Page 2 of A Surrender Of Hope

Setting my hand over her chest, I press down, pumping even more magic into her, trying to ignore the broken sob that falls from Valen’s lips as his other hand moves to cup Meyer’s face. The way his body collapses in on itself, his forehead pressing to hers as he begs her to open her eyes.

“Wake up!” I demand, yelling at her as my body begins to tremble. “Now!”

“Meyer!?”

“Holy shit!”

Voices filter into my consciousness as I shove more magic into her, giving her everything I have, doing what I should have done weeks ago, and forming my own claim on the tiny Demon in my arms. I ignore the voices as they shout and scream when Razar won’t let them close—calling out for their friend, demanding to know what happened and why she’s not responding to their desperate calls. I hear one of them fall to the snow, screaming her name, and have to work to block them out. I need to concentrate, and their pain is so tangible, I can feel it from twenty feet away.

“Lemon Drop?”

The whispered words break me as Creed appears at my other side, slowly sinking to his knees, curly brown hair plastered to his head from all the snow. Valen hasn’t moved away from Meyer. His hands still cradle her head as his shoulders shake silently, body curling protectively over hers. Creed falls forward, catching himself on his hands as he stares at Meyer and Valen, tears streaming down his face as he shakes his head. “No,” he whispers, flicking his watery eyes to me, and like a coward, Iavoid them, unable to face the crushing pain I feel coming from him.

I force more magic into her, making me lightheaded as I try desperately to command her soul, to attach her life to mine, to bind her to me forever. “Open your goddamn eyes,” I snarl at her as my body shakes, hands pressing so hard to her chest I’m worried I might be causing more damage.

“What's wrong? What happened?”

I snarl in anger as Jesthren runs up the small hill, massive spear in hand as he jogs to Valen’s side, his worried eyes scanning our brother. “Are you injured? What—” he cuts off, hand on Valen’s shoulder when he sees Meyer lying under my hands, Valen refusing to back away from her, and Creed’s hand clutching desperately at her small limp one. Jesthren’s eyes bounce between the three of us before looking up at Razar standing guard over us all, his eyes never leaving Meyer’s cold body. “Lennox?” Jesthren says cautiously, crouching and placing his other hand on my shoulder. I shrug it off with a growl, not wanting him here, hating how close he is to my Little Demon when she’s…

“Don’t touch me!”I snarl, my teeth bared when I get no response from Meyer, no signs of life.

Empty. Cold. Dead.

I’m vaguely aware of the deep growl echoing from my chest. My Beast is inching closer to the surface, demanding I relinquish control to him.

“Let me help,” Jesthren pleads, his hand moving away from me, doing as I command as he stares down at Meyer, a flicker of sadness crossing his polished features. I shake my head, refusing to give up on Meyer. There is something there; I know there is! I know she's not gone. She’s too goddamn stubborn to leave us like this.

“No!” I snarl when my oldest brother's hand moves toward Meyer’s.

“Nox! Let me help. I can't heal her, but I have the magic to help sustain hers while you do! Her soul is still there. She still has a chance, but it’s too much for you alone!” Jesthren growls back, but I’m already shaking my head.

He can’t touch her! I don't trust him. Jesthren is not safe.

“Lennox, please!” Creed croaks out, his hand tightening on Meyer’s, looking at me with devastation clear on his face. Meyer’s death will break him. I almost lost him to the guilt of Archer’s death. The nightmares that haunted him, the darkness that clung to his normally bright soul had almost taken forever for him to recover from. I can’t pull him back from the edge again if we lose Meyer.

My eyes move to Valen, watching as he breaks down, not paying us any attention as he whispers soft words into Meyer’s unhearing ears. Razar moves closer, and I look at him, noting how he’s still looking at the girl in my arms, still watching… always watching her. I don’t think he’s blinked once since I took Meyer from his arms. Her blood coats his bare chest, and my eyes widen when I see his hands shaking at his side.

He’s losing control.

“Please,” Jesthren begs, his dark eyes moving from me to Valen, his worry for our brother palpable as he slowly reaches for Meyer again. I snarl in frustration, shoving my magic into every fucking molecule of my Little Demon, and feel a slight burst of warmth, the tiniest flicker of a heartbeat, and my eyes widen, hope filling me as I growl, looking at my oldest brother. My nemesis… my enemy. A man I wanted to trust for so long, but knew it would never happen. He’s caused me so much pain already, and the thought of trusting him with the most valuable soul I have in my life physically pains me. I never thought Iwould care about something over my hatred for him, but here she is. The person I apparently will do the impossible for.

“Don’t make me regret this,” I grind out, nodding my agreement, my desperation to save Meyer outweighing everything else.

“I won’t,” Jesthren rasps, slapping his hand on Meyer as he shoves Valen off her, earning himself a terrifying growl from our brother’s Shade form. I yank Meyer close and turn so Jesthren has better access to her cold skin. “Do whatever you have to to get her back,” Jesthren commands, and I nod.

At least in this, we can agree.

At my nod, Jesthren’s glowing, flickering crimson magic seeps into Meyer, flaring brightly alongside mine, and I close my eyes, reaching into the very center of this girl, searching for her. I don’t care what she wants or if she’s mad when she wakes up. Because I already know she will be. She fights me at every turn, refuses my commands, and demands my attention. And that’s fine. Meyer can hate me… so long as she’s alive to do it. I’ll go straight into the fiery pits of Hell and force this woman to come back with me at this point. I don’t care what laws I break or who I have to kill to do it.

Meyer is mine, and I refuse to let her go.

TWO

Meyer

Iwince as small snowflakes fall onto my face, startling me awake and making me sit up with a start. My head spins, my stomach turning as I bring a shaking hand up to my throbbing temple and groan as I look around the frozen landscape. Everything is hazy like I’m looking into a pond and watching the events play out underwater.

“Where the hell am I?” The taste of blood is thick in my throat, and there is a slight breeze in the air around me. The sun is shining, making the small layer of snow on the ground glimmer like tiny diamonds as I push to my feet, wincing as my body cries out in agony with every move. The stupid blue slippers are back on my feet, and I groan, fisting the silk of my blue gown when I realize I’m stuck in a dream. My back lights up with a stabbing pain that tears a small scream from my lips. My legs sway, and my knees threaten to buckle, but I manage to stay on my feet as I slowly turn in a circle, taking in my surroundings and freezing when my vision finally focuses.

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