Page 62 of Flirting with Darkness

Death stopped. Turned back to me.

For a moment, I stood between them both. Vale, and death.

Do you want this?

I forced my eyes open.

“Quickly, Lilith.” Vale’s voice was urgent, rough with almost-tears. “Do you want this?”

I wanted life.

I wanted time.

“Yes,” I choked, as death grabbed my hand.

I felt a sharp pain at my throat as the scent of dead roses overwhelmed me.

Somewhere in a world far away, my body writhed, lungs fighting for another gulp of air.

I balked. Death tightened its hold on me.

You have waited for this for so long,it told me, frustrated.

Something hot filled my mouth, pooled in my throat. Sweet, with a bitter bite.

I choked on it, sputtered.

“Drink,” a familiar voice commanded—begged.

Muscles that I barely controlled swallowed. Death tasted like rose petals. It dribbled down my chin, pooling in dusty earth.

Death’s empty eyes stared at me, its hand clutching mine.

I want to stay,I said.

You can’t.

I need to stay.

I yanked my hand away from death’s grip. Turned away from the field of flowers.

And I drew in a great gasp of air.

Vale held me tight to his chest, cradled in his arms, forehead to mine. There were tears in his eyes and blood on his lips.

“I want to stay,” I choked out.

“I know,” he whispered, as his mouth lowered to mine, and I faded away there in his arms, surrounded by withering roses.

PARTVI

THE SIXTH ROSE

24

Amillion dreams consumed me. Dreams of my mother, my father. Dreams of Mina. Dreams of dusty skin on rickety floorboards. Dreams of amber eyes and silver wings.

I dreamed of mundane days and torrid nights. I dreamed of a body pressing me to a silk-sheeted bed. I dreamed of needles and vials and flower petals on a wall.

---