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SEEING CYNTHIA OUT in that arena scared me to death. I was sure she was no match against gargoyle warriors, and it was a fight to the death. If they refused to fight, they would be killed anyway, so her odds didn’t look good. “Please help her,” I begged Ethan. “I know you have a heart in there, just like your son does. You know as well as I do that this isn’t right.”
Ethan crossed his arms. “I’m sorry, but I have no control.”
I knew he was lying, and I was furious, but I knew screaming at him would get me nowhere. I tried my best to put on my charm and said, “You are friends with the queen. I would consider it a personal favor if you could do something to get her out of there.”
“Fine,” he said. “I will do it...but only because you’re such a lovely kisser.”
In stunned disbelief, I watched him walk off. I wasn’t sure I had heard him right over the roaring crowd, because what I thought he said didn’t make sense. I had never, ever kissed Ethan, and I found the remark insulting. Why would he say such a thing? Should I tell Jesse? Oh my gosh. What if I’m mistaken? What if... No way! I shook my head, not even wanting to imagine it. I would never cheat on Jesse, least of all with his father.
I walked back in and took my seat. A man came out and explained to the crowd that there had been a change; Reeve Whymere would take Cynthia’s place, at the queen’s request. I didn’t want to stay another minute, so, gargoyle etiquette aside, we all got up and left, with Ethan in tow.
“What a shame to make an early departure,” he complained. “We had the best seats in the house.”
When we got out, I turned and looked at him. “Will this be Fred’s fate too?”
“We won’t know until tomorrow.”
“But if he’s sentenced to execution, will this happen to him?”
“They will not pit him against a gargoyle. It would not be fair.”
I let out a sigh of relief.
“They will match him against his own kind, another vampire,” Ethan said.
A shudder shot through me.
“Father,” Jesse said, “you can’t let them do that to our friend!”
“Son, I realize you care about Fred, but perhaps you should have kept him on a shorter leash.”
“What? I’m not his boss. He is grown, and he does as he pleases, as it should be. You need to get him out of that dungeon and see that all charges are dropped,” Jesse insisted. “I’m begging you.”
“Cynthia too,” I added. “Prisoners or not, they don’t deserve to have their blood spilled in crude forced combat.”
Jesse argued with his father over the matter for quite a while. In the end, Ethan said the best he could do was take me down to see Cynthia. “Only you, Taylor,” he said. “The jailers do not appreciate too many visitors.”
“We’ll wait here,” Julie said.
Jesse kissed my cheek. “We’ll be waiting for you. Give her our best.”
Ethan walked me into the corridors of the creepy dungeon and stopped to unlock one of the heavy doors. “I am truly sorry about Fred,” he said.
“We came here for sanctuary,” I said, my voice shaking with emotion. “We came here to be safe from the monsters who are chasing us, but now you want our friends to die.”
“If you are going to abide here, you must all follow our rules.”
“Please don’t let them hurt Fred. I know you can stop it. I know you can.”
He wiped a tear from my eye. “Taylor, if I have learned anything in this life, it is that we must cherish every day. We never know when that day will be our last. None of us have much time left, especially you.”
“What?” I asked, stunned. “What are you talking about?”
“You are desired by far too many enemies, all vying for your blood.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
“I can’t imagine how such a pretty girl managed to ignite the fury of so many.”
“I chose life,” I said. “That’s why.”
“Well, enjoy it while you can.”
“I’m sorry about your situation,” I said, referring to his grim prognosis. “It really does break my heart, and Jesse’s torn up.”
“Just remember to make every single moment count.”
“That’s very wise.”
He smiled, then opened the door.
When I reached Cynthia, she reached for my hands and gripped them tightly. The picture of the fighting gargoyles flashed in my head, and I couldn’t imagine the poor girl dying that way. She was an innocent victim, guilty of nothing but love, and my heart went out to her. I knew I somehow had to save her.
“Oh, Taylor,” she said. “I heard you saved my life. How can I ever thank you?”
