“We’re sorry for that too,” Erik said.
Helina placed a hand on my arm. “But we had to do it. It would have been too dangerous for you to stay on the island otherwise. If Rhys had found out you had ties with Matteo…” She gulped.
I brushed her away from me.
“You could have told me that. I could have broken things off with Matteo myself. There was no excuse for what you did.”
Neither argued back. Their heads hung.
I placed my head in my hands, trying to stop recalling that painful day. I remained quiet for several minutes as I reeled in my temper.
“It’s done now,” I said eventually.
I walked out of the room, leaving them in their guilty silence, and exited my sister’s apartment.
On returning to my own apartment, I was surprised to see Mona waiting for me in my bedroom. Her hair was tied back in a tight bun, and she wore a high-necked black dress that touched the floor.
She looked paler than ever. Her lips trembled as she opened her mouth to speak.
“I can’t see you any more.”
I stopped walking toward her as a tear spilled down her cheek.
“We’ve covered our tracks. And now I can’t keep seeing you behind Rhys’ back. I don’t want to be responsible for throwing another person into the fire.”
I remained silent, my eyes fixed on hers.
“And I can’t keep living in between two men like this. I don’t even know what we had to begin with, but whatever it was…” She swallowed hard and looked down at the floor. “It’s over, Kiev.”
Chapter 11: Mona
I wasn’t sure that I’d ever be able to get that vampire out of my subconscious. But I knew that I had to try, or I would fail to become powerful enough to break free from Rhys. To become a true Channeler of our Ancients.
I just have to hope that I make it out the other end.
I waited until after that night’s ritual to tell Rhys. As we crossed the courtyard heading back to our room, I gripped his arm and tugged him to a stop. He looked at me questioningly. I led him to the fountain and stopped in front of it.
I slipped both of my hands into his. Looking down at the ground, I cleared my throat.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said.” My voice trembled as I spoke. “I’ll do it. I’ll stop resisting.”
His black eyes bored into me. His thumb reached beneath my chin and pushed my head up so that I was forced to face him.
“You know what this means, right?”
I nodded, my throat drying out.
“Why do you want this?”
“I want to stop living my life in limbo,” I whispered, shutting my eyes.
It’s too painful.
He breathed out. “I’ve been telling you to take this leap since the beginning. What’s made you decide now?”
“Because I want to be yours, Rhys. I know we are bonded, but that doesn’t make me truly yours until I’ve become like you.”
“Why do you want me now? What’s changed since you returned to me?”
I bit my lip.
“I’m not sure. I just know something has changed.” I winced at how unconvincing I sounded.
He crossed his arms over his chest, frowning at me.
“Mona, I have to be sure you really are ready for this. Because once we start, there’s no going back. You either complete this successfully and gain the ability to channel our Ancients’ power, or you break.”
“I-I understand,” I stammered.
He stared at me long and hard. Then he took my hand and transported us back to our bedroom.
“Sit down,” he ordered.
I sat on the bed.
He bent down to my level and gripped my jaw. “You’re fearful,” he said. “That’s not a good first sign.”
I bit my lip.
“This fear must go. You need to welcome this challenge with open arms, not fearing it.”
He stood up abruptly.
“Get up.”
“What?”
“Walk over to the balcony.”
I stared at him, confused. He glared and pointed to the open balcony doors.
“Stand up on the balcony railing. But do not use magic to balance yourself.”
I eyed the railing.
“There’s no way I can balance myself on that without magic.”
“Just do it.”
I threw him another glance before making my way over to the balcony. I looked over the edge. Then I wished I hadn’t reminded myself how many hundreds of feet we were above ground.
I gripped the railing. Chills ran across my skin.
“There’s no way I can do this without magic,” I repeated.
He walked onto the balcony and stood next to me.
“Do you think I would ask you to do this if I thought you incapable of it? Do you think I want to murder you?”