Lucian laughed hysterically. “You two… you two just don’t know when to quit, do you?”

He whistled again. This time five more vampires came. My hope died. I had no energy left to fight and by the way Eli sagged and breathed heavily, I could tell he was spent as well. But regardless of how he felt, Eli stood in front of me, protecting me. He crouched slightly, ready to attack.

Lucian launched himself at us and Eli copied. They exchanged punches and kicks that were too fast for me to see. I felt a cough building up in my throat. No, no, no, no. I willed myself. I tensed my muscles as the cough exploded out of my mouth. In response, I grunted in pain and fell to my knees.

That was all it took.

Eli was distracted by my grunt and Lucian grabbed him and threw him into the five ravenous vampires.

“No!” I squealed, ignoring the pain of my ribs. Suddenly, my heart hurt more.

Lucian pulled me to my feet by my hair and I watched as Eli thrashed under the five vampires.

“Do you plan on causing any more delays?”

My sobs were loud.

“Good.”

Rage built up in my body, and I felt all warm and tingly. It was a feeling I hadn’t felt since the night Hunter broke into my apartment and I was going to kill him. It was my sun power. My body felt it, recognized it. I glanced down at my wrist. Was the power of the bracelet wearing off?

Lucian glanced at my bracelet. “It’s good to see Hunter came through on that, otherwise this’d be a lot more difficult.”

He let go of my hair and grabbed my wrist, yanking me toward the forest.

“Let me go!” I shouted, unable to keep the panic from my voice.

He tugged harder. And I snapped. I screamed so hard that it burnt my chest and I lit up like a Christmas tree. Lucian shrieked and dropped my arm. I wasted no time in jumping at him. I knocked him to the ground and he writhed in pain beneath me. His black eyes watched me in fear and pain… and I liked it. I liked being the one to bring him pain, to be the reason for his death. I watched as his skin began burning. Before long, he disappeared into a pile of dust beneath me.

Still running on adrenaline, I jumped to my feet and ran to Eli. He didn’t need my help. Three of the vampires took off when they saw that I had used my Heelian power. The other two stupid enough to stay were staked by Eli. Somehow. A few bite marks adorned his arms and he seemed a little bit dazed.

“Ruby?” he asked cautiously, more worried about me than himself.

He seemed unnerved by the fact that I was still glowing. I didn’t want to stop. While I used my Heelian power, I felt no pain.

“You can stop now,” he said, taking a few steps towards me.

Something broke inside of me. I don’t know what it was. Fear? Anger? Pain? Blinking back tears, I said, “I can’t. If I stop…I’m afraid I’m going to die.”

“You’re not going to die.” He extended his arms to me. “I’m right here.”

“It hurts.”

“I know, let me help you.”

He took another step toward me. I was afraid I’d burn him, so I turned my power off. The pain came back instantly, knocking me to my knees. I bent over in pain, clutching my ribs and my neck. Waves of darkness tried to overcome me, but I fought them off. Eli knelt beside me, careful not to move me. He stroked my hair and planted kisses on my head.

“You did it,” he murmured. “Lucian is gone.”

As his words hit me, a new kind of feeling rushed over me. A feeling of freedom.

FREE

My eyes opened to a bright, white light. I was in a large, semi-familiar room. Over my head, the glaring lights blinded me. Nearby, there was an annoying beeping sound that brought a headache on instantly. I lifted my hand to rub my temples, but stopped when I noticed the mess of clear tubes and cords that were attached to my right arm.

I exhaled and attempted to sit up. The sharp pain that shot through my chest turned my exhale into a brief, painful yelp. I stayed locked in place until the pain subsided and then I slowly relaxed my body.

I took in my surroundings. The Gothic styling and high ceiling was familiar. The walls were stone and the carpet red. I clicked my tongue against my teeth, trying to figure out where I was and then it hit me. I was in the teachers’ medical building. I’d been here once before, it was the day after Hank had attacked the cabin I’d been staying in. Nothing had changed.

