The emotion was undeniable in his brother’s voice, but Finn could only see the pain he’d inflicted on Violet and not the faint tinge of remorse and redemption in him. He had to save Violet, even if it meant killing Brennan and suffering the pain of his loss for the rest of eternity.

  Speed had never been a problem for Finn, apart from having the natural abilities of a vampire, he’d always maintained the strict regimen of a warrior as he always believed in being prepared. He wasn’t surprised that his brother had also improved, both in technique and agility over the years. He would’ve smiled in admiration if the fact that fighting his own brother to the death wasn’t a tragedy. So often he’d dreamed of seeing his family again.

  Finn and Brennan had immobilized each other in a lock, and above the grunts and hissing, Violet’s voice rose like a siren. “Please, you have to stop. There has to be a solution. Brennan, you must tell us what you did. All curses and spells have an antidote. We just have to find it. Your brother loves you, and that’s all that matters in the end.”

  There was sorrow in Brennan’s face at her words and hope too as if he saw something no one else could see. Maybe a solution that only appeared now. “I wish there were, witch. I see your loyalty for my brother and even sense your honesty in your proposition, but I’ve searched in vain for another option. Somehow, seeing what my brother has found, the last link to his humanity, it is clear that I misinterpreted something. Was I wrong? Was there another piece of that spell I needed but was out of my reach?”

  Brennan shook his head, his gaze lost for a moment before he smiled at Violet. “Believe me when I say I’m not a monster, just desperate. And please forgive me for what I’m about to do.”

  When his brother loosened his grip on him, Finn didn’t see his left hand disappear until it was too late. Brennan stabbed him through the heart with a short silver blade.

  Finn always thought that dying would be painful. It wasn’t. The pain wasn’t physical; it was in another place, the one where he would never see Violet again, that because of him, she too would die, very soon.

  “Finn!”

  Her cry tore at him, shredding his damned soul. As his brother gently lowered him, he looked at his chest where he could only see the hilt. It wasn’t a hilt per se, more like a disc that was flat against his skin. A death lock. He’d heard of it but never seen one. There were only two sure ways to kill a vampire—cut off his head or burn his heart. By locking this blade, his body would shut down in a dormant state until the code was entered, and the blade removed.

  Brennan was crying tears of blood over him, and Violet fell to her knees just beyond his reach. At least his beloved, his Violet, would live if he lay dormant. Violet was safe.

  It was with Violet’s image filling his mind and his soul that he closed his eyes, and one last time, pushed the only words that ever mattered in his life through their bond.

  I love you, Violet. My beloved.

  Chapter 27

  The agony of watching Finn die before her eyes caused Violet to shatter, her scream reverberating over the walls in a deafening echo. All around her their friends were still as statues, as stunned as she was by what just happened.

  It was impossible to breathe or to shed a tear; what she felt was way beyond that. There was no reason to remain on this earth if Finn O’Malley was not walking it by her side. With her eyes transfixed on the unmoving man on the ground, her beloved, Violet didn’t care about the rest and didn’t even react when Brennan approached her. Protected behind his shield, there was nothing she could do to avenge Finn.

  Someone yelled behind her, either Hunter or Soren, when two strong arms pulled her inside.

  Brennan, face streaked with bloody tears brought her upright as the others, left behind the barrier, bashed against it with all their might.

  “Let her go! Now!” Soren was roaring like the weredragon he was.

  “Don’t you see the damage you’ve done? You’ve condemned them both.” Layla, despite her size, was as formidable as ever.

  Ignoring everything else, Brennan brought her to Finn and helped her to kneel. That was all Violet wanted in this world, if she had to die, it would be in her beloved’s arms.

  Her hands went to his face, set in stone for eternity, and she sobbed as her lips brushed his temple. His skin was quickly losing the little heat it had, and she tightened her grip around him, afraid he’d disappear.

  “Witch. He’s not dead.”

  The words took time to cut through the noise outside the bubble and the thick turmoil inside her. Not touching her, Brennan crouched as close as possible so he was almost at eye level with her, however, when he put a hand on Finn’s shoulder, she shoved him away.

  “Don’t you dare touch him! You killed him! You killed your own brother! Didn’t you know how much he grieved for you when you were separated? How many times he thought about you?”

  Finn may not have told her everything, but Violet remembered vividly how he’d felt when Brennan appeared, the swirl of emotions was undeniable through their bond.

  “Witch, I heard your words, and they made more sense than ever. I didn’t know my brother had found his beloved. I know you want me to say that I regret it, but I can’t. You don’t know the toll it takes to live forever, and my brother wasn’t spared either. I think he would’ve ended his existence if not for you, and even then, I don’t know if the darkness will always leave him alone. I don’t have someone with your light, and for that reason, I’ll never feel again or exist as a human, but my brother has that chance. I was desperate, but I’d gladly return to the bowels of the earth so that Finn can live.”

  Again, he put his hand on Finn’s shoulder. The touch was tender. “I always thought I pursued my quest for myself. For a chance to be reunited with my family again, with my brother. Now I know Finn found love, my quest has changed. I want my brother to have the gift of becoming a man again. And only you can offer him that. Both of you can do it. I didn’t kill him.”