“I only got you out of this one fight. They plan to send you in the next time, but I’ll do everything in my power to help you.”
She wrapped her hands around the heavy iron bars. “Thank you.”
“Stay strong,” I said.
Tears glistened in her green eyes. “I don’t want to die, Taylor. I’m so scared. I just wanted to be with Fred. My heart is as much his prisoner as I am behind these cold bars. We cannot control who we fall in love with.”
“The prince is out of town,” I said.
“Yes, but what has that to do with anything?” she asked.
“If we can get word to him about what’s going on, maybe he can spare your life.”
“Who do you think ordered my execution? He ordered Fred’s too.”
I gaped at her. “But I thought Fred was on trial,” I said.
“He was, until Prince Gother intervened. He ordered that we must both die in the arena. He said since we made a fool of him, he wants others to laugh and applaud at our deaths.”
“Then Fred’s next? He has to fight today?” I said.
She nodded, tears flooding her face.
I ran to Fred’s cell, and my worst nightmare was confirmed: They’d already hauled him out of there. My pulse drummed in my ears. Pushing my fears to the back of my mind, I took a deep breath, trying to focus. I walked to Grant’s cell and met his gaze.
He gripped the iron bars tightly. “You’ve got to save him, Taylor. That vampire does get on my nerves sometimes, but we’re a team now, a family. We leave no man behind.”
With my lips trembling, I nodded. I contemplated what to do, but I really had no idea. “What if it’s too late?” I asked. “I don’t know what to—”
“Go!” Grant said. “Go save him. He needs you now more than ever.”
I snapped out of my trance. Fred was next, scheduled to fight in the arena as a gladiator. I wasn’t even sure Ethan was aware of the sudden turn of events. I bolted down the corridor as sweat rolled down my back. “Ethan,” I said, panting for breath. “They’re putting Fred in. You have to stop it.”
“What?” he asked.
I repeated myself and he seemed stumped.
“Can you please help?”
“I have already done you one favor. I cannot press my luck with the queen.”
“I’m begging you,” I implored.
His face grew grim. “There is nothing any of us can do now.”
“Oh yeah? Watch me!” With my stubborn streak kicking in, I bolted back to where Jesse and Julie waited for me. I frantically explained everything.
Jesse grabbed my hand and led me to the tunnel where prisoners were held before the games. He and Julie threw the guards against the wall like they weighed nothing, and we took off down the dimly lit corridor, weaving our way through Northwood Fortress.
Six guards jumped in our path. “Halt!” they demanded.
“No!” Jesse said. “We won’t stop, not until you free our friend. Now open this door!”
“Leyna,” one said to his buddy. “He has the strength of three or four of us.”
“And don’t underestimate the werewolf,” Julie added. “Open the door, or I’ll make Milk-Bones out of all of you!”
A soldier thrust a sword at Jesse, and another went for Julie. Jesse grabbed his neck and hurled him into the stone wall, sending the immortal crumbling to the ground. Jesse’s vampire strength was amazing, and I loved watching him in action. He and Julie were an unstoppable force. He took on two more, kicking one in the stomach, sending him flying across the room, then punched the other in the jaw. He took down another with a roundhouse kick to the chest, then spun and kicked yet another.
I stepped over the strewn bodies and raced down the next corridor. “Do you know where we’re going?” I asked.
“Yes. I saw the cage. It’s over here somewhere.”
“There!” Julie pointed and touched my back. “We need a distraction.”
“No problem. I’m on it,” I said. When I turned the bend and saw about six guards, I did my best to play dumb. “Hey, guys,” I said, “I think I’m lost.”
They put their swords away and smiled at me. Julie approached in a blur and immediately punched one, wiping the silly grin off his face. The three immortals next to me went down in a flurry of hard blows. When one charged me, I kicked it with everything I had, my adrenaline kicking in.
After all six were taken down, Julie ripped the lock off, and the door creaked open.
Gaping, the prisoners just stopped and looked at us.
