William (The Valentines) - By Sam Crescent Page 0,30

stairs with Emma bearing down on top of her.

William watched, unable to stop it from happening. He could see Katie fighting back, pushing Emma away, using her magic to destroy evil.

“Time to die, bitch.” Emma gathered all her resources. She was going in for the kill.

Katie pushed her arms out, forcing a shield out around her. This time the power was too much—she could feel the hot tingles as it worked through her defences. She wasn’t strong enough to take her.

She screamed and cried out.

She couldn’t do more than this.

As Katie was about to let down her guard and just let nature take its course, she suddenly felt the pulse of magic run back through her.

Hundreds of dead witches’ magic was flowing through her, using her as a vessel, as a conduit of power against Emma.

One by one they appeared by her side, Emma’s closest relatives, not the faceless victims of her greed but the family she had destroyed in the name of more power. Their spirits were waiting to deliver Emma to her fate. Katie could feel their pain, anger and thirst for revenge, but also the underlying knowledge that they were about to destroy one of their own for the safety and survival of the human race.

They became one. Their power combined, mixing together to become more powerful than any other force in the world. Witches alone were powerful beings, but combined together they were indestructible.

Katie felt the magic inside her. It was running through her and pushing out against her foe.

She looked at William and knew, in that moment, that she was not going to survive. There could only be one outcome of tonight—she and Emma were both going to die.

They surged forwards, throwing out the magic, as she accepted her fate, her sacrifice for the good of mankind.

She pushed away her pain and guilt and pressed against Emma’s power, forcing her back.

“No…” Emma screamed as her power fell, giving Katie the opportunity she needed. She threw every last bit of their combined energy out through her hands, calling on the elements and all things natural to destroy this being who had disrupted the balance and caused untold bloodshed.

Within moments, Emma released her final scream as an explosion shook the very foundations of the mansion. Windows smashed as a gust of wind surged out of the house, letting in the wings of the devil to transport Emma to the fiery depths of hell.

When it was over and Emma’s body lay lifeless and decaying at her feet, Katie felt the witches leave her side.

Katie looked at William one final time, allowing the love she felt for him to show.

He smiled at her.

She didn’t want this to happen.

He moved towards her.

William made it just in time as Katie closed her eyes. Her body fell limp in his arms.

“Wow, sweet cheeks. I’ve got you.” He moved the hair off her face. She must be exhausted. But he had his Katie in his arms.

He held her up and that was when he knew something was wrong.

“Katie?” He stroked her hair and he finally registered the emptiness.

He dropped to his knees with her body in his arms. He touched each of the points to check for a pulse.

William was holding the cold lifeless body of Katie White. The woman whom he had failed; the woman who owned his heart.

It was the greatest pain of all. Tears fell as he rubbed his face against her still neck, trying to inhale the last of her scent which was disappearing quickly as each moment passed.

“Can’t be true,” he howled in pain.

He heard the others approaching and swearing as they saw that the woman he loved had been taken from him.

He screamed and raged, willing Katie to come back to him, blind-sided by his own pain.

Katie had sacrificed herself to kill Emma, leaving an empty vampire in her wake.

Chapter Ten

Poppy watched as the men tried to soothe William, tried to intervene and take the dead body of his mate out of his arms.

His eyes, red, blood shot, turned to her. She could see his pain. Her heart broke as she wondered if she would ever love someone that deeply. The hurt of their loss would be unbearable.

“You can bring her back,” he said.

Swallowing against the lump in her throat, she shook her head.

“Yes, you can,” he argued.

Again Poppy shook her head. “I’m a necromancer, I raise the dead by contacting their spirits and bringing them back to their bodies. I don’t bring the dead back to