Chapter 41

Both Willow and Zachariah took turns at Adam’s bedside. Days passed, and he still did not wake. His heart beat strong, his breathing even, but he did not open his eyes. She tried to believe he was fine, but with each day that passed, the feat became harder and harder.

She released a shuddering breath. This was his second time in a sick bed because of her. The first time, she had sucked his blood. And now…

He had risked everything to save her. He gave his life for her. It had been torturous to watch him fight for her life, all while she could do nothing. Every time he had been injured had broken off another piece of her heart, and nothing could stop him except a sword through the chest. He was incredible just as he was. No blood gem. No vampire abilities. He had defeated half the group of blood hunters all on his own.

Carefully, she pulled his shirt up and came face to face with dozens of old scars his regeneration hadn’t been able to heal. However, the gaping hole in his chest had closed as if it hadn’t been there in the first place. If she hadn’t seen it for herself, she never would have believed it.

With light fingers, she traced each scar from the short ones to the long ones, caressing the three large scars where Aoni, the werewolf chieftain, had scratched him. She often wondered about his other scars. What were the stories behind those? What beasts had he fought? What wounds had he suffered?

She wasn’t able to help herself as she kissed one particular scar on his side that looked to be in the shape of a “W.” “W” for “Willow.” That made her smile.

“Don’t be getting any ideas,” he grunted, shifting on the bed.

She gasped and jumped to her feet. Adam. Adam was awake. He was awake!

She planted kisses all over his face. On his cheeks, his forehead, his eyelids, his nose, his mouth. Especially his mouth. “I love you, Adam. I love you. I love you. I love you.”

He chuckled but started to cough, and she was quick to press a goblet of water to his lips. Vampires only used water for bathing, so it had been a strange request, indeed, when she asked for drinking water. He drank it thirstily. That meant he was still human. He wasn’t a vampire. That made her sigh with relief. He wanted to remain a human, and she wanted him to be happy. But she would settle for alive. He was alive. That’s what mattered.

He nearly finished the entire goblet before she set it aside. She took his hand and kissed each of his fingers before she cradled it to her face. This was a miracle. He was alive.

“You’re acting like you haven’t seen me in a year,” he said with a hint of a smile.

She couldn’t manage a laugh. She felt far too overwhelmed with emotion. Her dear Adam…

In the barest of whispers, she said, “You gave your life for me.”

“Did the Diviner at our ceremony not say to do as much if the situation demanded it?” It was a joke, though feeble coming from his lips. “You are my everything. I couldn’t watch you die.”

Suddenly, she couldn’t hold back her emotions and her tears started overflowing. She was ashamed of herself. He had given his life for her, and she had planned to waste his sacrifice, to throw it all away.

“I’m sorry,” she sniffed. “I’m not strong.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, weakly squeezing her fingers.

“I couldn’t live without you. I would have gone to the Throat of Druxix.” She buried her head into his side and cried. She was weak. Exceptionally weak.

“Oh, Willow,” he whispered. He gently tugged on her hand and she obliged by climbing onto the bed with him and curling into his side. His nearness gave her comfort. The last time she had done this, he was on the brink of death. This time, he was on the brink of life. She snuggled closer to him and sniffed her tears away, sighing at how happy she felt that he was alive. “I don’t know what I did to make you care for me as much as you do. I am a fortunate man.”

She stroked his hair, his face, his chest, as if to reassure herself that he was there and very much alive. She tipped her head to look into his eyes, into his handsome features, that created warmth inside her. She was grateful he had captured her all those weeks ago. It was a blessing in disguise.

“Why am I still alive?” he finally asked, as if the question had been on the tip of his tongue since he woke.

She traced the hem of his shirt, watching his chest rise and fall with each breath. Knowing he was alive… It grounded her. “We call it regeneration.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” he asked carefully, cautiously. She knew he understood what it meant, but he didn’t seem to know how it applied to him. His jaw jumped as he stared back at her and she knew immediately what he was thinking.

He thought she had turned him.

“It’s a secret we like to keep in vampire culture,” she said softly, caressing his jaw once more. She had to touch him, to feel him there. “Storing souls… It’s what blood hunters do. But blood hunters quickly use the souls rather than let them age. An aged soul… It holds power. A portion of my mother’s soul…” She whispered the words reverently and stroked his chest with her finger, feeling his heart beat just underneath his skin. “You breathed it in. It’s a part of you now.”

He looked away from her and stared at the wall. “Then I am a vampire.”

“No!” she said quickly, pushing herself onto her elbow to gaze at him in earnest. “You are still very much human.”

He looked at her with confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“Don’t you see?” she breathed, hope blossoming in her eyes. “You inherited regeneration from my mother’s soul, and as far as I can tell, nothing else. It means you might not age.” She lowered her voice and smoothed his hair with her fingers, giving him a gentle smile. “It means we can be together for a long time.”

“That…doesn’t make sense. I am still human… But I will never age? Does that mean I will never die?”

“That’s the idea. But we’ve never done this with a human before. I don’t know what will happen.”

He released a breath and intertwined his fingers with hers. His touch… For a while, she’d felt certain she would never feel it again. She could still hardly believe he was here with her. His wounds had been severe.

“And what of the crusaders?” he asked suddenly, panic rising in his voice. “And Zachariah?”

She caressed his hair with a gentle, reassuring hand. “Once the barrier fell, the crusaders were outnumbered and defeated. The remainder of the blood hunters fought hard for their own survival, but even they couldn’t outmatch thousands of vampires. And Zachariah…” She paused, listening to quick, pounding footsteps running their way just outside in the hallway. “He’s alive and well, and it seems he’s eager to see you.”

Their conversation was cut short as she felt her father’s presence in the room. Moments later, Zachariah burst inside, his eyes wide. He stopped right at the door, breathing heavily as his eyes scanned Adam up and down. She smiled and moved out of the way as Zachariah ran into his brother’s arms. If there had been any person as worried for Adam as she had been, it was certainly Zachariah.

“You’re alive! I can’t believe it! I thought for sure you were dead.”

“Ow!” Adam cried when Zachariah punched him in the shoulder.

“That’s for making Willow weep.” He pinched Adam in the side. “And that’s for scaring me to death.”

“I still don’t think that warrants you beating me up.”

“Haven’t you heard?” Zachariah said with a malicious grin. “You have regeneration like us, which means you can heal fast. If anything, I need to beat you up more often.”

Her father stood at the doorway, saying nothing. It was almost like a silent understanding passed between him and Adam. Her father nodded, and Adam returned the nod. It brought a world of comfort knowing that her father finally accepted Adam as his kin.

She smiled, a tear of relief falling from her eye. Everything seemed to turn out all right.