“Fred!” I shouted when I spotted him.
“Taylor!”
“C’mon. We’re leaving.”
Unfortunately, as nice as it would have been to rescue Fred and take down another platoon of immortal freaks, that was not what happened. A horde of them came at us like a SWAT team. In the blink of an eye, I was on the ground, with my hands twisted behind my back.
An immortal lifted me to my feet and dragged me across the floor. I flailed my arms and let my feet go limp as they dragged me outside and threw me to the ground. The wind whipped across my face, causing me to shiver. When Jesse rushed over and helped me up, I noticed that his eyes were glowing and his fangs had descended. Meanwhile, Julie helped Fred, who had really taken quite a beating.
A moment later, an armored knight handed a sword to each of us. I glanced around and realized we were in the arena, surrounded by a bloodthirsty, cheering crowd.
“Great,” I said. “We were in the audience just a little while ago...”
“And now we’re the main attraction,” Julie said, wide-eyed.
Funny how things can turn in the blink of an eye.
“You will fight to the death amongst yourselves,” the knight said.
“Nope,” I shouted. “I’m not fighting my friends.”
“Would you rather fight gargoyles? Because that can be arranged!”
“Bring one on,” Jesse said. “Take my friends back and I’ll personally fight it.”
“I’d rather see you gut your girlfriend,” another knight said.
“You’re sick!” I shouted. “Killing people for sport is just wrong!”
Irritated with the situation, Julie pounded the man, knocking him to the ground. Six more pointed spears at her, and she had no choice but to let him loose.
“Do you want me to put you to sleep, little doggy, or would you rather die with honor?” the man asked, scrambling to his feet. “Maybe I should fashion a silver bullet and shoot you and your pathetic boyfriend right between the eyes.”
“Big talk for someone hiding behind his buddies,” Julie said, lunging again. “Why don’t you haul your butt into this arena, and I’ll fight you one on one?”
The other immortals held her back as she fought to rip into the man’s neck. They threw her to the ground and commanded us to commence with combat.
“You sick freaks,” I shouted. “I’m not going to fight my friends!”
“Then you will die first.”
“There will be deaths today,” Jesse said, “but they won’t be ours!” He lunged for his neck, but another knight punched him hard in the gut.
Just as the knight went to plunge his sword deep into Jesse’s body, the queen cried for him to stop. I’d never seen her so upset. She looked sick with worry and declared, at the top of her lungs, “Stop that this instant! Let him be and bring them to me,” she said from her fancy throne. When the knights dragged us up to her, she asked, “All of this to save your friend?”
“We will leave no man behind,” I said.
She turned to the head knight. “Fred and Cynthia will be given reprieve from tonight’s games. Their fight will resume next week. Return Fred to the dungeon unharmed. Grant will serve the required time. Jesse, Julie, and Taylor will be taken back to the east wing and are not to leave the castle for any reason. They are forbidden from any outside walks, but they will remain under my personal protection. Anyone who touches them will face my wrath. Is that understood?”
“Thank you,” I said.
“Your gratitude is pointless. I have my reasons, and I must admit that they are somewhat selfish.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Julie asked me.
“I have no idea.”
“You foolish girl,” Ethan said, frantic with worry as he rushed up to us. “You almost got yourself killed! Are you crazy?”
“I asked for your help, and you turned me down.”
“She only saved you because of me. She cannot bear to see my son killed, not after we spent so much time looking for him.” He hugged Jesse, who’d returned to his human form. “Are you well, son?” he asked.
Anger flashed in Jesse’s eyes. “I have nothing to say to you, Father.”
“Son!” Ethan said, hurt by Jesse’s tone.
“You should’ve helped us,” he spat. “I’m your son, and I’ve never asked you for anything but to ensure our safety here. You put Taylor and Julie in danger, and you refuse to use your influence to see our friends freed. We’re leaving Northwood Fortress. We’ll be much better off running than to be locked up in a fortress with those who would prefer to see us killed.”
