Page 79 of Resurrection
Locking my gaze on Sebastian, I lift my other hand, cupping his face and pulling him down for a kiss. His eyes close, and he comes eagerly, his tongue parting my lips, sending a burning desire through me. I can never get enough of him. I kept lying to myself all this time that I hate him, that I can never forgive his treachery for turning me into something I hated. I was an idiot. He is like a drug, and I am a willing addict.You must do this, April.The voice in my head pulls me out of the lust clouding mymind. My fingers tighten around the wooden stake, and in one smooth motion, I pull it out, plunging it in Sebastian’s heart.
He jerks back, eyes widening. Slowly, his head tilts, his gaze moving to the wood sticking from his chest. My hand still wrapped around the runes, I expect to see hurt or betrayal when he looks back at me.
Acceptance and love shine strong, even through the bond I still hold blocked between us. A soft smile lifts his kissable lips, and his trembling hand grazes my cheek.
“La mia redenzione, ricordati di me.”‘My redemption, remember me.’I find it difficult to breathe when I hear his words. His hand falls limply to his side, my body following his when he drops on the ground. I can’t pull my eyes away from his, but my heart breaks because it has come to this. Holding on to the block on the bond, I watch his angelic face shrivel and dry out, the muscles that I traced with my hands while he was filling me turning into nothing next to me. Tears trickle down my face like rivulets gathering under my chin before dropping on my chest.
Silence.
Lifting my head, I look at the faces around us. Disbelief, shock, and horror, mixes with tears and blood over their skin. They blame me at this very moment for taking him away from them, as if I didn’t take him away from me too. The last thump of his heart is like I have plunged the same stake in my own chest. Turning away from their judgment, with a trembling hand, I pull the damn wood from his heart. Ripping my wrist open, I press it on top of his dry lips.
“Drink.” My shaking words get everyone around me to press closer. They are all holding their breath just like I am. The blood drips down his chin, spilling through his parted lips. “Drink!” My hand shakes when I try to move his jaw to close it. I onlymanage to tilt his head to the side, spilling out whatever was left from my blood.
My body shakes, teeth chattering from fear or shock, but I’m not sure which. Ripping open my now-healed wrist, I press it to his lips again. “Drink, damn you!” Curling a fist, I thump him on his shriveled chest. “Drink!” My scream echoes through the crystal behind me.
His lips close on my skin, the pull when he takes what I offer releasing the vise around my chest. I watch with tears running down my face as his body fills up, and finally, his back bows off the floor when he takes his first breath.
“April…” My name is the first thing he says, like a prayer on his lips.
“Oh, Sebastian.” Throwing myself across his chest, I hiccup with my sobs. “I want to kill you again for scaring the shit out of me, you asshole.” His arms wrap around me, dragging my body on top of his. “You deserve to be stabbed again.”
“What did you do, my redemption?” His deep voice sounds raw.
Lifting my head, I look down at him, my tears dropping like raindrops on his angelic face. “New era, as Khan said. New blood is my legacy.”
Sebastian surges up, taking my lips in a searing kiss while the Guardians roar around us in victory.
Draped over the throne like a cat on Sunday morning, I rub mutt’s ears with my toe. He whimpers and wiggles, his tail going crazy and thumping in a fast beat on the floor. My hand is wrapped around Sebastian’s, who is sprawled on the second throne just as unwilling to leave my sight. Or stop touching me for that matter.
“Did the woman make it safely out of here?” I ask no one in particular.
“She is back at the hotel with the two you appointed as her keepers,” Marcus says from near Sebastian.
“You feel like you’re expecting something to happen.” Sebastian’s deep voice is soft, but I feel it inside my chest, warming my insides.
“What if I am?” mutt perks his ears up, lifting his head to focus his intelligent brown eyes on me. “You buddy, are too judgmental for a dog.” Sebastian chuckles at that.
I feel him before I see him. Lifting myself up, I straighten on the throne, Sebastian becoming alert along with me. We are still dressed in our bloodied clothes, including everyone else that refused to leave our side. Marcus is sitting with his legs thrown in front of him, his back leaning on Sebastian’s throne. Andrei walks through the doors, his eyes finding mine the same second.
I nod, and he grimly nods back.
Reaching behind him, he drags Sara through the haphazardly draped bodies on the floor. She looks pale, the hair escaping her braid and curling around her face while her wide eyes turn defiant when she finally sees me. Sebastian stiffens, and Marcus jerks upright when they see Andrei pushing her on her knees in front of me.
“Hello, Sara.” She glares at my smile. “I’m happy to see you are safe from all the monsters now.”
Her lips press in a thin line, and she refuses to look away from my penetrating gaze.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Sebastian frowns, looking from me to Sara.
“Are you going to tell him, or should I?” Her eyes widen in shock, but she bites her lips, not saying a word.
“April?” Marcus moves to my other side, looking coiled up and confused.
“Why don’t you tell them where your brother is, Sara.” She jerks back at my question.
“He is struggling with the transformation.” Marcus grumbles, but Andrei just shakes his head, cutting off whatever else he was about to say.
“He must’ve made a miraculous recovery since I saw him protecting Irina from the sunlight when she ran from the hotel.”