The door creaked, pulling my attention. In stepped a short chubby wizard in a lemon yellow robe. I couldn’t have been more happy to see him. I managed a wave without putting myself through too much pain.

“How are you feeling?” Gwydion asked, walking over to me.

“I’ve been better,” I croaked.

I licked my lips to moisten them, but my tongue was just as dry, if not more. Gwydion picked up the glass of water on the bedside table and handed it to me. I took a big mouthful and handed it back. He sat down on the small armchair beside my bed.

“How long have I been out for?”

“Two days.”

“How is everyone?” I asked, praying for no bad news to come my way.

“They’re fine.” He picked the bracelet that blocked my powers off the bedside table. He examined it closely.

“It stopped working,” I said.

Gwydion chuckled. “Yeah, thanks to me.”

I frowned, confused by his comment. “How so?”

“When we met again in Aleksandrov’s sitting room, I took some of your hair and mixed it with a few potions and spells.” He flicked his hand open, exposing his palm. “Voila. And there you have it—the bracelet no longer binds your powers.”

Subconsciously, I stroked the wrist the bracelet used to sit on. I recalled the day in the sitting room when I had hugged Gwydion. I assumed my hair got caught on something. What a sneaky little wizard.

“You’ve had your Heelian power back for a few days now,” he tapped his chin. “Since Tuesday. You would have felt it.”

I thought about Tuesday and tried to recall anything strange. I remembered spacing out in Mr Aleksandrov’s office—my vision blurred and a strange warm sensation accompanied it, but it only lasted a few moments.

“If I got my Heelian power back… why didn’t Mr. Aleksandrov let me blast them all from the get-go?”

He shrugged. “That wasn’t the plan, I suppose. He didn’t want to risk Lucian getting away. He wanted to catch Lucian by surprise. The less people knew, the better. Only Aaron, Xavier, Sera, and two other guardians knew about your power. If you knew, you wouldn’t be able to control yourself. For such a small girl, you have a mighty temper.”

I rolled my eyes.

“The night you stabbed yourself with the vampire cure and went crazy, everyone was worried you’d use your sun power and ruin our only element of surprise. Luckily, the vamps never showed. Then when Mila foolishly left the safety of the house and got herself caught, that had me gripping the edge of my seat. Thankfully, you used it at the most perfect moment and turned him to dust.”

I recalled the events perfectly, I didn’t need a recap—although I have to admit, I did enjoy hearing about Lucian’s demise.

Vampire cure. I jolted slightly, biting my lip against the pain of my ribs and the ache of, well, every other muscle in my body. “How’s Hunter?” I groaned, pulling myself to an upright position. Gwydion stacked my pillows behind me and I was able to lie back against them.

“He’s okay. He’s locked in Sage’s underground cells. He doesn’t seem to be a vampire anymore. The sun doesn’t burn him, he won’t touch blood, and his eyes are back to blue…”

“But?”

Gwydion pulled my phone from his pocket and set it on the bedside table. “But he refuses to eat and drink until he sees you. We keep telling him you’re not well, but he refuses to believe us.”

“So I’ll go see him?”

Gwydion shook his head slightly. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. His emotions are all over the place. He’s angry, sad, and happy all at once. It’d be dangerous sending you in there.”

“If he couldn’t hurt me as a vampire, he isn’t going to hurt me as himself.” I turned my body toward Gwydion, wincing at the pain.

“Have they given you anything to help you heal?” Gwydion asked, changing the subject.

“I don’t know. I’ve been asleep, remember?”

Gwydion pulled a clear vial from his pocket and cracked it into my water. He handed me the glass. “Drink this. It should heal you by this afternoon.”

I drank the glass of water, greedily making sure I drank every last drop. I needed to get rid of the pain as soon as possible.

The door creaked again, signalling someone else’s arrival. I felt a warm flush spread over my entire body when I saw Eli step into the room. Gwydion cleared his throat.

