Heartless Hunter (Crimson Moth, #1) (106)
Gideon stepped in front of Laila, shielding her from the bullet. “You’ll find there are a lot of us who’d choose death over cowering before you again, Cress.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Fair enough,” she said, aiming her pistol at his chest.
Gideon waited for the bullet. Welcoming it. He hoped death would come swiftly.
Except the bullet never came.
When the gun went off, his brother stepped in front of it.
SIXTY
GIDEON
“NO!”
Alex staggered back at the impact. Gideon heard Rune scream. Alex swayed and turned to look at his brother.
Their eyes met.
The blood was already blooming across his chest.
“No no no …”
The entire square disappeared as Alex came into sharp focus. His chin tipped downward to look at the red stain soaking quickly through his white shirt. He touched it with his fingers, realization dawning.
Gideon started toward his little brother. Needing to catch him before he fell. Before his eyes went as blank as Nicolas’s.
Please, no. You’re all I have left …
SIXTY-ONE
RUNE
A SCREAM TORE OUT of Rune’s throat as she watched Cressida raise the gun and pull the trigger. She’d been so consumed by Gideon in the line of fire that she hadn’t seen Alex step forward until it was too late.
“ALEX!” Gideon bellowed.
Rune felt her heart fall out of her chest.
This was a living nightmare.
Gideon was already moving toward his brother. But Rune was much closer. When Alex’s legs buckled beneath him, it was Rune who was there to catch him.
Her arms clasped around his waist, sinking beneath his weight. His eyes fixed on her face as the blood seeped through his shirt, the stain growing wider by the second.
“Rune,” he whispered as she lowered him to the ground. “Do me a favor? Tell my brother I love him.”
Her eyes burned. She shook her head, cradling him against her. “You can tell him yourself.”
The sudden sound of guns going off, of bullets whizzing overhead, made Rune look up. She heard shouting and boots thudding in unison. Saw a sea of red uniforms flood the square.
The Blood Guard army had arrived. Alongside trained soldiers marched average citizens, advancing toward the witches. There had to be thousands of them. Merchants and dockworkers. Mothers and sons. Patriots who would rather risk their lives than see the Reign of Witches resurrected.
They were swarming the square. Surrounding the witches.
We’re done for.
Rune glanced at Cressida, whose face had gone white, her mouth a grim line.
“What’s happening?” asked Alex.
“This is the end,” said Rune. “It’s all over.”
Alex lifted his hand to her face, bringing her attention back to him.
“I want you to do one last thing for me.”
Rune pulled him tighter, closer. As if her embrace alone could stem Death’s tide. “Hush. Don’t tax yourself.” She would hold on to him until they killed her and pried him out of her cold, lifeless arms.
He lifted his other hand toward her, cradling her face now as warm blood seeped out of his chest wound, soaking Rune’s clothes and pooling onto the stones. “I don’t have long. But you … you have a whole life ahead of you. Rune. I want you to live it.”
She closed her eyes. “It doesn’t matter now.” She lowered her lips to his hair. Even if they could survive this, she’d lost everything. Everyone knew what she was. Gideon wanted her dead. And now Alex …
“I’m begging you, Rune. Save yourself.”
She shook her head. The acrid smell of gunpowder burned in the air once more. Any moment, the Blood Guard would start picking them off one by one. Cressida was powerful, but she couldn’t single-handedly stop an army aided by thousands of determined patriots.
Her eyes were still closed when Alex took her hand in his and pressed her palm to his chest, where the bullet had gone in. His blood was warm and wet beneath her skin.
“I’m giving you permission.”
Her eyes fluttered open. What?
“You’ve only ever cast small spells and illusions because you’ve never had enough fresh blood to do more.”
Her brows knit. “What are you saying?”
“Use my blood. I won’t require it much longer.” He smiled, a little sadly. “Take as much of it as you need.”
“I … I can’t.” But she could, and they both knew it. Magic only corrupted a witch if blood was taken against someone’s will. “Even if I could, what would be the point?”
His eyes dimmed.
“The point is to live,” he said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. “The point is to let me give you this one small thing, because I couldn’t give you the rest.”
Rune touched her forehead to his, her chin quivering.
“Promise me my death isn’t for nothing, Rune. Tell me you’ll use it to save yourself.”
She shook her head no.
“Please.”
Rune squeezed her eyes shut, knowing it was selfish to refuse him. If their positions were reversed, she’d be begging him to do the same.