A Violet Fire (Vampires in Avignon #1) - Kelsey Quick Page 0,114

never faltering.

“It isn’t just a situation to be handled. It isn’t just my rebellious nature. It isn’t just the heir.” Zein’s eyebrow twitches when I say ‘heir’.

“It… is a life that you’ve single-handedly destroyed,” I concede as tears become jewels of glass upon my lashes.

“You took everything from me. You made me believe—” I shout but quickly cut myself off, spitting grotesquely as to shame the thought.

My screams ricochet. “You killed my family!”

Echoes and silence. Only the wisps of the wind fill my ears. And in my sight, Zein stands as poised as before, except with a noticeably faltering expression.

Regret? No, I’m imagining it. I only want to see that.

I swing the rods another time, both of which have turned into large and extended anlaces—glowing swords of malice. He evades yet again and there is distance between us.

“Stop, or else I won’t be able to save you,” he commands, a bit less reserved, and beneath his breath. But I don’t. I keep swinging. It’s only Castrel’s voice that makes me hesitate.

“Wavorly! It’s no use, he will kill you!”

Zein’s attention shifts to Castrel and the fire within me reignites.

“Your opponent is me,” I roar and throw a perfectly timed horizontal cut. He evades. I blink and he’s nose to nose with me, his hands clasped around my wrists.

I can’t move.

I wait. I wait for him to try and convince me otherwise. Right now, I’m fragile enough to believe anything. Even still, his gaze lingers on Castrel.

“Is he the one? Feeding you nonsense?” he asks me.

“He was the only friend I had in Avignon. Do you remember?” Surprise crosses Zein’s features. “When someone is dead they really have no reason to lie to you, do they?”

The color in Zein’s face drains.

“How can this be nonsense?” I motion to my lit wrists that are bound by his powerful hand. “Even if you take me with you, I’ll never submit. Even if I have to take my own life, I will for the sake of your failure.”

“Wavorly,” he whispers, pleadingly. His face drops to mine. So close that his breaths skate my skin. “I…”

He averts his gaze to Gemini and Narref before refocusing on me.

“I cannot lose you,” he whispers. “To keep you alive, I need you to stop and come with me, now.”

A part of my soul cracks.

“You killed everyone that I loved,” I say through falling tears.

He lets out a tight breath. “Please...”

My stomach drops, and I sob, “You killed all of them to take me from them, to manipulate me into doing what was best for your kind.”

“Wavorly.” He swallows and clenches his jaw. So low, I can barely make it out he says,

“I cannot lose you. And for no other reason except that I love you.”

Everything within me hitches for a split second, but even that long of a reaction sickens me. I grit my teeth and push past it. Even now, he lies.

“You did do it,” I murmur.

He doesn’t respond.

I feel nothing. I see nothing. Everything I have ever known… is nothing.

He did it.

“You monster,” I snarl.

His eyebrows furrow but their time is cut short by a bright blue swirl of light. Instantly, I am flying backward towards the chariot while Zein spirals outward. I find myself in Thelor’s arms, my wrists suspended as he now holds me at the entrance to the chariot. To his left, Ceti is moving her hands in some sort of calculated way. Her eyes are nothing but a perpetual state of glistening turquoise. As soon as I turn back in the direction of Zein, I succumb to a cold and numbing feeling, and the anlaces upon my hands dissipate. Zein’s henchmen are all bound behind some sort of barrier—a result of Ceti—each finding their attempts to get through unsuccessful. Zein, however, has his sights locked on me, his eyes turning a dark black—pure malice—as he walks right through the barrier. The armor he wears sizzles and cracks from the damaging effects, although he conceals any hint of pain. He extends his hand and slowly clenches it.

My heart slows and my blood freezes, curdling beneath my skin, frigid and threatening. I gasp and throw my head back, writhing, screaming.

“Get her in the chariot now,” Ceti says. “He’s resulted to the second plan… He’s killing her.”

The movement slows beneath my skin.

I’m dying.

“What...doing?! She...inside…now!” Castrel shouts at Thelor, his words merging together in my head. “Hurry, we have to—”

✽✽✽

Nothingness swallows and encircles me. Blackness. Aching. Numbing tingles shoot down every one of my fingertips. I shiver