Part 49 (1/2)

”Shhh, Henry. It will be over in a moment,” Tatiana said. She stroked his hair from his face. Gasping sounded and his throat choked as he coughed up blood. The dark liquid stained along his face, dotting the pure white snow. ”Hush, now. It's all right.”

”Tat--” Henry's eyes dulled and she felt the last breath slip out of him.

Slowly, she stood. She knew that they were watched from windows. She could feel the eyes gathering. Thomas held his gun, his hand trembling. He looked at her with his worn blue eyes. ”Tatiana?”

”Thomas,” she said. ”You should go.”

”Tatiana, is it really you? How? I haven't seen you with Henry. How is it you have come to be here?”

”Go,” she insisted. Her eyes glittered in her meaning. ”Now. Before you are seen.”

”How did you escape the devil?” he asked, shaking. ”I never meant for you to see this. He killed my sister. Please, forgive me.

It is justice that I seek this night. Pl--”

”Shhh,” Tatiana hushed. ”Go.”

”Come with me,” he urgently whispered.

He moved toward her, limping on his bad ankle. She took a step back, shaking her head. Her lips parted. She let the shadowed light fall on her mouth, tipping her white fangs. Thomas gasped. Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a second gun. He pointed it at her, his hand wavering in fear.

”What has happened to you?” he asked, shaking his head in desperation. She could've charged him, disarmed him. Instead, she merely watched. ”What has that demon done to you?”

”I helped Henry, Thomas. I cleaned up his mess. I hid Alice's body. I didn't deliver the death blow, but I am as guilty as he. I remember it clearly now,” Tatiana said. ”I'm sorry.”

”So it's true?” the man hissed. ”You helped to murder my sister?”

”Yes, forgive me,” she whispered. She knew they must hurry. More and more eyes moved to look out at them. It wouldn't be long before the authorities arrived.

”How could you!” Thomas yelled. Then, he began to cry. Hot tears rolled down his cheeks. ”She loved you. I loved you. I love you still.”

”The woman you love is dead. You will move on to find happiness. This I promise. Now, end me, Thomas,” Tatiana whispered.

She felt Marcello behind her, felt him stirring. She willed him back, willed him to trust her.

When Thomas didn't move, Tatiana let the bloodl.u.s.t enter her eyes. Baring her fangs, she charged him. Thomas gasped in horror to see the creature she could become. Lifting his gun, he fired. The bullet hit her in the chest, sending her flying back.

Tatiana gasped at the fiery pain blazing inside her. Her body slid across the snow, stopping in a twisted ma.s.s of limbs near Henry's corpse.

Thomas stood frozen. Marcello materialized out of thin air with a growl. Thomas saw him and dropped his guns. He turned, running away from the house.

Marcello looked down were Tatiana lay in the snow. Her body wasn't moving, save for her red and jade eyes. With a worried frown marring his brow, he knelt down and gently lifted her up into his arms.

Mary's face stared out at them from the window, pale and drawn. He ignored the mortal woman, turning his back on her. A desperate curse left his throat, as he pulled Tatiana close to his chest. Tenderly, he swept her lifeless body back to their crypt.

Marcello was forced to dig his fingers into Tatiana's chest to retrieve the bullet. She screamed in agony, unable to lay voice to a coherent thought. In her mind, it was the same, nothing but torturous suffering. He could feel her pain was.h.i.+ng over him like it was his own. He tried to mesmerize her, but she wouldn't let him and he knew she punished herself for Alice.

When the bullet was finally out, he made her drink from the wrist of an enthralled prost.i.tute he'd plucked from the nearby streets. He cut the woman open, letting her life trickle into Tatiana's gasping lips. She swallowed, only because she had no choice. It was going to be a slow and painful recovery, but her body would eventually heal itself.

After taking the prost.i.tute and dropping her off, blocks away from the graveyard they rested in, Marcello opened their shared coffin. He set Tatiana's tired body inside. Her pale eyes stared up at him in her pain. He swallowed over the lump in his throat, crawling into the darkness with her.