Page 6 of Chosen, Eternally
“But you’d still be alive if we never had them. If we hadn’t been there, if we’d just stayed home that night?—”
“Then there’s a chance we might’ve never admitted how we felt. And it would’ve meant never having that pure moment of joy. Would you have been able to give it up?”
I swallow thickly, my eyes welling with tears even in my imagination. “I don’t know. Maybe? So long as it meant you were alive.”
James brings his lips to my ear, his hand raising goosebumps over my skin as he trails his fingers up and down my exposed back.
“I’m still alive. I will always be alive, so long as you continue to live on.”
I open my eyes to come back to reality, tears streaming down my cheeks, a hole in my chest yawning open—bigger than the Grand Canyon.
No matter what imaginary James says, my love is gone. The vampires took him away. And nothing will ever change that.
Slowly, I get to my feet in the tub and wave the stars and moonlight away with a sweep of my right hand, summoning a towel with my left.
Fantasy over—it’s time to get back to reality.
Iwalk around Gallow’s Hill, the gravel crunching beneath my favorite Doc Martens combats, where victims of the Trials are buried in an unmarked mass grave at the base—one of Salem’s most famous, after-hours tourist spots, and consequently one of the vamps’ favorite hunting grounds.
Mind spinning, I think back to my time with James. How much of it I wasted on my insecurities, on fear. I would vow to never let it happen again, but I don’t plan on falling in love with anyone else. Ever. I have enough self-awareness to know that I won’t get another love like that. Won’t even open myself up to the possibility of it all. But this whole heartbreak has taught me to never let fear stand in the way of what’s important. What needs to be done. What isright.
Maybe if I’d been brave enough to stand up to The Society, I would’ve rejected the role of Chosen Protector for Salem, and James and I would’ve been too busy in Asia, having fun and falling deeper in love, to put ourselves in such a dangerous position. We would’ve never encountered the vampires.
Or maybe, if I’d been less scared, I would’ve accepted the role sooner, gone through the ceremony earlier, and had a boost inpowers that would’ve definitely let us get away scot free from these supernatural killers.
Either way, he’d still be alive today.
You live and you learn. But James didn’t. And the vampires won’t. Because I’m not going to stop until they’re all dead and out of my city. Even if Noah Cooke wins the election and decides to shut magic down. Even if he restarts the modern-day version of the Salem Witch Trials. I won’t leave. I will never abandon the people of Salem.
Just when I’m neck deep in vampire murder fantasies, I hear a branch creak behind me. Immediately, adrenaline shoots through my veins, the hairs on the back of my neck rising as my body—and magic—prepare themselves for a fight.
“Here we go,” I whisper to myself, getting into position, my long, black leather jacket swishing with the movement.
Looking around, I do my best to find the origin of the sound. Any normal human would think it was innocuous—a fox hunting a mouse, or a bird flying from one branch to another—but I can feel it in my gut: vampires are in the vicinity. More than one, if my powers are correct.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, concentrating. Three—no,fourvamps?They’re close and getting closer. But I’m ready for them. Ready to take them on.
These days, taking on four vampires feels like a piece of cake. Though they physically outnumber me, their numbers aren’t quite enough to overwhelm me into a loss—not without some luck on their end, at least. Even if some have been carrying firearms lately.
Behind me, someone gasps. I turn in place, the end of my high ponytail whipping my cheek. Though I barely notice, because standing across from me is none other than the man who’s starred in every single one of my dreams since his supposed death.
“James,” I murmur.
His slumped figure is held up by two vampires, each hoisting him by an arm on either side. A third vampire stands beside them, his lips covered in a red liquid.
My nostrils flare at the scent of blood—James’s blood.
It’s clear from the expressions on their faces that none of them thought they would encounter me tonight. Terror. Fear. They know exactly who I am, and they know they’re about to die.
“The Protector,” one of them speaks, her voice shaken, yet full of awe.
In this moment, I have no idea what’s going on. The image before me leaves me reeling for a moment—but only a short one, because, despite not knowing the details, one thing is for sure: James is alive, he’shere, and he’s in trouble.
Beat vampires to a pulp first, ask questions later,I tell myself.
And that’s exactly what I do. I whip my jacket off my shoulders, the cold air biting at my exposed skin, but not distracting enough to pull me away from the task at hand.
I pull my hands to my chest, invoking a Fire Shower spell, a ball of heat and bright orange light building between my palms. After a second, I release it in their direction, the ball splitting into smaller, yet deadly, licks of fire. Each one hits the three vampires squarely in the chest, digging into their clothes until they reach their hearts. In seconds, they scream out in pain and fall to the ground, orange flames enveloping them until they turn to dust.
