I didnt stop to check or pause to rejoice. Stel a was dead, but it wasnt her life I was concerned with, it was the man who gave meaning to why I was fighting. Wil iam and John werent in the back corner theyd been in just a minute ago and as I scanned the room, I found it emptying. Emptying quickly. Some of Johns men were throwing looks over their shoulders back at me, some glancing at the more pressing threat, Paul barreling after the herd of men exiting the room.
The room was stil , eerily stil . Other than Pauls hol ering dimming as he continued his pursuit out of the doors, there was no other noise. Panic gripped me, so intense it overtook the rage keeping my gift at the surface.
Wil iam? I cal ed out, scrambling towards the corner Id last seen him. Wil iam”answer me! I hol ered, panic and desperation weaving together to create something truly overwhelming.
Im here, Bryn, he answered, his voice tight and low.
I scrambled towards his voice, skidding to my knees when I found him on his knees behind one of the marble pil ars supporting the mezzanine above. I crawled up next to him, taking in nothing but him, searching every inch to find whatever John had done to him to bring him to this fatigued position.
Im fine, my love, he assured, letting his eyes settle on me before they closed in concentration.
Whats the matter? I asked, doing another scan of his body.
If anyone ever asks, I was not your strength instructor, okay? Patricks voice cal ed out across from Wil iam. I let my gaze shift from him for the first time since finding him. Patrick was across from Wil iam, also on his knees, his face lined in concentration save for the eyes that were narrowed in mock accusation. Always mind your surroundings, he re-quoted to me, pointing his eyes to the floor. Or what, or who, is crippled and dying at your feet.
My eyes fol owed his, right into a sapphire set that were so dark they were almost black. I shuddered as I took them in at such close proximity.
John was supine on the floor, eyes and body losing purchase on Immortality as Wil iam and Patrick quivered in their efforts of drawing it from him.
John was close to taking his last glare, but Wil iam and Patrick looked nearly just as close. Id never seen either one of them so weak and straining with effort. Sweat wasnt just beading across their skin, it was dripping from it as it looked like it took every last reserve of strength to stay upright on their knees.
Let me finish him, I said, readying my hand over John, waiting for them to release their grips. I wasnt going to chance my current flowing from John into them if they were stil adhered to him.
Wil iam shook his head once. No. I promised that hed never touch you again, he said, his teeth gritted. Its a promise I intend to keep. Let us finish this.
His words touched me, but he was also being ridiculous, risking his and Patricks life when I could end this with a brush of my hand. I have the same right as you to finish John Townsend, I argued.
You have a right, but not the same right as I do, Wil iam answered, his face wincing further.
Oh, real y? I asked, about to force him and Patrick away if it came to it.
Real y, Wil iam said. John Townsend has terrorized, kidnapped, beat, and tried to kil my Betrothed, he said, grimacing from the pain or his words I wasnt sure. Im claiming my right as a husband right now.
Husband? I said, something of a smile forming in the midst of it al .
Maybe not at this exact moment, but later today. His eyes moved to mine, like they were fighting an army to get there.
I met them, locking his to mine. I need you alive, upright, and . . . eager if Im going to become your wife tonight, I said, wanting to put Townsend Manor in our rearview mirror for the rest of our lives, ripping it off and pitching it out the window so we wouldnt have to look back. So step aside and let me finish this business, I begged, watching his shoulders crumple forward.
I watched his mouth open, in objection I was sure, but before it could be verbalized, Johns voice hissed through his clenched jaw. Youl . . . never
. . . win, his voice dimmed, his head fal ing to the side as a whisper capped his last words, chosen one.
Something in similar noise to a sonic boom rumbled the room, flinging the three of us back. I landed on my back, aching, stil dotted with shards of crystal, and relieved. John Townsend was dead. The only place Id have to fear for seeing him again was in my nightmares, but something about the calm I felt trickling into my veins told me he had died there too.
Am I dead? Patricks voice muttered.
I dont know, Wil iam answered. Am I?
You certainly look like it, his brother answered, laughing a strained one as he sat up and took a survey of the room. Someone mind tel ing me what the hel just happened?
Sitting up, I crawled over to Wil iam, stil laying flat over the floor.
Bryn, are you alright? he cal ed out, lifting his head to find me.
Mm-hmmm, I answered, crawling over him until I was settled right above his face. More than alright. I wanted to kiss him in the worst way, but I wanted to scold him worse yet. What in the world were you thinking doing that with just the two of you? You could have been kil ed, I said, smiling through what Id intended to be a lecture.
Wil iams arms circled around me, col apsing me down to his chest. I knew we had it covered, he answered, lifting his head up to kiss me, but I pul ed back. Perhaps that one defensive move had been the most monumental Id made today.
Patrick huffed. Im glad you were so confident. I thought I was going to die. I stil feel like I might, he said, examining himself. He looked marginal y worse than Wil iam. After sucking that mans life away, I feel dirty. Dirty as in I need a scalding hot shower and pumice stone dirty.
