her sick. After the forced Pairings and now this - they didn't care if their precious humans lived or died. Everything she thought about them shattered