When Fate Prevails by A. K. Koonce

Author:A. K. Koonce [Koonce, A. K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-10-16T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

A Terrible Vampire

Asher

I’ve never wanted to murder something so much in my life. And I can’t. I can’t help her. Only she can help herself. It kills me to see her fail.

“She won’t make it much longer without blood,” Kaino says to Shane, talking about her as if she isn’t right in front of us.

“That’s not true,” Declan adds. “Vampires are resilient by nature. She could make it another month at least.”

“Without having an accident?” Kaino shoots back, his jaw strung tight as he stares at the speechless hybrid.

Fallon sits against the cave wall, twirling something in her small hand. Long, dark lashes feather against her cheeks as her eyes close heavily. Her head tilts back against the rock. The appearance of defeat in her small frame crumbles my heart.

I lower myself to kneel at her side, the hard ground biting into my shin. Gently, I trail my fingers across the knuckles of her free hand, my eyes focused on her downturned lips.

“I’m sorry.”

She flinches from my soft spoken words, her lashes fluttering but not opening as she sucks in a shuddering breath. It’s like she’s gasping for all the air in the world but it still isn’t enough.

I run my palm up her arm, tracing the inky lines as I try to offer some form of comfort to her. “We can’t stay here, though.”

She nods, her eyes still tightly closed. The sight of her weak stature almost crumbles me.

Glistening eyes open to stare down at what she holds in her hand. In one swift movement, she shoves what appears to be a small bone from a finger or thumb into her mouth. My lip curls involuntarily as she closes her eyes once more, chewing slowly. A crunching sound fills the air as she savors the snack.

Nervously, her eyes flutter about before finally landing on me with a tense false smile. My lips struggle for a moment before smiling back at her. My smile doesn’t reflect the way I want to vomit right now, or the dejected feeling of what just happened to us – or the fear of what might come.

***

The Wanderer’s community is a disheveled mess in the following days. Mortals usher in by the hundreds. Luca guides them one by one to their new homes. Ayden stands supportively, shaking hands and offering reassuring nods to them as they flow in to what was once mystic territory.

“They aren’t safe out there. Atticus could build an army overnight,” Kaino says, his wide arms folding across his chest as we assess all of the newcomers.

“He doesn’t want an army.” Declan steps up to my side, tugging at my attention with his simple words. “He wants Fallon.”

My glare hardens on him more so than usual. His hair is too blonde, his features are too smooth, too carefree. Somehow everything about him sets me on edge.

“Why do you say that?” I ask, pushing the annoyance from my voice.

“All those years passed, and she was the one to free him. He could have killed her but changed her instead.

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