Page 56 of The Heart of Moonlight Falls

James squeezed him harder. “Not nearly enough.”

Sebastian had to agree with that. But he couldn’t dwell on it, or he might lose his nerve. “Do you think I’m right? This afternoon, you were adamant I was wrong about this, that I wasn’t truly part of the veins enough to make this work.”

James gritted his teeth. “What the shade said while possessing William made me less sure, and I understand you’re trying to solve this with everything you have, even if I wish you wouldn’t. But don’t get me wrong, if I didn’t think we were going to die soon regardless, I’d never let you do this.”

The ground beneath their feet shook so violently that Sebastian and James were thrown against the truck.

For some reason, James’s changed opinion made Sebastian less sure about this sacrifice. He could be wrong. He was throwing his life away based on nothing but a depressing vision, his own wild conjectures, and a vicious shade’s words. But Sebastian knew he was dead either way. The explosion was coming, and James was right. He had to try to save the people he could.

He could do this and figure out a way to make James let him go. He had to be able to save James too.

The gate was unlocked. Parker must not have bothered with the chain and padlock when he and Hazel had left earlier. Sebastian and James were unsteady on their feet as they walked up the driveway. The shaking didn’t let up and Sebastian was surprised to see Storm House still standing.

Nervous chills spread out over Sebastian’s body as they went. The property was suspiciously free of shades. He’d expected there to be hordes of the beasts. Did they know destruction was near? Had they given up on Moonlight Falls now that their gateway was about to explode?

James held Sebastian’s hand tight as they passed the cemetery and entered the trees. Wood creaked and the wind howled. The walk through the woods didn’t seem real. Sebastian was detached from everything around him, almost convinced he wasn’t going to die even though it was what he intended. He had James at his side, and that made him believe things would be all right, even now.

As they approached the clearing, an eerie glow shone through the trees. Cool throbbing light danced along the dirt and reflected off the trees. Sebastian’s head ached, the pain undulating with the strange light display.

“Do you want to keep going?” James asked in his ear.

Sebastian hadn’t realized they’d stopped walking. There was so much motion between the ground shaking, light flashing, and the spinning sensation in his head.

“I think my headaches are connected to what’s happening to the veins.” Sebastian rubbed his temple. “We need to keep going. The increased pain could mean I’m right about being connected enough for this to work.”

James helped Sebastian along. “Or it could just be the after-effects of using the veins.”

“I know. There won’t be any proving me right or wrong before I do this.” A deeper sense of doubt washed over Sebastian. He wanted to save James and Moonlight Falls, but what if he couldn’t? What if sacrificing himself was throwing away his last moments with James before everything blew up anyway? What if James was determined to jump off this cliff with him and there was no saving him?

Sebastian stepped past the trees into the clearing. The hole was wide and dark, except for the eerie light glowing at the edge of the void. The ground shook, causing the light to vibrate and pulse. The hole widened.

Fear and doubt ate at Sebastian. “What if I’m wrong? What if I go in there and die, and nothing happens?”

James gripped Sebastian’s shoulders. “You might be wrong. You don’t have to do this.”

Sebastian shivered. He hadn’t expected this to be easy, yet he hadn’t been prepared for the tightness gripping his chest or the bone-deep urge he had to run away. He didn’t know what to do. If he was too afraid to try, he’d be dooming Eli, Hazel, Parker, and Eleanor all to die along with James. Judging by the mess of otherworldly magic before him, there was no doubt the explosion was coming.

James’s grip on Sebastian tightened. “I’ll help you do this if it’s what you want. I’ll go with you, Sebastian. But we don’t have to. We could be wrong. There could still be another way.”

“How?” Tears filled Sebastian’s eyes and his head ached like someone was squeezing his brain. “Sacrifice is how magic works in the world of blood and bone.”

“Blood and bone,” James mumbled, frowning deeply for a long moment. Then his eyes widened. “Sebastian!” James shook him. “Blood and bone.”

“Yeah, so?” Sebastian had no idea what James was getting at. Confusion pushed away some of the sadness threatening to consume him. “What about it?”

“You can make a sacrifice of blood and bone.” James let out a hysterical laugh. “You don’t need to die. Why do you have to return to the veins? Blood-and-bone magic almost never requires all of a person. What if your blood and bone are enough to return the missing piece to the veins?”

Sebastian blinked. The earth jolted, throwing him against James’s chest.

They clung to each other, James seeming to vibrate as he spoke. “We already figured out that the curse and imbalance weren’t about life. Life sacrifice shouldn’t be the solution. Why can’t you make the system whole with just a piece of you?”

“I don’t know. You’re right. That could work. We can at least try it. Fuck, James. If this is it and it’s not the end…” Sebastian sobbed as hope, even more painful than the despair he’d just pushed away, swelled inside him.

“This isn’t the end, Sebastian.” James pressed a kiss to his lips. “You were made a part of this through blood and bone, and you’ll put it all back together the same way. A piece of you for the missing piece. I know this is it. I can feel it.”

“How am I going to do this?” Sebastian’s stomach turned. Blood was easy enough, but bone… “I guess I can cut off the tip of a finger.”

James let out a pained whining sound. “Sebastian.”

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