CHAPTER 51
Roman nods, his eyes on mine as he removes the antidote from my grasp and says, "We'll need something sharp."
I squint, not quite understanding. "What're you talking about? If that's really the antidote like you say, then why can't he just drink it? I mean, it's ready, right?" My stomach twisting under the weight of his gaze, so steady and focused on mine. "It is the antidote. It just requires one final ingredient to make it complete." I suck in my breath, knowing I should've known better, that it couldn't be that easy when Roman's involved. "What is it?" I say, my voice as shaky as I feel inside. "What kind of game are you playing?" "There, there." He smiles. "Not to worry. It's nothing too complicated —and it certainly won't take hours. " He shakes his head at Rayne. "All we need to get this show on the road is just a drop or two of your blood.
That's it."
I stare at him, not comprehending. I mean, how could that make the slightest bit of difference between life and death?
But Roman just looks at me, answering the question in my head when he says, "In order to save your immortal partner, he must consume an antidote containing a drop of his true love's blood. Believe me, it's the only way."
I swallow hard, far less afraid of shedding blood than being played a fool and losing Damen for good.
"Surely you're not worried that you're not really Damen's one true love —are you ?" he asks, his lips curving the tiniest bit. "Perhaps I should call Stacia instead?"
I grasp a pair of nearby scissors and aim them toward my wrist, and I'm just about to plunge when Rayne screams, "Ever, no ! Don't do it! It's a trick! Don't believe him! Don't listen to a word he says!"
I look at Damen, seeing the labored rise and fall of his chest moving so slow and ragged now there's no time to waste. I know in my heart that he has only minutes left, not hours. Then I bring the scissors down hard, watching as their sharp pointy tip penetrates my wrist, nearly splitting it in two. Shooting a geyser of blood straight into the air, before gravity takes over and pushes it down. Hearing Rayne scream, a wail so piercing it cuts through the sound of everything else, as Roman crouches beneath me, collecting my blood. And other than feeling faint, and the slightest bit dizzy, it's only a matter of seconds before my veins are fused and my skin is all healed. So I grab the bottle, ignore Rayne's protests, and break through the circle, pushing her aside as I drop to my knees, slipping my fingers under Damen's neck as I force him to drink. Watching his breath grow fainter and fainter —until it stops completely.
"NO!" I cry. "You can't die —you can't leave me!" I force the liquid down the length of his throat, determined to bring him back, return him to life, like he once did with me.
I hold him to me, willing him to live. Everything around us completely shut out as I focus on Damen, my one true soul mate, my eternal partner, my only love, refusing to say good-bye, refusing to give up hope. And when the bottle is empty, I collapse onto his chest, pressing my lips against his, filling him with my breath, my being, my life. As I murmur the words he once said to me: "Open your eyes and look at me!"
Over and over again —
Until he finally does.
"Damen!" I cry, a flood of tears streaming down my cheeks and onto his face. "Oh, thank God, you're back! I missed you so much —and I love you—and I promise I'll never ever leave you again! Just —just please forgive me —please—"
His eyes flicker open as his mouth tries to move, forming words I can't hear. And when I lower my ear to his lips, so grateful to be with him again, our reunion is cut short by a series of claps.
Slow, steady claps coming from Roman who's now standing behind me. Having penetrated the circle as Rayne cowers in a far corner of the room.
"Bravo!" he says, his face mocking, amused, as he glances between Damen and me. "Well done, Ever. I must say, that was all very —touching. It's not often one bears witness to such a heartfelt reunion."
I swallow hard, my hands shaking, my stomach beginning to ping, wondering what he could possibly be up to. I mean, Damen's alive, the antidote worked, what else could there be?
I glance at Damen, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest as he falls back to sleep, then I gaze toward Rayne who's looking at me with widened eyes and an expression of disbelief.
But when I look at Roman again, I'm sure he's just enjoying a last chance at fun, a pathetic show of bravado now that Damen is saved. "So, you want to go after me now? Is that it?" I say, fully prepared to take him down if I have to.
But he just shakes his head and laughs. "Now why would I want to do that? Why would I want to rid myself of a whole new brand of fun that's only just begun?"
I freeze, panic building inside me, but trying not to show it.
"I had no idea you'd be so easy, so predictable, but then again, that's love, right? It tends to make one a little bit crazy, a tad bit impulsive, even irrational, don't you think?"
I narrow my eyes, having no idea what he's going on and on about but knowing it can't be good.
"And yet, it's amazing how quickly you fell for it. No sales resistance at all. Seriously, Ever, you just sliced yourself open with, virtually no questions asked. Which goes back to my original point, never underestimate the power of love —or, in your case, was it guilt? Only you know for sure."
I stare at him, a horrible understanding growing inside me, knowing I've made a grave mistake —that I've somehow been played.
"You were just so desperate to trade your life for his, so willing to do anything to save him —that it all went so seamlessly, so much easier than I ever expected.
Though truth be told, I know just how you feel. In fact, I would've done the same thing for Drina —if only I'd been given the choice." He glares at me, his lids so narrowed his eyes are like angry slivers of darkness. "But, since we already know how that ended, I suppose you'd like to know how this ends too, right?"