A Shade of Vampire 77 A Fate of Time - Bella Forrest Page 0,52

minute, I even wondered if she was still on the line.

"Zeriel… I'm sorry," she finally said.

I couldn't help but smile. "What on earth would you be sorry for? This isn't your fault."

"I'm sorry we couldn't do more. For you, for Vesta… for my husband, my daughter… my granddaughters. I'm so, so sorry."

She was crying, and only then did I understand how tortured she had to be over her decision to head back to The Shade. She'd left most of her family behind, in the sanctuary, with my Vesta. My sorrow was merely a fraction of what she had to carry.

"River, you're doing the right thing. The Shade, Earth… they're yours. Your home. You couldn't have done more than you already have. Not for me, not for your family, not for anyone. It is what it is," I said, my voice wavering. "I've chosen to stay and die here. Let me go the way I want to go. It doesn't make your choice any less right, okay?"

"This isn't fair."

"No, no, it isn't. But when has life ever been truly fair to us? Look at all the wars and misery we've all had to go through, just to get a flicker of peace and quiet," I replied. "Maybe Taeral will succeed. Maybe he'll find Death, and she'll stop it before it's too late, but we both know the odds of that, right now. Even if the others don't or can't see it… you and I, we know."

"We do."

"So, chin up, River. Don't waste your tears on me." I sighed, feeling my lips stretch into a warm smile as I looked up at the sanctuary. "If I am to die here, it'll be right. It's what I want."

I wondered if I could at least see my Vesta one last time. The winds howled above, swirling and shaking the giant trees that surrounded the clearing where the building had stood.

"Thank you, Zeriel," River said. "For your service. Your kindness. Your expired jokes and goodwill. I hope I'll see you again soon."

"If not here, perhaps in the afterlife," I replied. "It's been an honor serving with you and everyone else. If there's one thing I'll never regret, it's my decision to join GASP. Best thing I ever did with my life."

She tried to keep it together, but her voice was breaking. "We were all lucky to have you."

"Don't tell Jax where I am until it's over, one way or another," I replied, my finger already on the end call button. "I know he's got a secret crush on me. He'll flip out when he hears I never made it into The Shade."

River laughed softly. "I will keep my mouth shut."

"So long," I said, and ended the conversation.

My chest constricted. That might have been the last exchange I would ever have with anyone. Glancing up, I found something more important to focus on. My fiancée. Mere hours were left. I could smell death in the air, gathering itself up, preparing to spread out and swallow everything in its path.

I'd caught its whiff before, but never so strong. Never so… determined.

"Hey, Reapers!" I shouted. "Reapers! Whatever your names are! One of you had better answer me!"

My voice echoed against the sanctuary's hum. I knew they could hear me. They could see me. They were probably aware I was down here. I just needed to get them to do me a favor. After all, I was a dying man.

I deserved that much.

Vesta

The Reapers spoke in hushed tones, but we all knew the end was coming. As much as they tried to hide it, we could tell. Their movements, the way they stole glances at us whenever they spoke, their inability to look us in the eyes. We could feel it, too. Our life-chains were fading. My last link was barely a faint orange, black flakes forming here and there, like ink stains. My soul was weary. My mind exhausted.

I'd put up quite the fight, from the moment I'd fallen.

Hours earlier, there had been a sliver of hope left. I knew Taeral would do everything in his power to stop this, and so would everyone who'd joined him on that quest. But, as time passed, mercilessly bringing us closer to the ritual's completion, even I'd had to admit that we might not make it, after all.

"They're not looking very optimistic," Ben said, eyeing the Reapers in charge of our cluster. "Rudolph can't even talk to us anymore."

Grace let a deep breath out, her gaze lowered. "I don't think we're