Her eyes narrow, hatred mingling with fear as she stares into Aerix’s unforgiving gaze. “That’s all you’ve ever wanted, isn’t it, Aerix? Family by blood. Even if that family rejected you.”
A low, dangerous growl rumbles deep in his chest, his expression going frighteningly blank, a veil of ice dropping over his eyes.
“Aerix,” I say softly, stepping forward, my heart pounding.
But before I can continue, he twists his hand, snapping Cierra’s neck in a single, swift movement and driving his dagger through her heart.
ZOEY
Cierra’s bodygoes limp in Aerix’s grip.
Finally, after a few painfully long seconds, he lets go.
Her lifeless form crumples to the floor in a heap, dark hair spilling around her like ink, blood pooling beneath her body.
Nausea rises in my throat. Because yes, I’ve seen Aerix kill without mercy countless times. But Cierra was his sister in all but blood. They’ve known each other for centuries, since they were winter fae. And yes, she arranged his turning into a vampire without his consent, but if he wanted to kill her because of it, wouldn’t he have done it ages ago?
Now, he’s standing over her body, ice spreading out from his feet as he drops his dagger to the floor. When he turns to me, his chest is rising and falling rapidly, each breath sharp and wild. His eyes are wrecked and desperate as he crosses the room toward me, stepping around Cierra’s body without sparing it another glance.
“Zoey,” he breathes my name a prayer, his hands shaking as he cups my face. “Are you all right? Did she hurt you?”
“I’m fine,” I say, my mind reeling as I try to process whatever just happened. It was so much at once—Cierra’s claim of thewards breaking, and what she said about Aerix’s reasons for saving me at the waterfall—that I’m having a hard time piecing it together.
“You’re my family,” he says suddenly, the words tumbling out in a rush. “You understand that, don’t you? I turned you. You’re my family by blood now. We’re bound to each other forever.” His thumbs brush my cheekbones, his touch desperate, as if he’s making sure I’m real. “We’re having a baby together. Our blood, our magic, and our souls are intertwined. Forever.”
“Aerix.” My heart pounds as I place my hand on his chest, trying to steady us both. “She didn’t hurt me. Everything’s going to be okay.”
He closes his eyes, exhaling roughly, as if the simple act of breathing is too much.
“The doctor,” he says, opening his eyes again, silver flecks shimmering brighter than ever in his midnight gaze. “She has a theory.”
“Okay…” Dread twists inside me as I wait for him to continue.
“When I turned you,” he says slowly, choosing each word carefully, “my venom wasn’t the only thing of mine spilling inside you.” His voice trails off, his throat bobbing as he swallows. “We were together—fully, intimately together—at the same time as your turning.”
I nod, the memories flooding back. The overwhelming intensity, the fierce connection of our bodies moving together, the sensation of becoming one with him in a way that defied everything natural.
“She thinks that might be the reason,” he continues. “You weren’t fully human anymore, but you weren’t a vampire yet, either. You were something else. Something in between. And in that impossible moment, our child was conceived.”
“So our child is...” My voice fades, unable to find the right word.
“A miracle.” He pulls me closer, his wings trembling as they enclose us in their shadowy embrace. “This baby is proof that you and I were destined to belong to each other from the beginning.”
I say nothing, my breath trapped deep in my chest. Because how can I respond to that? How can I tell him how terrified I am, how young I feel, and how overwhelmed I am by everything that’s happened?
Ever since being turned, it’s like my emotions are crushing me, like they’re too much for my body to process. Or maybe it’s the effects of the pregnancy? I don’t know. I really, really don’t know. And I’m afraid that if I tell Aerix about these feelings, he’ll take it personally. That he’ll think I don’t want this baby. Which isn’t true. At least, I don’t think it’s true. It’s just that I don’t feelready.
I’m lost in my spiraling thoughts as his hands move to the back of my neck, fingers threading through my hair as he pulls me closer, desperation radiating from every line of his body.
“Zoey,” he breathes, and there’s something broken in the way he says my name, as if he’s drowning and I’m the only thing that can save him. “Cierra scared you. I know she scared you… I should have been here. She never should have been able to get in here at all.” He shakes his head, his gaze wild, his hands lowering to hold onto my shoulders. “You’re still here with me, right? We’re still in this together? I need—” His voice cracks, and he swallows hard. “I don’t know what I’ll do if you try to leave me.”
His eyes are hot coals as they dig into mine, his body tense, his wings flaring behind him. But with each passing moment, his expression glazes over, as if he’s drowning in whatever’sgoing through his mind. His grip on me tightens. His breathing becomes shallower, more erratic.
“Aerix,” I say his name softly, pulling him back into focus. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m here with you, always. Because I love you. More than I’ve ever loved anyone in this entire world.”
Instead of the relief I expect to see in his eyes, something darker flickers there. Something frantic—maybe even anxious—that makes my breath catch.
“This child.” He glances at the tower’s open door with another far-off expression, then returns his focus to me. “Is proof that I was right about us. About what we’re meant to be. You understand that, don’t you? That this is bigger than us? That I need to do everything in my power to keep both of you safe?”
