screamed in frustration. He knew begging for my life would be more likely to end it than if he remained silent, but he seemed unable to stop himself.
I lay my hand upon his chest, tracing the pale scars Serina's nails had left behind. He stilled beneath my hand, his eyes burning with emotion and desire. I'd never had such freedom to touch him before and despite the situation at hand, I reveled in the opportunity to demonstrate my love for him through touch. A tiny smile lifted my lips before I brushed them over Mathias' forehead, lips and neck. "I love you," I whispered.
"As I do you, my sun," he said. His voice held the tone I had hated from the first moment I'd heard it in his home when he'd told me he was a vampire. The joyful, loving tone I lived for had been replaced with the resignation I knew meant he had lost his hope. Rather than attempt to give it back to him, I turned my back to the man who held my heart and faced death with all the strength I possessed.
"Take me instead," I said, ignoring the cry of anguish from Mathias. "Think of the exquisite torture that would be, Serina. I won't live long without Mathias. I can't. Even if I lived my entire life, it would still be only the blink of an eye for you. Mathias' suffering would be eternal."
"Mairin, no!" Mathias screamed. "I forbid it. You will not do this."
I glanced over my shoulder. "Shut up," I said, smiling. I turned back to Serina. "I will lay down for you. Give you my life without struggle. I will offer you the blood I could not...would not give to Mathias. You will conquer us both and have the rest of eternity to watch him suffer."
Serina's smile was chilling and I suppressed a shudder. "Your human pet is most devious, Mathias. Are you sure she loves you? It would seem she is willing to let you live an eternity in pain so she does not have to suffer your loss."
I refused to turn to see Mathias' expression. He would forgive me when this was over. I had to believe that. "A world in which Mathias doesn't exist is a world in which I cannot live. I do this for his life, and mine."
"Intriguing," Serina said, circling me slowly. "You would bend to me. Give to me the blood you withhold from Mathias. Do all this where he can see, just so he can live?"
"Yes."
She laughed, a cold, brittle sound that made the hair on my neck stand up. "I accept." she said, pointing to the floor in front of her. "Kneel."
"I ask only one thing from you before I keep my word," I said, bowing my head modestly.
"What?" Serina's tone was suspicious.
"I wish only one kiss to say my goodbyes," I begged.
Serina considered my request. "A little sweetener to the blood is always wonderful," she mused. "The goodbye should be amusing and agony is always so sweet." She gestured dismissively toward Mathias. "You may kiss your lover."
"Mairin, I won't let you do this," Mathias protested. "Just go. Let me go." He continued to struggle against the chains. I could see the frustration and anger in the set of his jaw. He wasn't used to being helpless.
I lay my index finger on his lips, silencing him. "I love you," I said. I grasped his face between my palms and kissed his forehead and both eyes. "You are my heart, my life, my mourning sun." I lay my lips against his as I had countless times before, softly, pliantly and his were soft beneath mine. There was a sweetness to this bare touching of lips that had never been there before. Always before I had longed for more. This time I knew I would simply take it. Before I could change my mind, I plunged my tongue into his mouth, purposefully sweeping it along his razor-sharp teeth. Hot, coppery blood slipped down my tongue and onto his. I swallowed convulsively to keep from filling his mouth with my blood. Mathias' eyes flew wide and I saw the hunger, the thirst rise in them. He pulled against the chains, desperate to undo what I had done. The silver smoked and dug deeper into his flesh. I lay my hand over his wrists, stilling his frantic
I lay my hand upon his chest, tracing the pale scars Serina's nails had left behind. He stilled beneath my hand, his eyes burning with emotion and desire. I'd never had such freedom to touch him before and despite the situation at hand, I reveled in the opportunity to demonstrate my love for him through touch. A tiny smile lifted my lips before I brushed them over Mathias' forehead, lips and neck. "I love you," I whispered.
"As I do you, my sun," he said. His voice held the tone I had hated from the first moment I'd heard it in his home when he'd told me he was a vampire. The joyful, loving tone I lived for had been replaced with the resignation I knew meant he had lost his hope. Rather than attempt to give it back to him, I turned my back to the man who held my heart and faced death with all the strength I possessed.
"Take me instead," I said, ignoring the cry of anguish from Mathias. "Think of the exquisite torture that would be, Serina. I won't live long without Mathias. I can't. Even if I lived my entire life, it would still be only the blink of an eye for you. Mathias' suffering would be eternal."
"Mairin, no!" Mathias screamed. "I forbid it. You will not do this."
I glanced over my shoulder. "Shut up," I said, smiling. I turned back to Serina. "I will lay down for you. Give you my life without struggle. I will offer you the blood I could not...would not give to Mathias. You will conquer us both and have the rest of eternity to watch him suffer."
Serina's smile was chilling and I suppressed a shudder. "Your human pet is most devious, Mathias. Are you sure she loves you? It would seem she is willing to let you live an eternity in pain so she does not have to suffer your loss."
I refused to turn to see Mathias' expression. He would forgive me when this was over. I had to believe that. "A world in which Mathias doesn't exist is a world in which I cannot live. I do this for his life, and mine."
"Intriguing," Serina said, circling me slowly. "You would bend to me. Give to me the blood you withhold from Mathias. Do all this where he can see, just so he can live?"
"Yes."
She laughed, a cold, brittle sound that made the hair on my neck stand up. "I accept." she said, pointing to the floor in front of her. "Kneel."
"I ask only one thing from you before I keep my word," I said, bowing my head modestly.
"What?" Serina's tone was suspicious.
"I wish only one kiss to say my goodbyes," I begged.
Serina considered my request. "A little sweetener to the blood is always wonderful," she mused. "The goodbye should be amusing and agony is always so sweet." She gestured dismissively toward Mathias. "You may kiss your lover."
"Mairin, I won't let you do this," Mathias protested. "Just go. Let me go." He continued to struggle against the chains. I could see the frustration and anger in the set of his jaw. He wasn't used to being helpless.
I lay my index finger on his lips, silencing him. "I love you," I said. I grasped his face between my palms and kissed his forehead and both eyes. "You are my heart, my life, my mourning sun." I lay my lips against his as I had countless times before, softly, pliantly and his were soft beneath mine. There was a sweetness to this bare touching of lips that had never been there before. Always before I had longed for more. This time I knew I would simply take it. Before I could change my mind, I plunged my tongue into his mouth, purposefully sweeping it along his razor-sharp teeth. Hot, coppery blood slipped down my tongue and onto his. I swallowed convulsively to keep from filling his mouth with my blood. Mathias' eyes flew wide and I saw the hunger, the thirst rise in them. He pulled against the chains, desperate to undo what I had done. The silver smoked and dug deeper into his flesh. I lay my hand over his wrists, stilling his frantic
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