The Dying Light (Bloodwitch Book 1) by Emily Rooke

Author:Emily Rooke [Rooke, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-03-19T18:30:00+00:00

CHAPTER 18

‘Charlie, I need to talk to you about something …’

Charlie, who had been sitting alone against a far wall, was busy trying to parcel up his thoughts and feelings and store them somewhere safe and out of sight, deep inside himself. When he heard Vasco’s voice, he forced himself up onto his feet. His legs still a little unsteady, he fixed Vasco with a hard stare. He had known that this would be coming at some point. He was prepared for it. In truth, he was impressed that Vasco had managed to hold himself back from chewing him out for this long.

‘What d’you want? I thought you were on guard duty?’

‘We need to get moving,’ Vasco began, his voice stiff. ‘Do you need –? Are you –?’

Charlie shrugged. ‘You didn’t come over here just to tell me that. Go on, say it.’

Vasco regarded him in silence for a moment before something changed in his face. ‘Fine, I will.’ He drew in a sharp breath. ‘When I realised that you had decided to try to save your family without me, I was so worried about you that I thought I’d lose my mind.’

He said all of this in a clipped, rushed voice that seemed to leave him close to breathless by the time he had managed to get all the words out. He stared at Charlie for a second, wide-eyed, then scowled at the floor. His arms were crossed tightly against his chest, his shoulders taut.

Charlie, who had looked up sharply at the idea that Vasco had been worried about him, did not quite know what to say in response to this. It was not what he had expected at all.

‘The thought of you here, in this place … and knowing that I couldn’t do anything to help you …’ Vasco shook his head, running both hands through his hair, making it stand on end. ‘Don’t ever do that to me again, all right?’ he said fiercely, giving Charlie a gentle push below his left shoulder. ‘No more lone wolf adventures – I’m not sure my nerves can take it.’

‘You’re right,’ Charlie admitted, his voice sounding as hollow as he felt. ‘Back then, it would have been better for everyone if you were there – on the roof – and I had just stayed out of it. You would have known what to do. You would have saved them.’

Vasco’s face fell. ‘That’s not what I meant,’ he said quickly. ‘I meant that I –’ His shoulders sagged as he exhaled with a little shake of his head. ‘I just don’t want you to leave me behind. I’d rather be in danger myself, by your side, than have to think about you coping with something like that on your own …’ He looked up into Charlie’s eyes. ‘You’re not alone.’

Charlie, who had found himself only half-listening to what Vasco was saying, forced himself to speak. ‘If you had been there, they might still be alive right now. Dragomir, he – he

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