Chapter 30
Thirty
“Stay behind me,” Silas whispered to me.
The beating of the door drummed louder, threatening to burst from the hinges. We were trapped between William’s gun and the mob, with our only exit being the balcony.
Silas’s body towered over mine, a shield from William’s cold, hard gaze.
“Don’t make me say it again, beast,” William growled.
“When I say run, run to the balcony,” Silas commanded. “I’ll be right behind you.”
I nodded, aware of the cries for blood. Aware of too many things as the world threatened to plunge further.
“Run!”
Gunfire rang out, and I scurried to the ledge of the balcony.
Footsteps quickly shuffled behind me before sweeping arms took hold of my waist and dropped us ten feet down into the snow-laden earth.
I tumbled out of reach, groaning as pain fired up my limbs from the impact.
To my right, Silas laid still, bleeding profusely from his chest.
I scurried to his side. “Oh my gods, Silas!” I shook him, trying to stop the bleeding—anything.
Silas moaned, taking his hand into the hole and extracting the bullet. His chest heaved as the wound slowly tried to heal. “I’m fine. We must move.”
Another shot rang out into the night.
Silas jumped and covered me with his body as it made an impact. “Argh!”
William stood atop of the balcony, the rifle barrel pointed at us dead center.
“Can you walk?” I asked, draping him over my shoulders and mustering up the strength to make it through the night.
Silas nodded, wrapping his arms around me. “Hold on!” As another shot rang out, we disappeared into the garden.
Part of the way into the maze, Silas came to an abrupt stop, coughing up black blood and crashing into the statue. He collapsed, chest heaving as the wounds showed no signs of healing.
“What the hell were in those bullets?” he croaked out.
I took a hold of his hand, watching as his breathing became more erratic. “Silas, you need blood.” I shoved my hair aside and ripped off the bandages to days’ old wounds.
“I can’t, Valeria. It would be more dangerous now than ever. They will kill both of us, and they are armed to the teeth,” Silas grunted as he shoved his finger into his abdomen and extracted another bullet.
The silver bullet was intricately engraved, coated in white ash within the grooves, similar to the ash that had been given to me sometime ago.
Silas tossed it aside and sat up against the overturned bench. “It won’t be long before they find us.”
The lone gravestone stood, watching this play out all yet again with its carving of Vi et animo etched into its surface, mocking us.
I once again urged Silas. “Drink. You are right. We don’t have much time. But what I do know is that they are out to kill you—not me. Drink and hide until this can pass.”
The sound of footsteps entered the maze, a stampede on the hunt. They shouted, winding themselves around.
Silas held me tight against him, doing what he had done thousands of times before, it seemed.
He kissed my neck before piercing my flesh.
The burning made way for the ebbing ecstasy flooding my veins.
Silas pulled away, gasping, as blood trickled down his mouth and his wounds stitched themselves back together.
Silas kissed me, blood coating my tongue entwined with cloves and spice. The footsteps pounded closer nearly upon us. The taste of salt mixed in with blood as tears welled.
Silas cupped my face. “I promise I won’t be long.”
Within moments, the crowd descended upon us, and Silas was nowhere to be found.
I leaned against the stone, blood coating my lips, as the crowd trampled through.
William spotted me, and his lips curled into a wry grin. “It appeared that the beast had left his lover off in a hurry. Care to tell us where he went?”
My legs wobbled as I stood to confront William. The crowd behind him simply whispered, unsure of the sight that was before them.
“Are we sure that this is the person? She seemed awfully familiar?”
“Wasn’t she the girl always seen with Ayla?”
“Why is she protecting the demon? Do you think he has her in his thrall?” William tossed his gun to a man, grabbing me by the scruff of my dress.
“Where is he?”
Alcohol laced his breath, as did furious rage.
“I won’t tell you.” I spat in his face.
William dropped me to the cold, hard earth.
I flinched as his foot came within an inch of my face.
A man grabbed his shoulder, yanking William back. “Sir, it is highly inappropriate to strike a woman. We are here for the demon, not the girl.”
William shook the man off. “I will do whatever I please even if that means that she comes with me.”
I gathered myself to my feet, squaring up William in the presence of those who I consider an enemy. “You would have to kill me before I ever go with you willingly.”
William contemplated a moment, a heinous grin sliding across his face as his eyes flickered to the space behind me. “I’m sure that won’t be an issue.”
“What—” I began, blinding pain erupting against my skull and my legs crumbled from underneath me.
William and the mob blurred together with the faint torch light and the blackness swimming in my vision.
He dropped to his knees, and the last image I saw was the heinous smile. “Should have listened to me.”