Cursed Demon Kissed 2 Page 0,71

pleading! Maybe he wanted me to.

I asked, "You want me to, don't you? Eric, I can't do it. I'm not a full Valefar. It may not even work." I knew he was running out of time. He blinked slowly at me. His eye lids were so heavy that he couldn't keep them open. He was slipping away. His life was about to end in failure. The things he'd told me about the night Lydia died and how he failed her rushed to the front of my mind. He was leaving behind a legacy of failure, his own kind thought he was a traitor, and he died in Hell following the girl that he was trying to help. Me! No, this can't happen. He couldn't die. This was my fault! He wouldn't have been labeled a traitor if it weren't for me. I didn't know what to do. Eric blinked one final time, and did not reopen his eyes. The shallow pants that filled his chest ceased and his body lay utterly still.

"Awh, shit. Eric!" Panic shot through my trembling arms. There was no other choice. Let him die, or kiss him. Decide! I pressed my eyes closed and leaned in, hoping this was what he wanted. My lips connected with Eric's. There was no time to be gentle. I'd waited too long. I should have asked him while he could speak. But, that look on his face was telling me he didn't want to die. He didn't want to leave yet. There was a way to keep him alive, but he'd hate me for it.

Especially if I misunderstood the plea on his face.

I kissed him fiercely, pressing his lips to mine. When my tongue darted between his lips I could taste the sulfuric residue from the Brimstone in his mouth. I didn't stop. Something inside me awakened. Something dark and powerful. I wanted him. It burned inside of me like nothing I'd ever known. I deepened the kiss until I felt it, something warm and light - his soul. I didn't need souls to maintain my strength the way Valefar did. I didn't need to devour humans to stay alive. I didn't need to trap and kill Martis to survive, but here I was destroying the little life that remained in Eric.

His soul slid free and floated into my mouth. I nearly choked on how smooth and sweet it tasted. All of Eric's essence, his entire spirit was gone. I held a limp body in my arms. Dropping him quickly, I sliced the flesh across his Martis mark with my comb, and then ripped open my thumb. Blood flowed from my wound. I squeezed my thumb, getting as much blood as I could to fill the scar I'd placed on Eric's forehead. The marred skin greedily absorbed the scarlet liquid, wanting more than I'd given. I cut my palm wide open, and held it to his face. His wound soaked it in quickly. When I took my palm away, Eric lay still, neither moving or breathing. I spoke nonsense to him softly, telling him everything would be all right. Maybe it was more to myself. This had to work. It had to. I could do other Valefar things. I half hoped he would sit up and smile at me. But if he did, he'd want to kill me. To save his life, I'd made him the very thing he despised.

The black veins of Brimstone stopped spreading through his skin, though I didn't notice when. When he still didn't move I cut every finger on my hand, and sliced my palm open several times, trying to get enough blood into his cut, but he hadn't moved. Eric remained utterly still, deathly still. Tears welled up in my eyes and I buried my face in his chest.

It didn't work.

Damn it! Tears streaked my face in silent sobs. My fingers remained locked on his shirt. I couldn't let go. The Lorren won. It got him. Eric would become one of the golden flowers on the walls of this fucking tomb!

Anger coursed through me. Everyone was going to die, because of me. I released Eric's shirt and backed away from his lifeless body. Valefar desires coursed through me. Dark magic burned deep within me. Part of me was horrified to learn that I enjoyed tasting his soul. I shoved down those feelings as far as they would go and screamed. The scream echoed through the Lorren and bounced back in my face. I took