“Better off? Son, there are enemies at every turn,” Ethan argued.
“I don’t know who is crazier,” Jesse breathed out, “the fiends at Northwood Fortress or the monsters who seek to destroy us.”
“If you choose to leave, I will not stop you, but Grant will not be able to go until he completes his sentence. Also, I can do nothing to help Fred. He dug his own grave by putting his lips on a woman promised to another. He marked her and himself for death because he could not control his urges.”
“Father, you’ll bring my friends to me, and we’ll all leave together.” Jesse stood up to his father without batting an eye. He refused to back down, and his father knew it.
“I love you deeply, son,” Ethan said, realizing that Jesse was not going to back down. “If you will stay just a few more days, I will see what I can do. Even if you do leave, I do not wish you to resent me.”
“Love is not love unless there is action behind it, Father,” Jesse said. “Free my friends.”
***
WE WERE TAKEN BACK to the east wing, and we sat in a large chamber room, trying to sort everything out. The room was quite amazing with its stained glass, plaster carvings, and marble columns. The chandelier was the fanciest I’d ever seen, and the whole place was decorated with a collection of priceless, ancient artifacts. The one that really caught my eye was a huge bronze dragon with ruby eyes, sitting right next to the door like some sort of guard.
In no time, Jesse had a roaring fire going. Ethan had boasted to us earlier that the fireplace was 500 years old. I laid my head in Jesse’s lap, and he softly stroked my hair. There was so much history in this place, and I knew how much Jesse loved it there. I wasn’t really comfortable with the rules, the way the gargoyles and the queen dictated things, but I was glad to be with Jesse, no matter where we were.
“So we’re officially grounded,” Julie said.
“Seems that way,” I said.
“Are we really leaving?” she asked.
Jesse nodded. “We have to. We can’t face execution every time one of us messes up.”
“That’s the thing. Grant didn’t do half of the damage we did, and he was sentenced to two weeks. But we got nothing. They just returned us to the east wing. How is that possible?”
“Did you see the way the queen looked at us?” I said. “She was freaking out.”
Julie bunched up a couch pillow under her head. “Well, like Ethan said, she probably just couldn’t bear to see his son butchered.”
“I was born here,” Jesse said. “They spent so long hunting for me. I’m family to them. I’m sure that was why she was so traumatized.”
“I’m just glad they called it off,” Julie said. “I’ll let them kill me before I’ll ever fight one of you guys.”
I sighed. “I agree.”
“Something’s not right,” Jesse said.
“What? Are your Spidey senses finally kicking in?” Julie asked.
“There’s something odd about the preferential treatment. Like you said, we were far more brutal to the guards and knights than Grant was in his skirmish. We did worse and got in far less trouble. Also, what was that she said about selfish interests? If she truly cares about me like my father claims, why would she not free Fred and Grant, pardon them?”
“It’s politics,” Julie said. “Grant has to do the time. And as for Fred, the queen can’t be thought of as weak. Fred kissed a princess promised to the prince. That’s a huge deal.”
“I’m afraid there’s more to this,” Jesse said.
“I’m sorry to say this, but I think your father is involved somehow,” I said hesitantly. “Ethan seems to know something we don’t, and I can’t help feeling like Julie and I are unknowingly playing an integral part in this little mystery. Maybe they want our powers.”
Julie looked at Jesse and asked the dreaded question: “Is your dad capable of something that evil?”
“No,” Jesse said, “but the queen might be up to something sinister. Maybe she can’t afford you or Taylor to be killed. Maybe that’s why we’re under her personal protection. Regardless, we can’t just sit around doing nothing. We need to figure out a way to break Fred and Grant out.”
“It might take a few days,” Julie said.
I turned to face Jesse. “I can honestly see why your mom left this place. Something scared her, and she took off as fast as she could. Northwood Fortress holds some kind of secret. What did she know that we didn’t?”
