Page 155 of Savage Blood
“You’re my real target.” She stepped closer, her gun trained on me. “I can’t let you live with that power inside of you, but I could never get near you with Fane alive.”
My heart caved in on itself as hot tears leaked down my cheeks, no doubt streaking the blood. “You could have used the bullets on Barric!”
“I could only create two bullets. If I killed Barric, there was still a good chance you would have taken the amulet. This was my backup plan, the only way to stop you once you reunited with the amulet.” Coltrane shrugged. “You can’t be allowed to live.”
“So you just gave up your fight for the amulet and decided to destroy it?” The hatred pouring through my veins was enough to blind me, turning my vision hazy red.
Coltrane sighed. “The amulet is gone.Youare that power. And it’s my duty to stop the evil in this world, no matter what.”
“Open her up, twist her brain, eat her screams, and devour her pleas.” The frantic shake of my head sent my hair that had fallen out of my braid flying. “I don’t need to touch you to do it. I can pry you apart and suck out your innards from where I sit.”
Her lips thinned. “Do you not understand my motives? Listen to yourself, Tate. You sound mad already, and it will only worsen.”
“Don’t listen to her, Tate,” Fane sputtered, blood gliding down his chin. “You are in control now. And you aren’t evil. You’re the most beautiful creature in this entire fucking world.”
My bottom lip quivered as I peered down at him. “I’ve done so much bad, though.”
He shook his head. “The good you’ve done outweighs any of the bad. You don’t need redeeming, fiera mika. You are the one always saving everyone else.”
“That will change now.” Coltrane’s finger rested on the trigger, poised to shoot me.
Could I stop her before she got off the shot?
As Fane trembled in my arms, coughing up blood, fucking dying, did I really want to stop her? I couldn’t live without him. How long would I even survive?
Something whizzed through the air. An arrow pierced Coltrane’s hand, forcing the gun to fall from her grasp.
“No!” she hissed.
Before she could scramble for the gun, another arrow sped across the room and sank into her chest.
Into her heart.
“I won’t allow you to hurt anyone else.” Hawk moved across the room, holding a crossbow, prepared to shoot his aunt again.
Coltrane collapsed, blood spurting from her mouth. “H-How could you choose them over family?”
“You might have raised me, Aunt Anna, buttheyare family.” The hard look in Hawk’s eyes sent frost down every vertebra. “Blood doesn’t matter.”
She gave him a scornful look. “They’re part demons. Did you forget demons killed your parents?”
“How many innocent ravens have you killed pursuing the amulet? How many times did you sacrifice their safety for your obsession?” His boots stopped a few inches from her. “Youare the evil one, Aunt Anna. Not them.”
Coltrane’s hands fell away as the life drained out of her. “Your parents would be so disappointed.”
Hawk’s bitter laugh echoed. “They would be proud of me for climbing my way out of that dark hole and coming out on the right side.”
As he watched Hawk’s aunt take her last few breaths, I returned to Fane, his glassy gaze staring up at mine.
“I’m so glad I found you, fiera mika.” A faint smile curved his bloody mouth. “Warin would have liked you.”
And then his eyelids fluttered closed.
Panic gripped my heart. “Fane!”
I shook him. And shook him.
But he wouldn’t wake up.
