To Kill a Vampire - A.K. Koonce Page 0,35
my posture straightening as I think about what I’m about to say.
“We leave for the Capitol at the end of the month.”
Lord Raske’s large arms fold in front of him as he nods at me, his features set in stern lines. He’s a man ready for war.
One-by-one I assess the assortment of mystics, the ever-changing Infinity witch who holds the strong image of my mother, the dozens of wolves crowding around the table with their overpowering muscle and unyielding dedication, the fae whose lean bodies won’t bow to an unjust authority, and the few beautiful hybrids who I know will never accept imprisonment ever again.
We’re all different, and the mortals who are safely asleep in their beds are definitely different. But we’re all here for the same reason.
To see our government disintegrate in just a few short days.
The group disperses, probably to go back to bed before the sun rises shortly. I slip out, carefully avoiding Asher while he speaks quietly with Kaino. Their eyes follow me until I’m in the free night air.
My lungs heave in the pure smell of the warm wind, and in a flash I’m standing at the edge of the cliff, the ocean crashing wildly below me. My eyes drift closed as I take long, slow, and deliberate breaths, attempting to wash away the scent of the others from my mind.
Trembling hands catch my attention at my sides, and I fist them in an instant, not allowing the uncontrollable feeling to bloom within me.
It’s hard to watch yourself fall apart. My days are spent in denial, but I know it’s only a matter of time. I’ll seal the curse and be stuck in this form for the rest of eternity.
How many wars will pass in my lifetime? Is this just a small insignificant blip in the long life that I will come to live?
Why even fight at all?
“It’s getting harder, isn’t it?” Declan’s calm voice carries over the thrashing wind to me.
“I just need to catch my breath.” I don’t turn from the salty wind or even open my eyes.
The weather shifts from bearable to humid, and I can feel the rising sun threatening the horizon.
In just a few short strides, Declan is at my side. Silence settles between us, an almost comfortable feeling between him and me.
Thoughts circle my mind, building the longer we allow this quiet into our lives. It’s as if I’ve been given a free moment to think, and I finally have the courage to ask what’s been on my mind for weeks.
“Why did you do it, Declan?”
My eyes open to the beautiful, serene sky with its white washed hues of pink and gold, a look of innocence in the pure heavens.
For an instant his warm arm brushes against mine, reminding me of his closeness.
“I – I didn’t know you well when they asked me to bring you to them.”
His words are quiet, and the stillness of my heart almost drives me mad as my emotions begin to tumble through my tight chest.
“All my life I’ve been pushed out. I thought it was only a matter of time here. It isn’t safe alone in the wild. For years I went to the Red Hills, mostly for isolation and peace, a moment of silence to think. One day during the silence, a voice spoke to me.”
A chill crawls down my spine as I recall Atticus’ cryptic voice.
“He said it could be me who broke the curse to release them.” He heaves a shaky breath, his hands pushing into his pockets. “He said we could change the world. He said you were the one; the one he could see in his dreams. The one who would change it all”
Slowly, I look at him, his silver eyes catching the fiery colors of the sky he’s so focused on. It’s as if he’s lost in a memory … or he doesn’t have the nerve to look me in the eye.
“When I got to know you, the real you, I told him I wouldn’t do it. But it didn’t matter. You wanted to go. It’s as if everything fell imperfectly into place.”
My chests rises and falls rapidly as my fists clench at my sides. “It didn’t fall into place; you forced it. They forced it into place. None of this is by chance, Declan.”
“It is, love.”
“No, you had a choice. I had a choice.” His eyes drift closed as my voice grows louder. “We’re friends. You were supposed to be my friend.”
His jaw tightens before he