“Yes, those thoughts have been plaguing me as well,” Jesse said, “but my father’s dying. He tries to hide it, but he’s not doing well at all. He couldn’t breathe for an hour last night. If he’s acting weird and strange, I’m sure it’s only because the disease is eating him from the inside out. I’m just glad I got to spend some time with him before he passes away. I wish Sam and Kierra could see him too.”
“That’s it!” Julie said, scrunching up her forehead as if she’d just solved the world’s most difficult algebra equation. “Maybe the queen has evil intentions for us after Ethan dies. Maybe she wants those powers. Maybe she plans to activate them and make us work for her, like Drake tried to do. Maybe she has a way to activate them so we’re not harmed in any way. You know she has like a hundred gargoyle witches working for her. She might want to kill off the guys and just keep us girls for her evil bidding.”
“That’s a horrible thought. How are we gonna get off this mountaintop?” I asked.
“Cynthia,” Jesse said. “If we save her from her death sentence, maybe she’ll fly us away.”
“But she only turns into a gargoyle at night, when they’re all out. They have sight like a hawk’s.”
Julie smiled. “All we need is a good distraction or that, but getting them out of jail will be the hard part. I’m sure the queen has ordered extra security in the dungeon and at the exits of this wing, to keep us inside.” She sighed. “Why is my life so crazy? We’re locked up in some gothic castle, on top of a mountain, trying to plan how to break a werewolf and a vampire out of a gargoyle dungeon. Tolkien would be schizophrenic over this. I can never go back to school and act like a normal kid. I’ve been tainted by the paranormal lifestyle.”
“Yeah, our lives sure would make a great show on the CW,” I said.
“Well, if I’m gonna be killed, I’d rather it be Dean Winchester on the other end of the weapon.”
“You’re only saying that because Grant’s not here,” I said, grinning.
We all chuckled.
I looked at Jesse. “I do know one thing.”
His brow rose. “What’s that?”
“J'ai confiance en toi,” I said. (I trust you.) “Dans tes bras c’est mon destin.” (My destiny is in your arms.)
“C'est cela l'amour, tout donner, tout sacrifier sans espoir de retour,” he said. (That's love: giving everything, sacrificing all without hope of returns.)
“Aimer, ce n'est pas se regarder l'un l'autre, c'est regarder ensemble dans la même direction.
(Being in love is not looking at one another, but looking together in the same direction.)
“Qu'est-ce que je ferais sans toi?” I asked. (What would I do without you?”)
Julie smiled. “You guys talk with such finesse. But I guess the French language is perfect for expressing affection. I don’t know what you guys were saying, but it sure sounds romantic and exotic.”
We all chuckled.
***
THAT EVENING, I WAS lying on the couch, thinking about everything, while the housekeeper cleaned. Rosa, a member of the gargoyle race, always came at night. If I had met her under any other circumstances, I never would have suspected that she was one of them. She was the sweetest and always took time to talk to me in that soft, compassionate voice of hers. “I’m sorry about everything you’re going through,” she said.
“Thank you. My heart goes out to you, too, Rosa. I know you’re troubled that Ethan is dying and doesn’t have much time left.”
“I am. He has taken good care of me and my family. It’s such a shame that he got into that radiation accident.”
“The others are so... I saw them. They’re barely hanging on.”
She shook her head. “Not anymore. Other than Ethan, his girlfriend, and her sister, they are all dead.”
“Are you sure? I saw them, the ones who are close to dying.”
“You must be confused, dear, for they are gone already. Ethan is the only one who is still in good shape, but he’s quickly deteriorating, just like the others who died before him.”
“Then who are the people in the lab?”
“The workers? The scientists?”
“No. There are people down there, survivors of the accident.”
“Honey, they’re all dead and buried except the three I mentioned.”
My heart began to race, and I had to wonder if the zombie-like things we’d seen were really radiation survivors at all. “Have you ever been in the lab?” I asked.
“No. It’s forbidden. How did you manage to see it?”
“I was just...exploring, and we saw a lot of people down there.”
