Page 42 of Kiss the Dawn
Her eyes widened. “No.” She tried to break free of his grip. “Zarin, you promised that you would never?—”
“Sleep and forget.”
Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she dropped, but Brennan caught her and carried her out of view. Zarin retreated, and for a moment it was just me and the dark-haired guy.
“What’s your name?”
“Sten,” he said.
“Look, Sten. I have people I love waiting for me. I have a life. Please, don’t take it away from me.”
“I’m sorry. I truly am.” He walked away.
No. No, no, no.
“Argh!” I strained against the straps, tears burning my eyes. “Fucking let me go, you bastards!”
Zarin returned holding up a syringe filled with green fluid. He flicked it to dispel the bubbles—ironic, considering his goal was to kill me.
Oh fuck, he was about to kill me. “What is that?”
“I call it rest in peace,” he said. “You’ll fall asleep and not wake up. I would have given it to you while you were unconscious, but it wasn’t quite ready.”
A weight sat on my chest, a fist around my heart and another at my throat as I pushed out the words to beg for my life.
“Please don’t do this. If Loviator goes free, your wards won’t matter. She’s a goddess. A fucking goddess.”
“Zarin…” Brennan said from across the room. “Maybe we?—”
“Enough!” Zarin rolled up my sleeve. “This is how it must be. We can worry about Loviator when she breaks free.Ifshe breaks free.”
“She will. Without me, she will.”
He grabbed my arm.
“Stop! Don’t!” I thrashed as best I could, but the bindings were too firm, and without my blessing or my darkness, I was powerless.
The needle bit into my skin, cold and deadly, and an eerie calm settled over me. Because there was nothing I could do. No escape. I was going to die here. I wasn’t ready. I didn’t want this. “Please, don’t…” My vision blurred, throat tightening.
“I’m sorry.” He squeezed my arm, and I anticipated the rush of ice or heat or whatever he was about to plunge into my veins, but it didn’t come. Instead, he jolted straight with a shocked cry, then went flying out of view.
The other guys exclaimed in shock, then fell silent.
“Orina!” Lorenzo appeared above me, his silver eyes bright with the residue of magic. “I’ve got you.”
“Oh, Gods above,” Frederick said from somewhere out of view. “Guard, take them in.”
The clatter of boots filled the room.
The cavalry was here, but I had eyes only for Lorenzo as he undid my neck strap, then freed my wrists.
He was here. I was safe. I was free. “Oh God.” I choked back a sob and wrapped my arms around his neck, squeezing him to me.
He hugged me tightly, whispering words I couldn’t decipher. And I breathed with him, matching my heartbeat to his until the horror and the residue of terror melted away.
Finally, he pulled away slightly, his face still close, his breath mingling with mine. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you. I failed.”
“No. You came for me. You found me.” I grazed his lips with mine, wanting to feel him tofeellife.