I glanced over at him, aware that Wil iams mouth was tempting me an inch away. You are dirty, I said, inspecting him. And you do need a shower. Why dont you go take care of that? I said, hinting at the door.
Im not moving until someone carries me out, he said, flopping back down on the floor dramatical y.
Have it your way, I said, shrugging. Dont mind us. Sliding my fingers down the sides of Wil iams neck, I gripped what remained of his dress shirt.
Pul ing it to me, his head lifted from the floor, his lips responding to my subtle message. I kissed him, he kissed me, we kissed each other . . . we consumed each other. There was nothing like narrowly missing death to make you feel alive. To make you want to do everything youd always wanted to do.
You do realize you can get a girl pregnant kissing her like that, right, Wil iam? Patrick said, turning his back to us.
Wil iam didnt respond, but I wasnt the saint he was. Its a good thing Im on a fail-proof form of birth control known as Immortality then, I shot over at Patrick, silencing him . . . for awhile.
I turned my attention back to the man sprawled out beneath me. Did you mean it when you said youl be my husband today? I asked, my mouth leaving his to trail down his neck.
Did you mean it when you smiled your consent? he replied, happy and breathless.
Looks like today it is, I said, part of me wanting to pul him from the floor and find the nearest officiant we could and part of me wanting to keep him pinned to the floor like this. I dont have anything to wear, but the shredded, stinky pajamas hanging from my body.
His mouth slid outside my ear. I dont mind. It wil make them that much easier to remove. I gulped, but I wasnt half-paralyzed with fear like Id been at the Betrothal. I wasnt any more convinced that Id be a competent and satisfying lover, but I could figure it out. As much practice as it took. I dont have anything to wear either, but Il have the one thing worth wearing by the end of the day. His forehead slid over mine, pressing his eyes into mine. You on my arm.
Patrick let out a note of laugher. And by that you mean, you in my bed, he stated, making a face as he mimicked Wil iams voice.
No, thats what you mean, Wil iam replied patiently. I mean, you on my arm, he repeated to me, his voice bursting with happiness.
Do you think its safe to go out there? Patrick asked, lifting his head from the floor enough to glance in the direction of the lobby. Because I dont want to lift another finger in war today. Overthrowing an evil dictator is exhausting work.
Wil iam placed a kiss on the corner of my mouth before looking over at him. Judging from the near silence and the numbers we held back for the second onslaught, Id say the war outside of this room was over long before the one in here was.
My brows squeezed together. You were holding some back? I asked. How many?
Wil iam shrugged, glancing at Patrick. Only about a thousand.
It didnt make sense why hed hold men back, especial y when some of those hed sent in first had died. Why?
I couldnt risk John doing something desperate with you, Wil iam answered, his voice guarded. If I came blazing through the door with the numbers we had in tow, who knows what he would have done to you. I wouldnt risk it. So I let him think he had the upper hand, coaxed him into an even more bloated confidence before Nathanial led the rest of the charge.
So Norbertos life was in vain? I said, biting my lip. Al those men who wil never open their eyes again died in vain?
No, Bryn, he said, brushing his hand down my cheek. My only objective might have been to keep you safe until I found you, but to the rest of these men it was much bigger. They lost their lives fighting the battle of good and evil and while they might have lost the battle, they won the war.
John and his Al iance are no longer.
Wil iam had been a soldier, a leader of soldiers, a lifetime back. Hed learned that wars meant lives lost. It was something he could accept easier than me because, other than seeing it on the news and front pages of newspapers, Id never known the soldiers who had died for a cause. Id never looked in their eyes and cal ed them my friends.
I knew thered be more than just Norberto whod been a friend that had died today, but I couldnt let myself be carried off with these thoughts.
There would be a time for mourning, as there was a time for everything, but today I was going to become a bride.
A bride to the man whod gotten under my skin from that first smile at OSU and stayed there, melting into the depths of my core, taking over the whole of my heart. The man fate had tried with every power of destruction at its beck and cal to surgical y remove from my life.
As I looked around the war-torn room and over our war-bludgeoned bodies, I knew wed shown fate just what we were made of and the fight we were wil ing to put up for each other. Wed kicked fates ass and were committed to doing so every day of forever if thats what it took.
Come on, I said, pul ing Wil iam up with me, sure I couldnt get out of Townsend Manor fast enough. Youve got a girl to make a Mrs. Wil iam Hayward today.
Wil iam leapt up with me, fingers weaving through my hand as he succumbed to my pul ing. Now theres motivation.
You two have fun, Patrick cal ed out after us. Im planning on not moving from this spot until my body stops throbbing from ending the lord of the underworlds life and my bodys caught up on the sleep I havent had in three days since I was making hourly visits to a girl who was . . . cooped up.
Thinking of the box made me want to stretch as far as I could.
Dont worry about me, though, Patrick continued. Its not like you guys owe me anything.
Wil iam and I exchanged a look. We were both suckers when it came to Patrick and his little brother tendencies that were too endearing to be ignored. Jogging back to him, Wil iam heaved Patrick over his shoulder. Come on, little brother, he said, grabbing my hand and continuing towards the door. I need a best man.