“Perhaps it was merely one of your dreams,” she said.
“No, I was awake, and Julie was with me.”
“I-I don’t know. This is all very confusing.”
“I know exactly what’s going on,” I said. “Ethan lied. He’s experimenting on people, just like I thought.”
When Rosa left, I said goodnight and went off to bed.
***
I COULDN’T SLEEP DUE to everything that had happened. It was then that I remembered I had Loraine’s diary in my dresser drawer, carefully hidden. “Maybe I overlooked something the first time I skimmed it,” I muttered, walking over to retrieve it. I pulled it out and started flipping through the pages. It was pretty normal, until the end:
February 1: Ethan’s so desperate to live, but the doctors have given him no more than ten years. He spends days with the queen’s priest, hoping for a cure. He’s turning into someone I don’t recognize anymore. I know I need to leave, but I’m scared I’ll never love anyone more. He’s spending so much time with the princess, who was also affected in the radiation accident. He says it’s because they’re trying to find a cure together, but I fear it’s much more than that.
I flipped a few more pages, to Valentine’s Day, and continued reading:
February 14: I’m heartbroken. Ethan didn’t come home last night, and I couldn’t sleep without him here. I know he is having an affair with Mariah. I am hurt, furious, but for the sake of my children, I must carry on. I mustn’t let them see my heart breaking. Jesse, Sam, and Kierra are my world.
February 20: Ethan denies the affair, but in my heart I know what’s going on between them. Mariah suffers from the same affliction, and they will both be dead in a decade or less. I guess I cannot understand a bond like that. They spend so much time with the priests, searching through ancient books. Queen Sarsa supports their efforts and has relieved Ethan from his duties so they can continue their search for a cure. Two of her daughters are affected, so I understand why she is so desperate. She is a mother, and she must put her children before everything else.
Still, another thought plagues me. I think the queen has allowed Ethan and the others to kidnap people and experiment on them. I can’t prove it, but I have strong suspicions. I will not be a party to that. If I find out they are committing such foul deeds, I will take my children far, far away from this place, never to return.
March 1: Ethan is on top of the world, for he has found a way to conquer his affliction. The potential remedy is still in testing stages, and he has told me very little about it. He seems very...secretive. The gargoyles are happy for him, but they are also disappointed that the cure will only work for Leyna. The others still have no hope, but we yearn to save their lives as well.
I skipped ahead a couple of months and read:
May 1:Ethan has filed for divorce. My heart has broken. I will never love anyone else. He is the love of my life, and I’m willing to try and work on our marriage, but he wants nothing to do with me. I’m sad, depressed, emotional, lost, abandoned. The love of my life, my best friend and soulmate, the father of my children and the man I have spent hundreds of years with has left me for another woman. Mariah has his heart now. The memories hurt, and I cannot bear to remain here, to see them together. I cannot stop crying. The pain is so much.
June 5: The queen has granted our divorce. I am alone, but I have decided to stay for the sake of my children. I can’t bear to look at the woman who took my place, the beautiful princess. I saw her caressing his face today in the courtyard, and I have never been so overcome with rage and envy. Ethan tells me they are close to perfecting his cure. I wish him a long life of happiness, but my heart is broken that I cannot share that life with him.
June 15: I am completely devastated, crying rivers of tears as I write this. Ethan hasn’t found a cure, for his body is beyond repair. He is looking into dark magic to jump into my son’s body, and he has been undergoing tests, preparing his soul to connect with another host body. He’s been jumping into our Sam and plans to take over his body in two weeks, at the stroke of midnight. I must go and take my children with me. The queen is on Ethan’s side and will stand behind him and try to prevent me from leaving, but I will elicit help from immortal friends who will whisk me away to a secret place, somewhere Ethan will never find us.
I thought I had finally found my home with the gargoyles, but they have chosen Ethan over me. I know that my time here is quickly coming to an end. I will always cherish the good times, the sound of my little ones’ feet against the stone floors and their giggles in the courtyard, but I can no longer stay in such a place. Their father has turned on me...and on them.
