“Let’s not focus on the negative.” I changed the subject. “For now, let’s think about all of the people you’re going to save.”
Hope shook her head. “I’m no hero.”
“We’ve waited for you….” I kept the trembling out of my voice. “You are the only one who can restore them all.”
“Them?”
I smiled. “My race of course.”
“Restore?”
“Save,” I whispered. “Set free.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about…”
“Once you have fallen… the only other option given to you is to either stay that way or… look up.” I held out my hand as blue fire danced across my fingertips. “Elf blood… the only substance that mimics its angelic counterpart… You are of the first, which means you have the DNA of life running through your veins. Elves were not protected because they were weak as you were told by your precious siren — they were protected because they have the power to build races, to mate with immortals, but most importantly, they have the power to bridge a gap — between heart and soul. Only if the person is willing of course.”
“That’s….” Hope collapsed onto the bed, shaking her head back and forth. “And I’m the last one?”
“So you see,” I knelt in front of her and pulled both of her hands into mine. “I will protect you.”
“Alex was protecting me.”
“Alex was feeding from you,” I snapped in outrage. “Big difference.” Her hands were warm, comforting. “Alex was addicted to you like any immortal would be once given a taste of your essence. But what you shared wasn’t real…”
“He kept me safe.” Why did she refuse to let it go? To let him go. “He…” She gulped. “In his own way, he cares. He does. I know it.”
“He cares?” I spat. Repeating her words left a bad taste. “You think you know your precious siren so well?” Abruptly I dropped her hands and stood. “You’ve been sleeping with the enemy.”
“But, Cassius—“
“Cassius cannot see every future!” I yelled. “And this one is pretty damning… I lived through the Great War, I saw what Alex was capabl
e of then, and I know what he is capable of now. Cassius may have blind hope that Alex won’t unleash his power, but if he does, you are going to be the one caught in the crossfire. It will be your life, and all of this will have been for nothing!”
A tear slid down her cheek, it was red.
I caught it with my fingertip and let out a sigh. “Your heart weeps for the loss of your people. And yet, you were so fickle to give that very heart away — to the one who killed them.”
Alex
London, England
1815
“WHAT THE HELL?” I blinked in confusion. Minutes ago, I had been slowly dying from an unfortunate demon bite, and now, I was roaming the streets of London.
I kept walking.
Maybe I was hallucinating.
Though I’d never seen a demon bite cause hallucinations, they burned like hell, but there were no weird side effects like I was currently experiencing.
A tall man in a cloak walked out of the alleyway, and turned, his icy expression on mine.
Bannik.
His hair was black, the ends red, like someone had dipped his hair in blood.