Page 51 of Alien Knight Blind Date Disaster

“Falden Corshival,” he said brusquely.

“Scanning,” said the voice. A blue sheet of light panned Falden from head to toe.

“Artifact?” asked the voice.

“Lumerian Orb.”

“Retrieving,” said the voice.

Falden waited impatiently for the orb to materialize, appearing first as a tiny pebble, then expanded until it fit perfectly into his hand. The inside of the crystal swirled mysteriously with sparkling silver and gray mist. He watched as the orb levitated from his open palm, expanding in size until the silver light encompassed Isabella’s entire being inside its frigid interior, before stepping through the light to join her. Their warm breath crystallized and mixed with the swirling mist as they exhaled. All the noises from outside the orb were muted. Far away.

Taking a drop of his own blood, he smeared it over the blue crystal embedded in his sword, then smeared a drop of Isabella’s blood directly over his before slamming the sword, tip down, into the center of the orb. Immediately the cold air inside the orb crackled with electricity. The hair on their bodies stood on end.

“Isabella,” Falden whispered gently. “This will link our life forces. I can only hope that you will choose me as I have chosen you. If not, we will both die here today. You are my heart. My soul. My existence.”

Falden placed his lips gently to hers, kissing her sweetly before lying down next to her. He took her hand, linking their fingers. “My Bella. Can you hear me?”

Slowly her eyes drifted open, full of pain. “I’m dying,” she croaked.

“Then we die together.” Falden squeezed her hand. “You used the maju paste, didn’t you?”

Her nod was barely perceivable. “I’m sorry.”

Falden cleared his throat, emotion choking him for the first time in thousands of years. “Maju paste or not, I choose you, my Bella. Your body is changing. Becoming more like mine. Lumerian. You will need an anchor for your power. I don’t have time to fully explain, but you will die without one. I would be that anchor for you, if you’ll have me.”

“How long?” she asked, coughing up blood.

“Forever. I would be yours forever, just as you would belong to me. Forever.”

Isabella nodded. “But…”

Falden raised their joined hands to his lips and kissed her softly. “I love you, my Bella. Please. Stay with me.”

She turned her head to face him, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes before flowing, unchecked, toward the floor. “Yes.”

He would have sighed in relief or leaped with joy, but her grip was weak, fading. “We must go through a Lumerian Yielding. We may both die if it doesn’t work. Isabella, you must yield all that you are to me—your heart, your mind, your soul, your life—and I must do the same for you. Together, we become something stronger. Good or bad, it’s forever. Do you understand? We live together. Die together.”

Isabella nodded. Yes. She wanted that. His words, his love would sustain her through this life or the next. She didn’t believe him. She knew she was dying. Her heart stuttered, fighting to beat. Her chest hurt. She could barely breathe, every bit of fresh air a struggle to claim and release. She was tired. So damn tired. Everything hurt.

“Are you hurt?” She knew he was bleeding, had seen the creature strike at him over and over, but he seemed to move like water. Fast. A storm on two feet. He had injuries, but that wasn’t what she was asking.

“I will heal. Do not waste time worrying about me.”

“Matthew?” The boy, her boy. Her little brother. Well, he wasn’t technically hers, but she’d claimed him, so he was hers now.

Falden’s gaze, already softer than she had ever seen it, deepened as he looked at her, wrapped his fingers tightly around hers and squeezed. “He is fine. He is with my Knights.”

“Knights.” How romantic. She was like a queen now, dying and bleeding in the final scene of a soap opera, a roomful of Knights wearing swords and armor standing around as if she were the most important person in the world.

“Bella. Listen to me. Stay with me.”

I already said yes.

“Bella?” Falden pulled her into his lap. She was not moving. Barely breathing. Her eyelids fluttered as the sound of battle dimmed around them, then faded to silence.

A shift in his field of vision and Falden looked up to see Dagan kneeling just beyond the silver sphere. “Do it now, Falden. She’s dying.” He lifted a vial. “I have maju water, but it won't be enough to save her if she won’t yield to you now.”

Falden understood. The maju water would heal her, but only if he could keep her alive long enough for the healing elements in the water and the crystal remnants running around in her body to do their jobs.

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