Pursued(152)

Chapter Thirty-seven




Elise was dying. Someone had taken a knife and was cutting her in two—just like that old magic trick where the magician pretends to saw his lovely assistant in half. Only this was no trick—Elise could literally feel a part of herself being severed. She supposed hazily that it must be her soul, but it hurt as much as though some crazy doctor had decided to amputate one of her hands without any kind of anesthesia.

Oh God, the pain! The pain! She threw back her head and cried out, only dimly aware that to her left, Merrick was doing the same. Had the man with silver eyes—the same man who had been in her dream—injected him too? Or was he simply experiencing the same effects as Elise because they were so closely tied together?

But we won’t be for long, she thought, even as she writhed in agony. I’m losing him—losing Merrick forever. And losing any hope of having a life with him in the future.

The thought of being forever separated from the man she loved was almost more painful than the intense agony of the bond being broken. Hot tears ran down her cheeks and Elise couldn’t stop them—didn’t try to stop them. She was mourning a loss too great to be calculated. She was losing a part of herself she would never recover—the part that had belonged to Merrick.

It seemed to go on and on forever, but at last the horrible cutting sensation ended, to be replaced by a throbbing numbness. The amputation was over.

Elise slumped on the steel table, going limp in her bonds. Her heart felt like an empty socket, a ragged hole in her chest that would never heal.

“Elise? Baby?” she heard Merrick murmur and she realized he must have been trying to get her attention for some time.

“Merrick,” she whispered, blinking tears from her eyes so she could see him. I can see him, but I can’t feel him, she realized, with a growing sense of despair. I can’t feel his emotions anymore. “Merrick,” she said again. “I can’t…can’t feel you. You’re gone.”

“I’m right here.” He was trying to sound reassuring but Elise couldn’t help it—she wasn’t reassured.

“But you’re not in here anymore. Not in me,” she whispered back as fresh tears filled her eyes.

“The bond is dissolved,” he said harshly. “But I still love you. I’ll always love you, baby—hold on to that, even when I’m gone.”

“I’ll try.” Elise choked back a sob. “I knew…knew it wasn’t just the bond. I knew what I felt, what we both felt—”

“Blah, blah, blah. True love conquers all, etcetera, etcetera.” Draven yawned, as though the whole thing bored him. “You’re welcome, by the way. Your unwanted bond is completely gone, so now you can go your separate ways in peace instead of pieces. Which you’re about to do right…now.” He snapped his fingers and a pair of imps came at once to let Elise out of her restraints.

“Wait!” she cried as they pulled her off the table and began pushing her out of the room. “Wait, I need to say goodbye!”

“No time.” Draven shook his head. “Not if you want to get to the rift before it closes.” He motioned to the imps. “Take her back to her ship, strap her in, and set the coordinates for the Kindred Mother Ship. Hurry, now!”

The imps started to drag her away but Elise twisted in their grip and somehow managed to break free. Running back, she threw her arms around Merrick’s neck. “I love you,” she whispered and pulled back to look into his lovely, mismatched eyes. “I won’t leave you. I can’t.”

“You have to.” Merrick frowned at her fiercely. “Don’t you understand? I have to stay here so you can live, Elise.” His voice softened. “Go on, baby. Don’t let my sacrifice be in vain.”

“Merrick…Merrick,” she sobbed as the imps and one of the larger creatures that looked like some kind of monster out of a Tolkien nightmare dragged her off him. “Please…please!”

“Take her away!” Draven clapped his hands sharply. He frowned at Elise. “And just so you know, your lover will pay for that little scene. Pay over and over before I finally kill him.” He made a face. “I dislike sentiment. It’s so messy.”

“No!” she screamed but they were already dragging her out the door. The last thing she saw was Draven, looming over Merrick, speaking horrible sounding words that somehow opened wounds and lacerations in his broad, bare chest.

Just like my dream, she thought frantically as Merrick's blood dripped onto the metal floor. Oh God, it’s just like my dream!