Desolate, Book I of the Immortal Rose Trilogy (37 page)

They
will come for me over the mountain and fan out, attempting to funnel
me farther into the gorge. I have lost the advantage.

Do
not give up. You are a survivor.
Fane’s
words filter through my mind as I search my surroundings for a place
to hide. It will do me little good, yet I have to try.

Warm
blood pools along my waist. I clamp my hand over the gaping wound,
wincing at the pain my touch induces. My scent will be easy to track.

The
trauma to my head makes it difficult to think as I drag myself toward
a tree. I leave a trail of blood behind me. Digging my nails into the
bark, I pull myself upright and nestle myself into a small nook
between two tree roots. They curl up around me, embracing me.

My
head lolls back as I stare up at the sky. Already, the black has
begun to lift. A faint lavender has taken its place. Soon, the sun
will rise, though I know I will not be alive long enough to see it.

Plunging
my fingers into the earth, I can feel the vibrations of their
approach long before I catch their scent. Lucien reeks of excitement.
Barrett smells far more wary this time around. And Fane… he is
unknown.

As
they leap off the mountainside and land before me, I realize Fane’s
face is still an unreadable mask. Though Lucien paces before me, his
smile smug and his hands gripping his sword, I cannot look away from
Fane. Though he gives me no inclination as to his intentions, I
choose to trust him. He bared his heart and soul with me. A man
cannot do that and then turn his back on you. Not a man with a soul.

My
entire body trembles as Lucien stalks before me, his eyes wide with
excitement. He has given himself over to the bloodlust. Nothing will
stop him now.

I
turn my gaze upon Barrett, who stands in place, staring at the sky. I
can sense his disappointment and his resignation. “She wins,”
he mutters and shoves his sword into his sheath.

Lucien
turns. The muscles along his jaw flinch. “Wins?” He
sneers. “She has won nothing. The sun has not fully risen.”

“Already
the sky lightens,” Fane says, remaining a few steps behind
Barrett. His voice lacks emotion, an even match for his steely gaze.
“You know the rules.”

“Blast
the rules. Have either of you glimpsed the sun?” Lucien jabs
his hand toward the horizon. I follow his gaze and realize with a
bitter irony that it rises behind the tallest mountain. “This
is not over.”

He
turns on me, his fingers clenching and unclenching upon the hilt of
his sword. He is seething, working himself up for the kill.

“Is
there honor in killing a defenseless woman?” I call out. Pain
strangles my words and I wince as blood spills from my lip. I can
taste it upon my tongue.

“This
is not about honor, you foolish girl. This is about destiny. I chose
you for a purpose and you have yet to prove to me that you are worthy
of that purpose.”

From
the corner of my eye, I see Fane strike. Barrett never had a chance
to react before a sliver of red appears along his neck. His eyes grow
wide as his body falls slack. His head departs from his body as he
collapses to the ground.

Fane
stands behind him, his sword bloodied. Lucien whirls around. “Deceit!
I told Vladimir he was a fool to trust you.”

A
smile stretches across Fane’s face as he nods. “That is
the last mistake either of you will ever make.”

With
a growl that rivals any I have ever heard, Lucien dives for Fane. He
raises his blade to connect with his opponent. A blur of color leaps
between them, and I hear Lucien’s cry cut off. Stunned, I watch
as a great gray wolf lands atop Lucien, his arm clutched in its jaws.

Lucien
shrieks and beats at the wolf. Others appear from the tree line,
their gaze focused on Barrett’s body.

Fane
backs away slowly as Lucien continues to beat against the wolf’s
jaw. A pack of twelve approaches, their bellies low to the ground. I
can hear Lucien’s skin tearing as two wolves break of from the
pack and aid their leader.

I
watch as Lucien’s hand reclaims its firm grasp on his sword and
he slices at a tawny wolf. Blood stains its fur as it falls to the
side. Another is sent hurtling through the air. It yelps as it slams
into a tree and slides to the ground.

“Come
on.” Fane reaches beneath me and pulls me into his arms. He
cradles me to his chest and sprints into the forest, leaving behind
the braying of the wolves and Lucien’s shouts.

I
cling to him, digging my fingers into his arm as tears come. The
sounds of the battle begin to fade behind us as Fane puts distance
between us. “Will they kill him?” I ask.

“No.
Though they will try. The pack was tracking us earlier. Lucien was a
fool to let them get so close.”

I
press my cheek against his chest, counting the beats of his heart as
he runs. A brilliant light blinds me as he crests the ridge, and I
raise a hand to shield myself from the sun. “I made it,”
I whisper, slowly lowering my hand, savoring the warmth of the new
day.