“Well, I better get going. I should see you later this evening if the medicine works quickly.”

With a swift nod in Eli’s direction, Gwydion exited the room. Eli looked great, the cut on his lip had healed well, and there was barely a scar. Same thing went for the bite marks on his arms. He was wearing a light blue t-shirt that clung perfectly to every dimple and groove in his chest muscles. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and fell into the chair beside me. His green eyes watched me and I couldn’t tell what he was feeling. I squeezed my fingers nervously, waiting for him to say something. Anything.

Already I could feel my ribs repair themselves. The swelling and tenderness seemed to fade away, giving me extra room to breathe.

“You’re not saying anything,” I mumbled.

He gave me a small grin. I ran my tongue between my teeth to prevent myself from sighing loudly.

“I don’t want to tell you how I feel. I want to show you how I feel.” He moved his hands from his pockets and placed them behind his head. “But you’re injured and I don’t want to make it worse.”

My chest deflated in disappointment. Damn ribs.

“In the meantime,” he added. “I’ll settle for asking you how you feel.”

“Like hell,” I groaned. “Although, it is a happier hell now that Gwydion has given me some of that magic healing juice. How are you feeling?”

“Better now you’re awake.”

I smiled at him.

“You know, Hunter has been asking for you.”

“I know.”

“Do you plan on seeing him?” His face darkened a touch.

“Yes, I do.”

He nodded and smiled, but even I could tell it was fake.

“I cured him. It’s my responsibility to make sure he’s okay with that. I know it’s hard to understand—”

“No, I understand. I’m only worried that he’ll hurt you. He isn’t exactly himself, he seems hostile. He holds a lot of resentment against all of us… and you.”

This I assumed already. He must be in such an emotional place. “Like I told Gwydion, he didn’t hurt me as a vampire, so I don’t think he’ll hurt me now.”

He ran his fingers through his hair, evidently frustrated with me. “That’s an interesting logic.”

“Eli, what’s really bothering you? It’s not because you’re worried I’ll get hurt. You know I’m capable of handling myself.”

He leaned toward me, resting his elbows on his knees. “What’s bothering me is the fact that this guy is in love with you and the whole time he was a vampire, you couldn’t bring yourself to kill him. He’s a god now, your other half, and legally, you can be with him.”

His green eyes watched me, anticipating my reply. I never picked Eli as the insecure type. He always seemed so confident in himself.

“That doesn’t mean I want to be with him. Eli, I love you. You have nothing to be insecure about.”

“I’m not insecure,” he growled defensively. “I’m realistic.”

“No, you’re silly.” I laughed. “After everything, do you honestly think I would be able to forget about you?”

He knew what I was implying. By ‘everything,’ not only did I mean his good looks, charm, and sweet personality, I also meant sex. It—he—was unforgettable. Eli De Luca was the first person in the world to make me feel special and alive. I’d never try to find that anywhere else… not when I have the best.

“Oh I know you’ll never forget about me.” His eyes held a cheeky gleam and I flushed. “I just want you to see where I’m coming from. Hunter has gotten under your skin and I’m just saying that it’s hard to forget people that have done that.”

Hunter had gotten under my skin and I cared for him way more than I should, but no one could replace Eli. No one. It didn’t matter how far under my skin Hunter had gotten… he could never reach my heart.

I stared into his face, making sure I chose my next words carefully. I knew what I wanted to say, but I needed it to come out eloquently, so it washed away all doubt that he had about Hunter and I.

I said. “My heart doesn’t tear. It doesn’t crack or split in two. It remains whole for one person and that person is you.”

I didn’t intend for it to come out in rhyme and I felt silly that it did. His green eyes softened and a cute smile spread over his mouth. My god, was it possible? Had I made Eli De Luca flush? A giggle made its way up my throat. My ribs were feeling better, so I sat up unaided and gestured with my index finger for him to come closer. He leaped out his chair and cupped my face in his hands.

“You are something else,” he whispered as our foreheads pressed together.