Page 49 of Endless Terrors
But everything was not fine.
Somewhere in Granby, there were three children waiting for their mother to come home, and she never would.
This was the right call, I told myself silently. If Gil hated me for it, so be it.
Even though I’d never done this before, I knew what to do, somehow. It was instinctive, like blinking or breathing. I reached for that bond between us, imagining it like a bright, glowing thing. My hold on Gil’s face tightened, and I made myself say it, imbuing my will into our connection. “You will not drink from another living creature unless I give you permission. From now on, you can only feed from the blood bags. This is not a request.”
My voice was firm. No one but me would ever know the thousand small deaths I experienced as I took Gilbert Payne’s freedom from him.
Afterward, he didn’t speak. He knelt there, swaying. His hold loosened on my wrists, and then his grip fell away completely. His eyes had gone dull. Looking at him, I wasn’t sure which version was worse—the one who was being torn apart from the inside, or this hopeless shell. For once, I didn’t blame myself.
I blamed Belanor.
If he hadn’t been dead, I’d have killed him all over again, and it would have been much slower than the easy death he’d gotten.
“Can you walk?” I asked numbly. “We should get you into the car.”
Still silent, Gil brought one leg up, then the other. He stood as if he was too heavy. His arms hung at his sides.
“I’ll take him to Adam’s,” Finn said.
I imagined Gil staying in the empty garage all night, alone in his pain. I shook my head. “No. We’re taking him home.”
“Matthew is at Cyrus’s,” Finn reminded me softly.
I froze. Shit. That was too close for comfort, and Finn obviously thought the same. But it would kill Gil to know we didn’t trust him anywhere near my nephew.
“He can come with me,” someone said.
My head jerked at the same moment Finn’s did. We both looked toward the mouth of the alley, tense. Finn’s eyes glowed bright and my hand went under my coat, where the Glock was tucked against me. But then I saw the horns, and the familiar, round face. The second I laid eyes on Seth, I remembered that he had been here earlier. He’d seen Gil feeding and tried to stop it.
Now the missing body made sense.
“Did you bury her?” I asked flatly.
“No. I took her to the emergency room, actually. I couldn’t stay, since the humans would’ve asked too many questions, but she was alive when I left.” His eyes flicked to Gil. I paid close attention, but I sensed no fear around Seth when he looked at the vampire. Whatever had happened between them, it hadn’t made Seth hostile or wary. “We shouldn’t be here, though. Would you like me to take him?”
I opened my mouth to turn down his offer … just as I realized there were no other options. Emma and Matthew could’ve stayed with Danny, no doubt, but I’d already put them through so much. Asking Emma to pack up again and impose on Damon’s boyfriend because I was afraid my friend would eat them? That was one conversation I’d do anything to avoid. Including accepting a near-stranger’s help.
I pushed myself up and walked over to Seth.
“The bloodlust usually takes him a few hours to shake off,” I said hesitantly. Could he really handle this? There was a reason Gil had been staying with Adam.
Seth shrugged. “I’m staying in a rental on the edge of town. There aren’t any close neighbors, so he can come down without any … distractions.”
“And what about your safety?” I asked.
His eyes flashed indignantly. Ah, I thought. There’s that Seelie streak.
“I may be a goblin, but I’m still fae,” Seth reminded me.
I couldn’t argue with that. By all appearances, he wasn’t injured, which meant that Seth must’ve held his own during that confrontation with Gil. Either that, or he knew how to get through to him.
“This is very kind of you. Thank you,” I added. My voice was tinged with relief and sincerity.
Seth nodded, and my gaze went to Gil. I didn’t know how much he’d heard, since it didn’t exactly seem like he was in a listening mood. I returned to him, my footsteps the only sound in the alley. I lowered my voice instinctively as I said, “I’m not sure if you’ve officially met Seth, but I think we can trust him. He’s offered to look out for you until … until things are calmer. Adam should be back soon. I wish you could come home, but—”
“It’s fine.” Gil didn’t look at me. From this angle, I could see a layer of dried blood on the side of his neck. My mind flashed back to that moment he’d buried his face deeper into the woman’s throat. I’d felt a warm trickle move down his skin, seeping from the gaping wound Gil had created with his fangs.
