Page 63 of The Evernight Court

The problem was, Emil was a vampire and he was easily twice my size. My hits didn’t hurt him, and when I kicked him in the gut—much more accurately than I’d ever kicked Quinn—all I managed to do was push him back a step. Just a tiny step.

“Would you look at that?!” he said, his voice echoing in the tall ceiling of the hallway. “She’s fighting me! Fuck me—she’sfighting me!”

I jumped back, trying to get inside the half open door of the tower, and I managed to put a foot inside. Just one foot—and then Emil grabbed me by the back of my neck and spunme around, moved me to the side with such ease, and slammed my back against the wall.

My God, he lookedmadwith hunger. His fangs were on clear display now, and he was still smiling that sick smile as he pressed his body against mine and held me in place.

I couldn’t fucking move.

Angry tears pricked the back of my eyes when I closed them. I knew this day was going to come. I thought about it every single second, and I’d so naively believed that I’d have a bit more time. I’d so naively believed that they would give me another month or two before they came for me.

Silly, silly Fall. Why would these men deprive themselves of what they wanted when they could have it without anybody standing in their way? On the contrary—the whole world would think they were right in doing this. Nobody would judge them. Nobody would lift a finger or speak a single word against them.

Emil was going to fuckingrapeme right now, and there was nothing I could do about it.

“I love it,” he said, his hand closing around my neck as he licked my cheek. “I love the taste of your tears, beautiful Fall.” I’d had no idea I was crying, but then he licked another tear off my cheek lightning fast, too. “I love how your heart beats. I’m going to love your blood, too. I promise you once you feel me drinking from you, you won’t want to fight me anymore.”

His fingers closed around my chin and he pulled my head to the side. I tried to resist with all my strength as I cried out, but it was impossible. He was far too strong.

“Hold still for me, will you?”

He was going to bite me.

Emil was going to bite me, and I was going to pass out and I wouldn’t even know what the hell he would do to me while I was out of it.

No.

Heat gathered in the pit of my stomach. My entire being raged at the idea, and my eyes opened wide. I barely had a second to notice someone else was in the hallway, someone leaning against a pillar on the other side, watching us with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Tristian.

I moved.

The moment I felt the tips of Emil’s fangs on my skin, I move to the side with every ounce of strength left inside me. I moved so fast, so hard, that his fangs sank in my shoulder and ripped my skin for at least a couple of inches. The pain barely registered as Emil laughed one more time, then wrapped his arm around my waist again, pinning me in place.

I screamed.

It was over, anyway. It was over just like I knew it would be since the day Grey was banished.Over.

Then…

“Let her go, Emil.”

Valentine’s voice echoed in the high ceiling.

Emil stopped laughing abruptly and his body froze in place.

He wasn’t biting me. My God, his fangs were still not inside me, and he turned his head to see where Valentine was.

I moved faster than I ever had in my life.

By some miracle, I slipped away from his grip and I practically jumped inside the half open door of the third tower, then pushed it shut the same second.

Fists slammed on the wall outside, making the entire castle shake. Emil roared like a damn animal right after, and he soundedmad.

A scream escaped me as I moved farther and farther to the side, looking at the door, expecting it to open any second, expecting Emil to keep coming for me, roaring like that againwith his fangs extended, glistening with my blood. I moved until my back hit the wall, and it fucking scared me shitless.

No more screams left in me. My legs gave up and I fell to the floor, breathing like I’d been racing, my heart about to burst out of my ribcage. Blood was coming off my shoulder where Emil’s teeth had torn my skin, and it was dripping down my arm still.

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