Page 25 of Winterfall Destiny

"The First is in a human body," says Tobias. "We don't know how Andrei’s hemia body might change."

"At least you don't sparkle," says Maeve.

"Huh?" I frown at my luminescence.

"Twilight?" asks Ash. I look blankly. "Jeez, Andrei. That book's halfway responsible for all the girls who wanted you to?—"

Tobias clears his throat to interrupt, and I side glance Maeve.

"The human girls fantasising about vampires, I know," she says, but there's a bite to her tone. The past. "I wonder what would happen if the humans knew their fantasy was real?"

"We've spoken about this since the day you arrived at the academy," says Tobias. "That can't happen."

"I'm not saying I want them to know," she says crossly. "I just wonder."

Ash rubs the side of his eye. "The Confederacy might stop the Dominion from revealing us. I doubt they'll stop the First."

"What?" I ask sharply. "That's what the creature's planning?"

"The First implied it planned to when speaking to Ash," says Jamie. "The night you made the dumbest of your dumb decisions."

Maeve sucks air through her teeth. "We agreed there's nothing we can do now, Jamie. That we move forward."

"Doesn't stop me being pissed off with him!" says Jamie. "What you put Maeve through. Put all of us through."

"Jamie," says Tobias evenly.

"Why didn't you wait?" blurts Jamie.

The question I've expected since the moment I stepped back into life. Maeve's hand grows hotter in my palm, and she stares at her shoes. Yeah, that's one big conversation we need.

"Because the First told me she's leaving and if I wanted my chance, take it. I asked her to wait for Maeve, but she refused."

"Of course," Maeve mutters. "Maximum amusement for the creature."

I fix my eyes on Jamie's. "Well, as you often remind me, I make dumb decisions. Don't think things through. But you all knew I'd made my mind up, whatever any of you said or did." I catch Tobias's look. "Could I have died? Yeah. Would I die without the blood? Also yeah, because we can't allow Gabriella to live. I would’ve died with her."

"I don't believe the First would leave us forever," says Ash.

"Maybe not, but I didn't want to take the chance."

"Neither did the First," says Tobias flatly. "The creature told us the reason it chose to give you the blood, Andrei."

"Because I'm cute and the First wants to help me?" Stony silence. I get a sense this isn't funny.

"Because now we can never trap the First," continues Tobias. "Because if we do, you'll return to that state you've been in. Not for a week this time, but the whole time the First's trapped."

"And if we kill the creature you'd die, but that's not even a minuscule possibility," adds Jamie.

My stomach bottoms out. Fuck. Back to square one. "Someone else might trap or kill the First."

"Not without Blackwood and Winterfall magic. All the Blackwoods are dead apart from Lex and Dorian, and Maeve's the last Winterfall. The First knows that Maeve would never use her magic if it would harm you." Jamie jerks his chin. "We're stuck with the creature."

Maeve's hand tightens, and she looks at Jamie with a small frown. Huh?

"I guess Maeve had better not have kids then," I say. "He or she might not share their mother's thoughts that I'm more important than a world ravaged by a crazed... whatever it is."

Silence.

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