Angeline’s still form. It had been two quick thuds against her ribcage. He crawled back to her and put his fingers on her throat again. This time, there was a thready, weak response. He had done it. He had saved her, but he had damned her as well.
As his senses finally started to clear, guilt came rushing in. Not only had he broken his vow to never drink human blood again, but he had shattered a law that had existed since before the vampires and humans began their warring ways. If Monroe caught him now—he shuddered to think of the possibilities or what Monroe would do to him. But it wasn’t just Monroe he had to worry about. He looked down at Angeline and smoothed her hair away from her face. Her body was cooling as the night air chilled around them, and he wrapped her close to him inside his cloak. Although he couldn’t see any indication of it yet, he knew that daybreak would come far too soon. He needed to get both of them to safety.
Cautiously he cast his mind out to see if Searon lurked nearby. There was nothing. He got to his feet with Angeline in his arms and wobbled. He would have rested longer, but there was no time to waste. The Amaron Forest was only a few kilometers away, and they would be safe in its dark, leafy embrace, at least until he figured out what to do next.
It took him longer than usual to find his speed, but he managed it without stumbling. As he ran, Angeline started to moan against him.
“Malin,” she murmured.
Connor frowned. When he had asked her about the Chief Advisor, Angeline had seemed indifferent. He would have expected her to say her mother or father’s name, not that one. A small shot of jealousy tightened his chest. Did she love Malin? Were her affections already spoken for? His contact in the convent said that the princess looked on Malin as an older brother and that when she did marry him it would be a marriage of strict convenience. Malin had a reputation at court that he was sure Angeline would not approve of once she was queen. But as Angeline continued to say the other man’s name, Connor had to wonder what his spies had missed.
It seemed to take an eternity before they were approaching the tree line of the Amaron Forest. Connor stepped under the heavy canopy moments later and leaned back heavily against the trunk of one of the ancient trees that was at least several of his arm spans in diameter. The Amaron Forest had been there since time began, but it was a place of dark and shadow. Very few creatures chose to call it home, only those that craved darkness and secrecy. Creatures like Connor.
He quickly made his way deeper into the forest to a small rock outcropping that he had used several times as a camp. He carefully ducked underneath the rough ledge and then laid Angeline down as far back under the overhang as he could. He swept his cloak off his shoulders and balled it up, slipping it under her head.
Her face was flushed now and her skin glistened with sweat. She was deep within the change. But it wasn’t an immortal she was changing into. He felt sick knowing that Angeline was going to wake up as a being forced to straddle two worlds. He should have killed her when he realized that her heart was taking its last beats and removed any possible risk of her coming back to life. But he couldn’t have done it; he knew that.
While Connor had not given her any of his blood, some of his vampire tainted saliva would have entered her wounds. In a body giving up its life, his venom could have the exact opposite effect and bring it back. If he had been able to get the spider’s venom out before her body had died, her immune system would have been able to fight it off, like a cold. Instead, he had created something that wasn’t supposed to exist. He had been stupid to even attempt to save her; in the end she wouldn’t thank him.
As he watched her begin to thrash, he cursed
As his senses finally started to clear, guilt came rushing in. Not only had he broken his vow to never drink human blood again, but he had shattered a law that had existed since before the vampires and humans began their warring ways. If Monroe caught him now—he shuddered to think of the possibilities or what Monroe would do to him. But it wasn’t just Monroe he had to worry about. He looked down at Angeline and smoothed her hair away from her face. Her body was cooling as the night air chilled around them, and he wrapped her close to him inside his cloak. Although he couldn’t see any indication of it yet, he knew that daybreak would come far too soon. He needed to get both of them to safety.
Cautiously he cast his mind out to see if Searon lurked nearby. There was nothing. He got to his feet with Angeline in his arms and wobbled. He would have rested longer, but there was no time to waste. The Amaron Forest was only a few kilometers away, and they would be safe in its dark, leafy embrace, at least until he figured out what to do next.
It took him longer than usual to find his speed, but he managed it without stumbling. As he ran, Angeline started to moan against him.
“Malin,” she murmured.
Connor frowned. When he had asked her about the Chief Advisor, Angeline had seemed indifferent. He would have expected her to say her mother or father’s name, not that one. A small shot of jealousy tightened his chest. Did she love Malin? Were her affections already spoken for? His contact in the convent said that the princess looked on Malin as an older brother and that when she did marry him it would be a marriage of strict convenience. Malin had a reputation at court that he was sure Angeline would not approve of once she was queen. But as Angeline continued to say the other man’s name, Connor had to wonder what his spies had missed.
It seemed to take an eternity before they were approaching the tree line of the Amaron Forest. Connor stepped under the heavy canopy moments later and leaned back heavily against the trunk of one of the ancient trees that was at least several of his arm spans in diameter. The Amaron Forest had been there since time began, but it was a place of dark and shadow. Very few creatures chose to call it home, only those that craved darkness and secrecy. Creatures like Connor.
He quickly made his way deeper into the forest to a small rock outcropping that he had used several times as a camp. He carefully ducked underneath the rough ledge and then laid Angeline down as far back under the overhang as he could. He swept his cloak off his shoulders and balled it up, slipping it under her head.
Her face was flushed now and her skin glistened with sweat. She was deep within the change. But it wasn’t an immortal she was changing into. He felt sick knowing that Angeline was going to wake up as a being forced to straddle two worlds. He should have killed her when he realized that her heart was taking its last beats and removed any possible risk of her coming back to life. But he couldn’t have done it; he knew that.
While Connor had not given her any of his blood, some of his vampire tainted saliva would have entered her wounds. In a body giving up its life, his venom could have the exact opposite effect and bring it back. If he had been able to get the spider’s venom out before her body had died, her immune system would have been able to fight it off, like a cold. Instead, he had created something that wasn’t supposed to exist. He had been stupid to even attempt to save her; in the end she wouldn’t thank him.
As he watched her begin to thrash, he cursed
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