High Noon - Casey Bond Page 0,62
“Fight, Eve. Come back to us.”
She exhaled deeply and then took a deep inhalation. Her eyes fluttered.
Kohana used the spoon to pour some of the liquid into her mouth. She swallowed it weakly, but with each spoonful, she stirred.
Blinking slowly, her eyes focused on me. I squeezed her hand tightly. “Eve.”
Her lips curled up on one side. “Enoch…”
Chapter Fourteen
Enoch
“Hey,” I whispered, memorizing the contours of her face. Her blood whooshed comfortingly though her veins and arteries. Her heart beat firmly. Steadily. But she was pale. Her once-luminescent skin was ashy and dark circles had settled beneath her eyes. She glanced around the room. “What’s going on? Why am I in here, and why does everyone look like they’re attending a funeral?”
Maru and Titus visibly relaxed their muscles at the question. I could see the resolve etched in their faces. They wanted her to remain calm.
“Do we need a reason to hang out with our favorite person?” Titus joked, giving her a brotherly smile.
Eve rolled her eyes. “You’re as bad a liar as I am, Titus.”
Maru was still crouching beside her. He chuckled as Titus muttered, “Am not.”
Maru chastised her, “You shouldn’t put yourself between Enoch and Asa again.”
“I’m more than capable of handling those two,” she scoffed. “That’s why they sent me, right? Top Asset with the top badass trainer.” She ticked her head toward Maru as she directed her comment to me. “Everyone at the Compound is intimidated by him.”
“They’re not intimidated by me,” he argued. “They’re intimidated by you.”
“Well,” she sighed, laying her head back on the pillow. “I am pretty awesome.”
I heard Asa greet someone in the saloon downstairs, followed by laughter. Eve stilled, listening. “That couldn’t be…”
I nodded. “It’s Mary.”
Her brows popped up. “She’s still alive?”
“That’s the benefit of being turned, Eve. You can live a very long and beautiful life.”
She wilted. “As a monster.”
“Do you consider Mary a monster?” I asked pointedly. She shook her head and picked at the blanket I’d laid over her. “Have you at least considered it?” I asked softly.
“No, and I won’t,” she answered stubbornly.
Titus scrubbed a hand down his face and groaned. “I can’t believe I’m saying it, but I think you should do it, Eve.”
“What?” she asked, raising up onto her elbows. “You know what vamps are capable of.”
“I know they’re not dead, Eve. They aren’t six feet under.”
“They die. They can be killed. Life is not supposed to be eternal.” It was what Tanuk told her – everything would eventually die.
“Whatever you’re dying from is Kael and Victor’s fault. They put you in this situation. Don’t let your pride get in the way of fighting your way out of it,” implored Maru.
Her head swiveled to him. “You too? You think I should elect to be turned into a vampire? You, of all people?” She shook her head disgustedly and then looked around at all of us. “I would rather die than be turned,” she began confidently, “and ultimately, it’s my decision. Not any of yours.” She looked pointedly at me. “Don’t take my freedom away, Enoch. I don’t want that life.”
“Even if it means staying with me?”
“I wouldn’t be me!” she yelled, wincing and taking a deep breath.
Kohana stood and walked to the door, letting himself out. Titus waved Maru out as well, leaving me and Eve alone. She was quiet for a long moment. “If you turned me, I wouldn’t be me anymore, Enoch. I wouldn’t believe the same things. I wouldn’t care about the same people. You wouldn’t even recognize me.”
“Do you consider me a monster?” I asked.
“No,” she replied, “but I would be. I’ve seen it.”
“You can’t rely on something your mind is telling you. It’s poisoned,” I tried to reason. “Something is very wrong, and it’s centered in your brain. You can no longer trust what it shows you.”
She nodded. “I agree, but it’s not just mine; it’s Kohana’s, Tremew’s, and Tanuk’s. It’s not just about me. Why do you think Kohana is really here, Enoch? If you turn me, he’s going to try to kill me. He’s seen what I’m capable of as a vampire. He has to protect his loved ones… from me.”
A growl built in my chest.
“Stop,” she said in a tired voice.
“I love you,” I vowed, searching her hazel eyes for a sign that she felt as strongly. She tightened her grip on my hand. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“I love you, too, Enoch. I know you don’t understand, but I can’t let myself be turned into something