Page 51 of Midnight Whispers
“We have a lot of things. That’s what happens when you’ve lived the time we have.”
I pick the seat in the front, furthest away from everyone. The next eleven hours will be agonizing as I sit here, unable to sleep or think about anything except getting to Lillia fast. My mind is racing as I try to prepare myself for the state, she may be in. I know Cedar well enough to know that she is probably battered and bruised, the thought makes my vision blur in anger.
“We’ll get to her, Finnian.” Asher assures me. I nod and look out the window. If something were to happen to her because ofme, I’d never forgive myself. Flora sits on the opposite side of the plane than us, her leg moving up and down as she tries to calm herself. She is chewing on the cuticles of her fingers, biting at them until they bleed.
“Kitten, you must not cause yourself harm like that.” Asher begs, crossing the plane and taking a seat in the spot beside her. He gently brushes a piece of her hair back and behind her ear. The tenderness between them makes me happy for Asher, but jealous all the same. She looks up at him as he whispers sweet nothings to her, and though she won’t admit it out loud, thinks she may have love in her heart for him too.
Images play in my mind of how I think this interaction with Cedar is going to go. There is nothing to do but kill him, but I must prepare myself to become a maker again. I would do whatever it took to save Lillia, especially when there’s nobody to blame but myself. Since Cedar is undoubtedly going back to our home in France, I believe it to only be fair that I kill him in the same way I killed Evelyn. So, when the time comes, he willlose his life by losing his heart. My lips curve into a wicked smile at the thought.
“I know that smile.” Asher turns to look at me with an arched brow.
“I’m just plotting Cedar’s poetic demise.”
“I understand.” He responds as he’s running his fingers through Flora’s hair.
“You have it bad, don’t you?” I ask, looking back and forth between a sleeping Flora and Asher. He looks down at where she lies on his chest.
“I believe I do. But don’t tell her that. I think she’ll run away from me, and I'll be beside myself if that happens.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“Who would have thought that you and I would fall in love with mortal best friends.”
I laugh, leaning my head back on the headrest. Looking back on our many years of living together, I wouldn’t have expected either of us to be in the place we are now. The one thing I’ve learned throughout my lifetimes is that the only constant about life is that it's constantly changing and if you’re stuck planning for everything that happens, it will pass you by in the blink of an eye.
If I could sleep, I know I would dream of the day I turned Wren. I imagine, aside from losing a mate or dying, losing a protégé is one of the most painful moments a vampire could experience.
“What is your name, boy?”
“Wren… I’m Wren Alexander.”
I getdown on the cold stone floor, kneeling next to him and bite down on my own wrist, the blood immediately pooling on my skin. I’ve never had much desire to become a maker, especially when I was left with little to no choice in changing someone. However, in one selfish act of passion, I brought this upon myself and Wren.
“Drink.” I demand, placing my wrist against his mouth. “Please, drink.”
He resists at first, looking up at me with pleading eyes. I can sense his defeat at the same time he let his shoulders sag, moving his lips to my wrist. He begins to drink from me, gentle at first. Once the rush of endorphins fills his blood, he releases a moan and begins to suck more eagerly.
Once I am satisfied with the amount of blood he’s taken, I look up to the Counsel. In unison the four of them nod and my stomach sinks. I knew what came next and it was the reason I ran to begin with.
I place my hands on the side of Wren’s jaw, he looks up at me with my blood staining his lips. “I’m sorry.” I whisper into the space between us. In one quick movement, I wrench his neck and break it. His body went limp, and he fell onto my lap.
23
My entire nervoussystem is on high alert, so I fall in and out of a restless sleep. I jump awake at the sound of yelling just outside my door. I don’t dare go over to the door so that I can hear what they’re saying, but I do try to focus on it from where I’m at on the bed. I hold my breath and close my eyes.
“Evelyn wasnotworth the war you’re bringing to our doorstep, Cedar.” A female voice hisses. “You know she didn’t love you. She only loved one person and that was herself.”
“That’s not true.” He replies abruptly.
“Look, you must get her out of here or call Finn yourself and let him know that you guys are here. He must be frantic in his search.”
“That’s the point. I want him to feel all his emotions at once before I kill her in front of him.”
“You don’t mean that. She’s innocent, surely you must feel that.”
“It’s not about what Ifeel,Annie. It’s about revenge.”
“Finn’s going to come for you, and you can’t be here when he does. I willnotallow this coven to be pulled into your mess.”