Page 137 of Requiem
I want to kill him. I want to rip him apart with my bare fucking hands.
But Emma makes a broken sound beneath me, and the second I look back down at her blood coating my hands, I know I can’t leave her. She’lldie. My love for her clashes with the demon inside me, begging and thirsting for that man’s fucking soul. But also, desperately wanting to save hers.
Vlad sees the realization hit me, and the bastardsmiles. I stare at him, my heart shattering around the rage because there’s nothing I can do. Then he disappears back into the smoke.
“FUCK!” The scream rips out of me so violently my throat couldbleed.
There’s so much blood. My girl…my Emma, she can’t die.Please.
Fire climbs higher around us, heat becoming unbearable now as smoke thickens near the ceiling, but I barely notice any of it. My entire world narrows down to her in my arms.
Please. Take me instead.
Help her help her help her…
“Stay awake,” I beg, cradling her face with one blood-covered hand. “Emma, stay with me.Stay with me!”
Her breathing turns shaky. “J—Jude…” she whispers weakly. She’s gasping. She can’t breathe.
She can’t fucking breathe.
“No.” My voice cracks apart when she coughs, and blood bubbles out. “No, don’t do that. Don’t fucking do that to me. Please, baby! If you die, I will, too. I can’t fucking bury you.” My heart rips open entirely when she whimpers. Her life keeps slipping between my fingers, no matter how hard I press against the wound. If she dies right here in my arms, I’ll burn alive. I won’t leave her. I won’t ever fucking leave her again.
If there is a fucking god…help her. I know you didn’t help me before, but I’m begging you, do something now.
Then footsteps thunder into the house.
Heather bursts into the room coughing through smoke before her face drains of color completely at the sight of Emma. “Oh my god—”
“She’s bleeding too fast,” I choke out. “Help me!”
Heather drops beside us, nurse mode overriding panic, tears already spilling down her face. “We have to movenow,”she says urgently. “Jude, listen to me. We have to get her outside.”
A wooden beam falls just feet away, and I shield them both from the sudden blast of heat scorching my skin. I scoop Emma into my arms, holding her tightly against my chest as we stumble through smoke and fire together. Flames are already devouring the staircase walls by the time we force our way outside into the freezing night air.
Sirens scream somewhere nearby as firefighters rush toward the mansion, shouting over one another as flames erupt through the upper windows in massive waves of orange and gold. Paramedics sprint toward us the second they see the blood.
“Please. She’s been shot!” Heather yells.
They pull Emma from my arms carefully, lowering her onto a stretcher while hands move rapidly over her body. I stay beside her the entire time, refusing to let go even when they try guiding me back.
“I’m right here,” I keep telling her desperately, brushing shaking fingers through her hair. “I’m not leaving you again. Do you hear me? I’mneverleaving you again.”
Her eyes flutter weakly toward me. “Jude…”
“Stay awake.” Tears blur my vision so badly that I can barely see her anymore. “Please. Please stay awake for me, okay?”
She goes limp.
No.
“Hey!” I slap her cheek in rapid beats. “Baby!”
Her eyes roll, and her lungs struggle to breathe.
“Please hang on,” I sob. “Emma, I won’t survive if you die.” My voice breaks when someone grabs my shoulders and hauls me back. Her head lolls sideways, and my heart fractures.
They begin wheeling her toward the ambulance, and suddenly another stretcher is being rushed past us.
