Demon Day by Penelope Fletcher (best novels in english .TXT) 📕

the face. Finally, he gripped the vampire’s head inboth hands and slammed their foreheads together. Tomas’ headbounced off the floor and there was a hollow sounding crunch. Bloodspattered – beaten beyond recognition – he spasmed.

Hissing, Gwendolyn landed in front ofme. Before her clawed fingers could grab my throat Daphne jumped onher back. She sank her teeth into her Queen’s throat, mauling, longbraids jiggling madly as she buried her fangs deeper. Snarling theyfell backward entwined. Gwendolyn tried to scratch Daphne’s face,but the girl threw her head back gasping, blood dribbling down thecorners of her mouth and throat. Even as her eyes fluttered inpleasure, she rammed Gwendolyn’s head into the concrete in apowerful push that cracked the pavement. She sprung up and draggedthe vampire Queen back up the stone steps by those dark ringletsshe was so fond of – smacking her head on every ledge as she wentfor maximum damage. Gwendolyn’s legs flailed and she shrieked inhigh-pitched squeals of rage.

My heart skipped a beat beforepounding erratically. The balance of power shifted and Breandanfilled the street with the influence over magics I lacked. I foughthim, trying to claw the power back to me, but it was done. Hispower had grown to fill the void mine had brieflyvacated.

Fisting his hands in Tomas’ shirtBreandan hauled the limp vampire onto his knees. He swayed andBreandan wrapped his large hands around his head, fingers pressedinto his skin. His wings unfurled, gleaming silver, until theyfully extended from his body. My fairy-boy glowed like the sun, aspecter of light.

I was afraid – terrified – of whatwould happen next.

Dragging myself up I tottered on mytoes. My body screamed at me to lie back down, but I gritted myteeth and took an unsteady step. Already the bond tugged on me, theurge to touch my other half flaring to become a desperate thing.No! I would fight it. I would not be overcome this time.

Tomas’ face healed revealing the boldand unusual features that had stunned me the first time I had methim.

I clutched my chest and appliedpressure to the stabbing, wrenching agony I swear was more than myheart could handle.

“Please,” I mumbled soquietly my lips may have not moved. My head swung sluggishly fromleft to right. “Don’t do this.” Breandan eyes were riotous. Hisnature wild and aggravated – ready to destroy. “Wait,” I held myhands up and drew in a ragged breath. “Just wait. Let him go. Wewill leave this place and never look back.” He shook his headcausing my heart to thump and quiver. A tear rolled down my cheek,slid across my lips then dropped from my chin. No doubt, it waslost in the cold rain streaming down my face. “Don’t. Don’t dothis. Wait.”

“No,” he roared. “I am donebeing patient. I no longer understand nor do I care to. You belongto me. We are bonded and thatis the end of it.”

Gwendolyn’s grip on the stair railingtightened until the metal groaned and warped.

Daphne held her by the hair and thestrain on her face was horrible to see. Her eyes were locked onTomas and they filled with sorrow and acceptance. The Nest Queentried to crawl forward, but Daphne tightened her grip in thefistfuls of ringlets she held, and yanked her head back.

Gwendolyn had no choice but to staycrouched as she was. The railing buckled under the force of hermight as she wrung her hands. “Leave him, fairy,” she rasped inpanic. Her eyes pinged from my fairy to her vampire consort. “I’lllet you leave. I’ll let you both leave.”

Breandan’s nostrils flared,but not once did his eyes stray from me. “This has to happenbecause he will never stop. Do you understand, Rae? He willnever stop wanting you. Iwill not live in fear that he may take you from me. You are mineand there can be no other. The blood tie will leave you open to himfor the rest of your life. I let you save him once, and still hepursued you, brought you closer to danger. At one point your lightwinked out completely and I thought he had–” He choked up. “Younearly died. Icannot let this go. I will not.” Abruptly, Breandan’s mind touchedmine. He twitched when he felt the darkness that connected me towhat he saw as an enemy. He openly recoiled when it twisted insideme, whispering for me to embrace wicked things, for me to save myvampire.

“Rae, you remember what Itold you?” Tomas asked urgently. “I never knew it would happen. Ididn’t know I would love you.” He stared hard at me, eyes beggingforgiveness. “Believe me.” He reached out and his pale fingers curled in the air as ifhe stroked my face.

Opening my mouth to give him what heneeded my words caught in my throat. I ran forward and clasped hishand, pressed it to my chest over my heart. “I can’t say it,” Isobbed. “I can’t give you a lie.”

I cried, unable to express what I feltfor him, knowing that was not enough, not what he needed to hear.Breaking, my heart was breaking, and the sound that choked from mythroat was inhuman. No, I could not give this demon my heartbecause it did not belong to me anymore. It never would again. AndI could not give him a lie to give him peace.

However, I could give him a truth.“But I believe you,” I whispered.

From Tomas’ red rimmed eyes –bottomless puddles of black ink – flowed contentment. He was sayingfarewell. That I would be safe and that this was the end of him.“Quiet now,” he murmured and brushed away a tear. I memorized thefeel of his cool hand, knowing this would be the last time hetouched me.

Standing, I let his hand slip frommine. I locked eyes with Breandan who worked his jaw, expressionstony. He would not relent, nor would he back down when there wasbreath left in his body. Breandan’s life for Tomas’. It was a trade… one I was not willing to make.

This time I could not be the one tosave my vampire.

It was over.

Backing away from them both, I keptBreandan’s gaze; summoned the last of my strength to endure thefinality of those steps,