Page 52 of Tainted Souls
He closes his eyes, concentrating. “I hear a stream somewhere nearby. And… animals moving through the underbrush.”
“Peaceful, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
The rest of the day is spent showing him the ropes of his enhanced senses. I teach him to focus on specific sounds or scents while filtering out others. He’s a quick learner, his natural discipline serving him well in this new existence.
I ponder whether I should bring up the anniversary gift he wanted to give me. The proposal I thought would come. But it doesn’t seem to cross Max’s mind at all, so I leave it.
As afternoon bleeds into evening, Max grows pensive again. “My family will be here tomorrow. How do I tell them what I’ve become?”
“Honestly,” I say, looking into his red eyes, “they’ll see the changes right away. But that’s not what you’re really scared of, is it?”
He sighs, then shakes his head in defeat. “They never agreed with my decision to move to Penn City. To become a criminal attorney for vampires. They’ve always thought it’s too dangerous. That I’m better off staying in my hometown where vampires are rare.”
“You’re incredibly brave,” I tell him, and I mean it. Even getting involved with someone like me, it’s not something many humans would do.
His eyes trail to the dagger strapped to my thigh. “May I?” he asks, gesturing toward it.
I naturally hesitate before unsheathing it and handing it to him, hilt first. “Careful. It’s lumen.”
Max examines the weapon with a peculiar fascination, turning it over in his hands. The blade catches the fading light, its edges gleaming with deadly purpose.
“It’s beautiful,” he murmurs, testing its weight. “So this is what kills us.”
I watch him closely, sensing the weight of his words. “One way,” I confirm. “When driven into the heart.”
His movements become unnaturally still then, his gaze fixed on the blade, as if he’s entranced by it.
“Max?” I say cautiously.
Without warning, he lunges forward, driving the blade deep into my abdomen.
Pain explodes through me, white-hot and blinding.
I gasp, looking down at the hilt protruding from my body, then up at Max’s horrified face.
“Seraph!” he cries, panic replacing the momentary trance. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what—I didn’t mean to—”
I try to speak, but blood bubbles in my throat.
The world tilts dangerously as I slump backward, the cave ceiling spinning above me. Max’s hands hover over the dagger, unsure whether to remove it.
“Don’t,” I manage to choke out. “I’ll do it myself.”
The scent of my blood fills the cave, thick and all-consuming. Max’s eyes darken, pupils dilating until they nearly swallow the crimson irises. His nostrils flare, and despite his horror, I can see him fighting a primal urge.
I may not be human, but there’s human blood running through my veins.
“Go,” I wheeze, trying to push him away with blood-slicked hands. “You need to go. Now.”
“I can’t,” he says, his voice trembling with the effort of restraint.
“You have to,” I plead, a frown running through my brows.
I’m just as confused as he seems to be.
His expression curdles into something feral and desperate. With trembling hands, he grips my shoulders, pulling me closer despite my weakening protests. If Max is going to feed from me, he might not be able to stop. I brace myself for the pain that will follow after pulling the dagger out, the sting of his fangs, and what I will have to do to him to get myself out of this situation. To get us both out.
