You are the nightmare.
“I can give you back your powers. Give you back your life. Nobody you care about needs to be harmed again. All I’m asking you is to come back with me. Come home, my queen.”
I didn’t know that I had a choice anymore.
I don’t know anything anymore.
In that moment, I felt weaker than I’d ever felt in my life. All my resolve disintegrated as his strong hands enveloped mine.
I felt exhausted from resisting what seemed destined to be. I’d tried to live apart from him. God knew, I’d tried. It had only ever ended in disaster—harming those around me I loved most. My parents. My sisters. Brothers. Cousins. My entire family… and then that vampire.
There was no way to save my family, but maybe, if I gave myself up now, Kiev would still survive. Maybe he wasn’t dead already. Maybe it wasn’t too late to save him.
Rhys always did speak of sacrifice for the greater good of our kind.
I’d not accepted until today that maybe it was time to surrender.
Perhaps it’s just time to accept that I am that sacrifice.
Chapter 13: Kiev
A few hours later, my front door opened and shut. I climbed out of bed to see Celice walking toward me, wearing a silk nightgown. Her dark hair hung down to her shoulders.
“Shh,” she said, raising a finger to her lips. “It’s quiet in the castle now. Almost everyone is in bed. We could leave now. Nobody would know.”
I stared into her determined brown eyes. She was right. I could take her now. We’d disappear into the night. I thought about what a difference she would make to Matteo and everyone else’s lives at their island. No more watching over the walls. No more living on edge, in fear of Elders deciding to come for them. No more attacks. No more living underground to hide from the sun in those filthy tunnels. After everything I’d put him through, I couldn’t let him down.
“Just say the word,” she whispered, approaching me closer and standing on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around me. “I’ll make us disappear.”
I didn’t know how my siblings would react if I told them that I was in alliance with Matteo. That I’d sworn to lead their island to sanctuary. And part of this was that they needed a witch.
They’re your siblings, Kiev. Even if they are enemies with Matteo, they should grant you this request because you’re their brother.
I detached her hands from my neck and placed them by her sides.
“Not yet,” I said.
“Why not?” she said, crossing her arms across her chest and stamping her foot on the ground.
“I need to speak to my brother and sister. I can’t just leave with you without gaining their permission.”
“They don’t control me,” she seethed. “I don’t need their permission for anything.”
I rolled my eyes at her indignation.
“All right, not permission. Blessing. They’re my siblings. I’ve just found them after hundreds of years. I can’t do this behind their backs.”
“But—”
“Celice,” I said, gripping her arm and glaring at her. “I will take you away from here. I promise you that. I just need some time. I’ll speak to them as soon as they wake.”
She glared back at me, then reluctantly nodded.
She turned to leave, but just before she did, she looked back at me and said, “You’d better keep that promise, Kiev.”
Now that’s two promises I’ve made.
I have to do this.
As soon as she left, I too left the room. I headed upstairs to see if I could hear any noises coming from either my sister’s or my brother’s rooms. As it turned out, Helina’s door was ajar.
I knocked.
“Who is it?” she called.
“Kiev.”
She swung the door wide open and pulled me inside. She stood in her dressing gown as she shut the door behind us.
“Take a seat.”
I didn’t sit. Instead I paced up and down the lounge. She looked at me, hands on her hips, frowning.
“What’s wrong?”
I couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“Is Erik awake yet?”
“I don’t know.”
“Can you bring him here?”
“All right, but what is the matter?”
“Just bring him here.”
She hurried out of the room and returned a few minutes later with my brother, who was also sporting a black velvet dressing gown. He sat on the sofa in front of me. Helina sat beside him.
“I lied to you about what brought me to this island,” I said, sighing.
They both raised their eyebrows in surprise.
“I came to steal away a witch from you. Celice has already agreed to come with me.”
Helina’s eyes widened. Erik leaned forward in his chair.
“Why?” Helina asked.
“I’m in alliance with Matteo Borgia. He took me in after I escaped from Aviary. I came because I needed a witch to protect that island. They suffer every day from not having a protective spell over them, and I promised Matteo that I would do all within my power to help him… I, I owe him more than I can ever repay in so many different ways…”
I trailed off, thoughts of the night I’d murdered Natalie flashing through my mind’s eye. That too was an episode of my life that I had avoided including in my story to them.
I had also omitted Mona from the story, for I saw no relevance. And it was—if truth be told—painful to talk about her.
Silence took over the room for several moments.
“Can I have a private word with Helina?” Erik asked.
I was taken aback by their request for privacy. I was their older brother. What couldn’t they discuss in front of me? Still, I nodded.
They got up and left the room. They must have gone far away, because although I tried to pick up on their conversation, I couldn’t hear any of it.
They returned several minutes later and resumed their seats.
“Matteo’s clan and our coven have been enemies for a while. Honestly, we can’t stand him. But of course, if Celice wants to go with you, we’re not going to stop you taking her. We understand.” Erik placed a hand on my shoulder.
“But Kiev,” Helina interjected. “What on earth makes you think you can keep her there even if she does agree to go? She’s a fickle little thing. You say you told her you’ll be with her…”
“I know. I’m not sure that I’ll be able to stand her for more than a few days. But I owe Matteo this. I’ll stay there with Celice and figure out a way to wean her onto someone else. There are plenty of vampires and werewolves on that island who would happily keep her busy. More importantly, she’d be the only witch there. Independent of her sisters. She’d have free rein to be with whomever she wanted to be. Hell, we’d make her queen if it meant getting her protection. Matteo would do anything to get her to stay.”