Her heart kicked, reminding her that something was wrong.
Something aside from her dying heart and neon eyes.
Something was wrong with the arrow she’d found.
Something was wrong with….
Tristan.
Scarlet blinked at her reflection.
It made no sense, but she knew, inexplicably, without a doubt, something was wrong with Tristan.
She just didn’t know what.
Scarlet tried to put her colliding thoughts together.
Why would something be wrong with Tristan?
And then she remembered Nate’s words about the fountain of youth.
Short of Tristan dying, it’s the only way to kill the blood inside you.
If Tristan’s blood died, she would…live.
And, just like that, she knew why the arrow was dangerous.
It could kill immortals.
Immortals like Tristan.
The arrow can kill Tristan, and he was eager to take it from me today.
Scarlet sucked in a sharp breath, looking away from the mirror.
Tristan was going to kill himself with the arrow she’d found.
An arrow she’d practically handed over to him today.
Somehow she knew that’s what he was going to do.
Her heart started to pound.
Why would he do such a thing?
The answer didn’t matter. What mattered was making sure Tristan didn’t do anything stupid. No one was going to lay down their life for her.
Especially not Tristan.
“Okay, blue dangly earrings, or blue fuzzy ones?” Heather turned from the jewelry box and held up two earrings to her ears before rolling her eyes. “Wait, why am I asking you? You’d probably suggest I wear snowman earrings or something—“
“Tristan,” Scarlet said absently, feeling her eyes begin to burn. Without looking at Heather, she hurried out of the room.
“What are you—Scarlet, I am not going to wear Tristan on my ears! That’s just weird. And probably impossible.” Her voice faded as Scarlet descended the stairs. “Although, I would definitely wear him in other ways…. Scarlet! Where are you going?”
Scarlet didn’t answer. She headed for the front door, grabbing her keys and dress shoes before leaving.
She didn’t have time for earrings.
Tristan was going to die.
72
Tristan heard Nate enter the den, but refused to turn around. He continued staring up at the wall of weapons, holding the arrow from Scarlet’s hiding place in his immortal hand.
“Don’t do this,” Nate said.
Tristan kept his back to him. “Did you see Scarlet’s eyes? Her bloody nose?” His voice cracked, but he didn’t care.
Once Scarlet’s nose started bleeding, she usually only lived a few more days—if that.
He heard Nate take a step forward. “We can still find the fountain.”
Tristan shook his head. “There’s no time. And, let’s be honest here, the fountain probably doesn’t exist. What am I supposed to do?” Tristan turned around and looked at his longtime friend. “Let her die a hundred more times because I’m too selfish to die for her? No.” He shook his head. “It has to be now.”
Nate was silent for a long time, staring at the floor.
“You and I have had many lifetimes,” Tristan said. “But Scarlet has not. She’s had a handful of partial lives, all of them lost and confusing. None of them full and happy. She deserves this, Nate.” Tristan swallowed and softly said, “You know I’m right.”
Nate looked up and slowly said, “You don’t have to do this.”
“Yes.” Tristan nodded. “I do.”
Slowly and hesitantly, Nate said, “This is forever, though. There’s no going back after this.”
Tristan turned the arrow over in his hand. “That’s the plan.”
Nate shifted uncomfortably. “What do you want me to tell Gabriel and Scarlet?”
Tristan swallowed back his emotion. “The truth.” He pulled two envelopes out of his back pocket and handed them to his oldest friend. “I’ve kept these in the safe for the last few years. They’re my final words to Gabriel and Scarlet. I don’t want…either of them to think I wanted to leave their world.”
Nate’s eyes looked pained as he took the envelopes.
Tristan took a deep breath. “Thank you, friend.”
Nate said nothing as Tristan exited the den.
For the last time.
73
Scarlet tripped over her flowing gray skirt as she entered the cabin without knocking and ran down the basement stairs.
“Tristan!” She hit the basement floor and plowed into his room, her strategically placed curls falling into her face and her corset top squeezing the breath out of her.
“Tristan!” she called out wildly.
She saw a rigged bow leaning against his wardrobe, and the dangerous arrow on his bathroom counter. He appeared in the bathroom archway, dressed in a solid black shirt and black pants.
Dressed to die.
Over my dead body.
“You cannot—no, you will not do this.” Scarlet stormed past his beautiful, big bed into the bathroom and snatched the arrow off the counter.
Tristan, looking stunned and confused said, “You need to leave, Scarlet. You’re sick.”
“No!” She faced him with the arrow in her hand. “You don’t get to push me away this time! I know what you’re planning to do and I won’t let it happen.”
His eyes widened and she knew she was right.
He really was planning to die.
He looked at her sternly. “Go away.”
She shook her head and pointed the arrow at him. “You cannot kill yourself, Tristan.”
A muscle flexed in his jaw. “Leave.”
She lowered the arrow and cocked her head to the side, trying to feel him.
He was…afraid…and determined.
He walked to the other side of the counter and started messing with drawers and cabinets.
“No.” Scarlet shook her head. “I won’t let you do this.”
He turned around, pressing his lips together with a look of sadness. “You can’t stop me.”
Scarlet’s mouth dropped open, her eyes heating up like never before. “I’m in charge of my life. I’m in charge of when I live or die. Not you! You don’t get to take your life on my behalf! I won’t let you break my heart—break Gabriel’s heart—like that!”
Tristan’s look of sadness morphed into one of fear as he softly said. “Look at your eyes, Scar. Look at them.”
Scar. He’d called her Scar again and it felt…perfect.
She turned and looked at herself in his giant bathroom mirror. Her eyes were on fire. Bright blue fire. As she watched, a single drop of blood fell from her nose and she quickly wiped it away.
Tristan’s voice was hushed and thick. “You’re dying.”
She took a deep breath as she stared into the mirror.
Standing beside Tristan, looking at their bodies side-by-side, caused her heart to twitch.
They were beautiful.
The two of them, standing together, like they belonged at one another’s side, was beautiful. And he was going to take it all away.
She looked at her glowing blue eyes for a moment longer before finding his eyes in the mirror. She kept her voice as controlled as possible. “I don’t care if I die a thousand more times.” She turned to face him directly. “I need you to live.”