“What?”
“He has been completely taken over by his Vampire half.”
“I can help him. I have to try,” I say desperately. ?
?He’s mine. I did this to him. It’s all my fault. I have to fix it.”
“You can’t.”
“Then end him,” I say forcefully. “Don’t leave him to be a monster.”
“I can’t,” Constantine says desperately. “Lance told me that he did link you, when you were going to get Polly. I asked him and he told me what he did.”
“Maybe he was lying? Who cares? I can’t die now. I’m invulnerable. Don’t think about me, just put him out of his misery,” I say again.
“No. I won't risk it,” he says, resolute.
“Liv,” Cole says. I look at him and he looks back at me in sorrow.
“I have to go down there,” I say again.
“I will come with you,” Sebastian says.
“No,” Constantine says. “I don’t want you going down there.”
“You can’t stop me.”
“Like Hell I can’t,” he says as he grabs my arm, pulling me back from the door.
I use all of the strength I can muster to pull away from him and take Sebastian’s hand, kicking off my shoes in the process. Damn dungeon steps.
“Liv,” Cole says again desperately. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
I nod sadly. “He’s mine. I left him to this fate. I won’t let him go another minute thinking I left him on purpose.”
“Come,” Sebastian tugs on me and I follow him, the knot tightening in my stomach with each step down.
He must sense me on some level, as he calms when I approach him. He is on all fours, completely Vamped out, snarling at Sebastian, but then he whimpers when he sees me.
I pull away from Sebastian and kneel at the cell. I put my hand through the bars. He bares his fangs at me.
“Liv,” Sebastian warns quietly.
“Shush,” I whisper.
Gustav stares at me, at my hand, and crawls closer. He stops in front of me and he sniffs my hand, then licks me like a dog would. My heart breaks as he puts his face against my palm, nuzzling me. The tears roll silently down my face, as he clearly does know me.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I left you,” I whisper in the old language. “I’m sorry that I turned you, I’m sorry that I kept you locked away. I’m so sorry that I left you. Please know it wasn’t my choice to leave you.”
His eyes come back up to mine, but I see no sign of humanity in them. He is as Constantine said: damaged beyond repair. I push my wrist to his mouth and without hesitation he clamps down and feeds from me noisily and hungrily. I shake off Sebastian’s hand that has landed on my shoulder in warning.
Gustav pulls back and turns away from me. He curls up on the floor in a ball. My heart wrenches as I hear him say, “Please let it end. Please, I can’t go on.”
I look at Sebastian, but I don’t think he heard anything.
“Please, help me,” I hear.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper again. “I’ll make it better. I promise.”