“But Silas took her head. If she’s not dead, then she’ll need that. Shit, the first woman you’ve ever had feelings for, and I… I’m such a shithead. I’m sorry, Dante.”

“Sorry won’t bring her back.” Moisture welled in my eyes as my throat threatened to close over.

“I’ll get her head. I know where Silas is.”

“Do you think he’d go back to where you found him knowing I’m after him?”

“No, but I might pick up his trail.” To punctuate his point, he lifted his nose and inhaled deeply, his chest expanding as his nostrils flared.

“Asher, stay out of this. You’ve done enough.”

“I want to help you.”

I firmed my lips into a tight line. There was no point standing here arguing with my brother. What was donewas done. I needed to fix it. Fix Isabel. Bring her back and end Silas for good. Could vampires survive without a head?

“Dante?”

I turned and walked back inside the castle grounds. Asher followed me. I couldn’t tell him to leave. He was my brother, and he’d thought he was helping, but it stung that he never asked me what I wanted before acting. My steps grew less sure as I got closer to Isabel’s headless body. I sucked in a deep breath through my teeth steadying myself for the brutal impact of seeing her bleeding to death.

Except there was no puddle of blood. I kneeled at her shoulders. The wound across her neck had sealed as though her skin had grown over the cut and sealed the blood inside her. Did that mean I could save her?

Chapter twenty-one

Dante

Asher let out a low whistle. “Do you think we can do that?”

“Do you want me to chop your head off so we can see?” I raised my eyes, glaring at my brother with all the loathing I had for him for taking Isabel away from me.

“Whoa. I understand you’re angry, but do you want to kill me?”

I turned my attention back to Isabel. What should I do with her body while I hunted Silas? She needed to be somewhere safe. I guess now the curse had lifted, the castle wouldn’t turn her into a ghost. Her bedroom had a killer pet raven. She’d be a good watchguardover her body. Should I roll her up on the rug in case she turned into a ghost again?

“Dante?”

“What? No. Sorry, I was trying to figure out what to do with Isabel’s body while we get her head.” I rubbed a hand over my mouth. “I can’t believe I said that.”

“Does she have a coffin you can put her in?”

“A coffin?” I spluttered.

“Isn’t that what they sleep in?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. It was always night during the curse, and we were always awake.”

“Didn’t you get tired? It’s been months since I left you here.”

“Months?” I leaped to my feet. “So much time, yet we never slept or ate. The curse must have placed us in some sort of time bubble.”

“Silas is one powerful warlock. Everywhere I asked after him the people acted so afraid, but they were more afraid of me when I shifted into a monster.”

“We’re not monsters.”

“Werewolf. Same thing.”

“Have you met a monster?”

“No.”