  It was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe, the fire in her belly was starting to tear her apart, but she focused on what Brennan was saying. “We are bonded. I believe you when you say you haven’t killed him, because if you had, I would no longer be here. But I’m dying because of you. You’ve condemned your brother!”

  “No! I know the power of a beloved, the link between them, and I think it’s because you’re bonded that you will survive this. That was the piece I didn’t see. I thought I’d need to sacrifice a witch to gain my mortality, but with death, there is life. The circle is necessary to complete the spell. And that circle expands to you both as you have a greater strength that keeps you alive, because of my brother.”

  Lost, Violet put a hand on the silver disc over Finn’s heart. “Why did you stab him? To get a reaction out of me?”

  “No, it was an offering. The final push and my gift. My life for his. Save him now.”

  Violet didn’t fully understand, but she would seize the opportunity, maybe the only one she had to save herself, and consequently save Finn.

  “How do I do that? What am I supposed to do?”

  Brennan relaxed and helped her up. “I will share with you what I learned. But first, I need you to make me a promise.”

  It was too good to be true, so she nodded and braced for what he had to say.

  “I want you to end me once it’s over. I’m giving my brother the life he wanted, but in return, I don’t want to continue living as a vampire. However, my hand still rejects the idea of ending my life. I can’t do it alone.”

  “Brennan… you can’t ask me to kill you. Death is not the answer. If we succeed, it means I can do the same to you, too.”

  For the first time, a sincere smile came to his handsome face, and she could now see the resemblance between the brothers.

  “It’s a one-man chance. The power churning inside you needs to get out, and it will potentially be like an explosion, the moment when life and death magic is separated. According to what Romus had gathered and what I learned, it’s the confrontation of both powers inside you that produces the resuscitation. However, if stuck without the possibility of getting out, the bearer, that means you, is sure to have a kickback one way or another. A consequence if you will.”

  Violet nodded, remembering the night when she endured pain, as well as the increasing agony she was going through now. It was a question of time, a short amount of it before her body failed for good.

  “Already happened when I made a mouse and a bird come to life.”

  “That’s what I expected. If you had been alone in this, not grounded by the bond, your heart would have exploded by the shift and the pain.”

  “Lovely thought. And what makes you think that trying this on Finn won’t kill me?”

  Brennan stood and offered his hand. “Because you gave your heart to my brother, and the warrior in him will keep it safe.”

  Was he telling the truth? Everything was happening so fast, and with the pain expanding inside her, it was becoming hard to focus. Her time was running out, so she took his hand to stand. She stole a quick look beyond the barrier, and saw her friends looking stern. They didn’t say a word, but it was clear that her choices were limited, and there was too much unknown to make a clear decision. In fact, there was only one decision.

  “What’s the plan? Any indication from Romus or what was written on those documents?”

  Brennan shook his head. “That was one of the reasons why he’d been adamant about using a witch for the experiment. Any other creature wouldn’t have the instinct to deal with the unknown flow of magic. There are no instructions. When the mouse and bird came back to life, I figure it was mostly instinctual. Wasn’t it?”

  Violet nodded. The burn inside her made her sweat, a fire being stoked as if the power knew it would soon get out. Sweating and restless, Violet drew all the calm and steadiness she could and knelt by Finn’s side. Brennan placed himself on the other side, close to his head and shoulders.

  “When I pull the blade out, that should wake him, and in full vampire mode, he may not recognize you. I will keep him down the best I can, while you do your thing.”

  Violet looked back again, one last look at her mentor, who could only look back in cat form.

  It was time to see if she could save them both and if what Brennan had hoped to get for himself, would be the end.

  Straddling Finn’s waist, Violet put her palms flat on his unmoving chest. The moment she made contact it was as if the overflow of energy had found its tipping point. Caught in a firestorm, her thoughts spun fast. She tried to hold on to two thoughts—the way the energy felt when she’d revived the little creatures in the palm of her hands, and how much she loved Finn.

  The combined powers inside her wanted out, fast and hard, but she held on until Brennan put his hand on the end of the blade and pulled.

  Finn’s body jerked, and the scream that came out of him was the roar of a predator fighting to be free. It was like riding a bucking horse, and Brennan struggled to keep him on the floor. He started speaking to him, but Violet couldn’t understand a word, meaning he was probably speaking an ancient Celtic dialect.

  It was now or never, and with the little control she had, Violet started to open up the pathway.

  It was like containing a torrent with a dam made of toothpicks, almost impossible to control, but with half-closed eyes, it was clear Finn had started to feel it too.

  Her vision blurred when a wave of power burned right through her as it poured out until there was a sudden burst, and it was like she’d dissolved. Every cell, every inch of skin, every strand of hair became heavy, so heavy she believed that the weight of the world was on her shoulders.

  Her brain still saw herself straddling Finn, her hands on his chest coated with his blood, his beautiful face dazed while looking up at her. She sensed him trying to reach her, both with his body and through their bond, but he felt so far away.

  It was like being lost at the bottom of the sea, where everything went slower and was eerily quiet. In that instant, she realized that it was her body trying to protect her from the immense pain it was going through.