Fane’s
grasp tightens around me as he nods. “I never doubted you for a
moment.”

“I
did,” I say, leaning my head back to stare up at him. “I
was sure you were wrong until I was trapped in that crevice. I knew
if they found me, that would be the end of me. In that tiny space I
realized I wanted to live.”

I
expect Fane to smile, though instead, his eyes widen with surprise
and his pace slows to a near walk. “You were down there?”

“Of
course.” I laugh. The sound trails off as Fane sinks down to
his knee and lowers me to the ground.

“If
I had known… I would have aided you.” Grief darkens his
voice. I reach out and touch his face, moved by his guilt.

“You
did help me. You sent them away.”

He
shakes his head and pulls away from my grasp. “Only because I
thought you would double back to Castle Bran.”

My
eyes widen with surprise. “You thought I would return there?”

“I
never dreamed you would remain where you placed your scent.” A
look of awe begins to dawn on his face. “You truly are
unpredictable.”

A
flush rises in my cheeks as I look away. He draws back my chin,
waiting for me to look upon him. His smile is tender, his gaze filled
with loving promise. “I could not bear the thought of losing
you, of living without you.”

Though
his words chase away the pains that riddle my body, I know I do not
deserve his love. Not when I cannot truly be his. “It is not
right that you should love me, a wretched girl with no future.”

“Not
right? What deems you unworthy of my love? A vow spoken with a
rebellious heart? A vengeful husband who will soon place a price upon
my head?”

“All
of the above,” I whisper as tears begin to swell in my eyes,
choking off my words.

Fane
seizes my hand in his, clutching it to his chest. “You are mine
and no one else's.”

I
suck in a breath, ignoring the agony in my ribs and the blood that
seeps from my side. None of that matters. “I am yours?”

“Yes.”
He smiles, raising my hand to press his lips against each of my
fingers in turn. “For all of eternity. I vow it to be so.”

“You
should not.” I turn away. My lips begin to tremble as the
warmth of his hand wars with the ice confining my heart. “I am
not free to love you.”

“And
yet you do.” He reaches out to gently cup my cheek in his hand.
His face swims before me as I raise my gaze. His eyes are wide and
knowing. I am unable to fathom the depths to which I can see within
his soul, though I dearly long to have the chance to do so.

“And
yet I do,” I whisper. “With all my heart, I do.”

“Then
that will be enough… for now.” He looks beyond me to the
mountains that will lead me to Castle Bran. Vladimir will come for me
soon. When he discovers me, I am unsure of how he will react. Will be
blame me for Lucien’s attack? For the death of so many of his
men? Perhaps not, though he will surely seat the blame firmly upon
Fane’s shoulders.

Time
is fleeting.

I
cannot imagine a life where Fane does not exist, one of eternal
misery and torment, yet if he remains by my side, his death will be
sealed. “Where will you go?”

Fane’s
smile is achingly gentle as he draws me near, encircling his arm
about my waist. His hand spans my lower back, holding me to him.

“I
do not know, though there is one thing of which I am certain.”
He lifts my chin so he may look upon me. He smiles and closes his
eyes as he gently brushes his lips against mine for the last time. I
lean up into his touch, desperate for it to be unending. He smiles
against my lips, drawing a whimper from my throat. “I
will
return for you.”

His
words are but a whisper, yet I seal them in my heart all the same.
Tears trail the curve of my cheek as I feel him pull away, hear his
footsteps as he leaves me behind.

I
wrap my arms about my waist as numbness settles over me. The warmth
of Fane’s hand upon my face fades sooner than I am able to
bear. I know he is gone, fled far over the mountains to unknown lands
beyond. I wish I could go with him, though I cannot. I am bound to
Vladimir, to a marriage I cannot escape. At least not yet.

Slowly,
I open my eyes to the rising of the sun. I do not know how I will
survive without Fane at my side, yet I know I will, somehow…
if only to see him once more.

THE END

Also by Amy Miles
 

THE AROTAS TRILOGY
Forbidden
Reckoning
Redemption
Evermore
 

THE RISING TRILOGY
Defiance Rising
Relinquish
 

THE LOVE & LUST TRILOGY
Captivate

Amy Miles was born and raised in a military family but has now settled
with her husband and son in South Carolina. She is also the author of
Defiance Rising, Forbidden, Reckoning and Redemption. To learn more
about her and her books, visit
AmyMilesBooks.com
or @AmyMilesBooks on Twitter.

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