June 16: Ethan has discovered my plans. I can’t trust anyone in this kingdom, and I have no friends left. He is begging me to leave Sam, so his own life will be spared at the cost of our seven-year-old. He wants to jump into our son, and he promises that if I allow it, he will be with me once he re-grows into a man. I’ve never heard of anything sicker in all my life. I will never give my son over to him. The radiation has gotten to him, and he is not the man I loved and married. He’s changed and doesn’t care who he hurts, as long as he, himself, lives.
June 17:I bluffed and have earned a little more time. Ethan thinks I can’t live without him, that I will still do anything for him. The queen even tried to convince me that I should not leave. They could easily take Sam from me, but they want my permission. I have many connections in the kingdom, and they fear that I will stir up trouble and thwart their vile, selfish plans. They know they can’t kill me because so many people here love me. My immortal connections are working on getting me out of here as we speak.
June 18: The ceremony is tonight. They are ready and willing to take my little Sam’s life, and they deceived me, telling me it will not take place until three nights from now. I must leave now, with only the clothes on my back. This will be my last entry, and I will leave this journal here, so others may find it and know the truth. I couldn’t escape this nightmare without the help of loyal friends. Thank you all. I will try to stay hidden until Ethan has passed on, for I fear the wrath of the gargoyles for taking Ethan’s vessel away. I will not allow my son to have his life snuffed out, especially by his very own father...
I swallowed hard at the last entry. I went back over all the entries I skipped and reread the others over again. Everything jelled, and now I knew that Ethan was right back to his old tricks. He was happy Jesse was there, but it wasn’t because of any father/son bond they shared. He planned to use his own son as his new vessel. When he had told me he would love to take Jesse’s place, he had meant every sinister word of it.
I wanted to race to Jesse’s room, but a severe headache knocked me down to the ground. I held my temples as the pain consumed me. I couldn’t move or scream for help, and my thoughts plagued me. There had been so many signs, so many things said, and I knew I should have caught on.
“I’ll get Ethan!” Rosa said.
“Please don’t!” I insisted through the pain.
“You need help. You need a doctor.”
“It’s just the magic. It’s just an attack. It’ll pass soon.”
In a blur, I watched her run out of the room. I tried to get up but I couldn’t move. Thoughts ran through my head.
First, Lyon had told us that the whole kingdom had been feverishly searching for Jesse. Now I knew why. Lyon had also told us that Jesse’s father needed him more than anything, which he obviously did. Second, Ethan had told Jesse that he had saved his life just by showing up. He had said, “The second you set foot in this castle, you saved my life,” but he had meant it in a far different way than the mushy Hallmark remark it had sounded like at the time. He had stated, in no uncertain terms, that he would live through Jesse, and he had meant that too.
As I pondered it, I realized we should have taken Ethan’s words far more literally. When he had confronted me by the fireplace about Jesse giving up his life for me, he had been quite rude to me, and he had said that if Jesse’s life ended, it would be all over for him. I had no idea he meant that exactly the way it sounded. Without Jesse’s body, Ethan had no hope. Ethan was upset that his son was foolishly using his body, a body that Ethan wanted to claim for his own. He didn’t want Jesse to die because he was desperate to inhabit him, to possess him like a vessel. And jumping into Jesse wasn’t an easy process. According to the diary, it took many test jumps so the soul could bond with the body and make the final jump more successful. So basically, it was a process and couldn’t be done overnight.
On top of that, Ethan had been adamant about us not leaving. Time and time again, he had talked Jesse out of it, telling him that the immortals outside the field of protection would kill him. And, last of all, the queen herself, who was quite fond of Ethan, had stopped Jesse’s death in the arena. When she had referred to her selfish intentions, she had been speaking quite literally too.
With all these horrible, treacherous thoughts plaguing my head with a migraine like none I’d ever known, I faded off into a nightmarish, restless sleep.