  Inside the bubble, a tornado was raging. Brennan was launched into the air while she and Finn remained grounded at the center.

  The first sensation she felt was the stuttering of her heart. In her disconnection, it was clear her body was faltering. The powers were still swirling and fighting but were held back.

  Panic filled her as she looked at Finn, connecting through their gaze. All of her being went to him, silently asking for guidance and forgiveness. She was failing him as whatever she was trying wasn’t working, the light and dark magic sources were swirling and attacking each other, but not transferring.

  Violet tried to open her mouth to tell him or to cry for help, but she was pulled away. In a tunnel, her heart started to hurt, and her head pounded.

  From a distance, through the storm, Violet discerned her body’s final agony. Her magic must have shifted as Finn sat up and kissed her. The connection strengthened, and she communicated how much she loved him and begged his forgiveness for failing him, failing them.

  Slowly, through the disconnection and the distress, she felt his strong arms around her waist, the familiar taste and texture of his lips.

  “You could never fail me, my beloved. I love you, and I will always be by your side, wherever we are. Lean on me, my love. Open up to me, let it go, and I will catch you. I will always catch you.”

  The words were like a catalyst, and Violet relaxed into the pain, trusting his words and his own power.

  The relief was so sudden that when the power surged her vision blurred. The whoosh of blood in her ears confirmed that her heartbeat steadied. Another sound insinuated itself, and only when she focused again, she realized that it was Finn roaring back, his voice breaking as his body seized under her. His eyes rolled back into his head, his hands blindly clenching at air. Violet was worried but couldn’t intervene as she was fighting her own battle not to drown.

  Just as the last breath left her body and she believed there was no way she could suck in life-giving air again, everything stopped as if nothing had ever happened.

  Breathless, heart pounding against her ribcage, Violet’s vision stabilized enough to see that Finn was unconscious again, Brennan was immobile on the edge of the circle, and the protective bubble was gone.

  Soren, Hunter, and Layla rushed to her side as Violet leaned forward to touch Finn’s brow. It took a few seconds for her to register that he was warm, and his chest lifted naturally, with a strong, steady heartbeat under her fingertips. It was so different to the slow and almost nonexistent bodily functions he normally had she couldn’t believe it.

  Colors returned to his pale face, just as his eyelids fluttered open.

  Hunter helped her to move aside as Soren supported Finn to sit, evidently still getting his bearings but very much alive and well. Even the wound in his heart seemed to have healed.

  Layla touched her hand. “How are you feeling, honey?”

  Violet rubbed her stomach, but the burning was gone. “Better, I guess. The pain is gone, and I don’t feel stretched or torn like before.”

  “And your magic?”

  At her question, she swallowed and extended her hand. It felt sore as if it had been a long time since she’d used a particular set of muscles. Her magic muscles, her natural ones as a witch, had been put on hold, and now was the final test. The feeling was that her dual powers were gone, but was she back to her old self again?

  Her hand in the air, Violet focused on one of the most basic spells a witch could do, which was to summon a flame. When the tiny flame appeared, it didn’t flow as usual, still trying to find its way through the usual channels, but her magic worked without any pain and minimal discomfort.

  “I think I’m back to my old self again.” And now that impending death wasn’t on the table, she reached for Finn. When she touched his ankle, he looked up and blinked several times before he finally smiled.

  “I feel weird.”

  His smile triggered her own, and she crawled forward until her body pressed against him and his arms closed around her.

  He inhaled deeply into her hair, burrowed even deeper into her arms. “I’m human again, Violet.”

  The way his body shook and shivered, it was clear he was overcome, and she tightened her arms around him.

  Layla rounded them a few times, and from the way she swished her tail, Violet knew something was wrong. She was about to ask what when Hunter shouted.

  “Hey, guys! I need help here.”

  Hunter was by Brennan’s side, and when he turned him over, blood poured freely from a neck wound.

  Finn was the first to rush to his brother’s side. When Violet approached, what she saw was the silver blade, the very same he had used to pierce Finn’s heart, slicing through his neck so deep, it almost severed his head. It must have happened when the magical storm broke out while they were trapped.

  Finn touched his brother’s forehead, one hand on his chest. “Hang in there, brother, I’ll remove the blade, and you’ll feed on me.”

  It was clear that Brennan was dying, but he only smiled and mouthed the word no. Somehow, he had found a way to die and wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity. However, she could feel Finn’s despair, he wasn’t ready to let his brother vanish from his life again.

  When he turned his head to her, Violet didn’t have to reach through their bond to know what he was begging her to do.

  “Finn, I can’t. I no longer have the ability. I’m an ordinary witch now.”

  It broke her heart to see the despair in the man she loved as he held his dying brother. The sadness and grief were such that Finn was now crying over his brother, speaking an old dialect in the softest of voice.

  It started slow, but in the circle around Brennan, something shifted. Violet frowned at Layla, who shook her head. Even Soren seemed disturbed by what was happening.

  Magic rose, and it wasn’t hers, or Layla’s. It wasn’t evil or dangerous, rather the opposite of hers.

 

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