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“An eternity with Eudora, with my true love was all I ever wanted. All I ever needed. Your men found her during transformation when she was at her weakest.When you ordered her death, you killed me along with her.”
“You want to join her,” I fill in the blanks for him.
Kragen closes his eyes. “Yes.”
“What makes you think I’ll grant your wishes?”
He smiles wide. “Because you’ll do anything for love. You’ve proven that many times.”
“And because I’ll kill him,” a voice says behind me. I turn, finding Bertram’s large arm locked around Thorne’s throat, pointing a wooden stake straight at Thorne’s heart.
“Bert? What are you doing?”
“Following the orders of my maker. Something you should be doing, too.”
“Bertram, step away from Thorne,” I warn.
“Why?” he asks. His pupils are dilated, and his face is flushed as the tip of the stake pierces Thorne’s skin, bringing blood to the surface.
“You don’t have to follow his orders. You can come with me, with us.”
Tears fill Bert’s eyes. “You just want Charles.”
“Charles is dead. You’re not. I want to be with you. There’s time to live our lives together—time that was stolen from us by him.” I point at Kragen.
“Youstole that life from me,” Bert argues.
I stare at my brother, not sure how to help him. “Kragen stole both of our lives. He killed Charles. All three of us are his victims. Don’t let him have this power over you.”
“She’s angry because you’re not as perfect as your older brother,” Kragen continues his brainwashing. “She wishes it was Charles who was still alive, not you. You were a weak and needy child. Always a burden. In fact, if it weren’t for you, I would have never seen the love between these two.” He nods toward Thorne and me.
“Shut up, Kragen,” I retort.
“He deserves to know the truth, Elsbeth.”
“Bert, don’t listen to him. His truth isn’t real. I love you. I’ve always loved you.”
My younger brother wipes a tear. “Kragen’s right.” He shoves the stake even further into Thorne’s chest, moving closer to his heart.
Movement behind them catches my eye. Crouched low and moving quickly is the shadow of Samirah. I know Kragen sees her too, but he doesn’t acknowledge her. She’s heading straight toward Bert and Thorne.
“Bert, let him go,” I warn.
“Do my master’s bidding,” he answers. “Take his life.”
I turn toward Kragen, whose arms are spread out to the side, with his chest bared. “I’m ready, my dear.”
I hear Samirah before I see her. In what sounds like a whoosh of sound, I turn just as she leaps onto the back of Bertram, teeth bared.
“No!” I shout just as she bites into my brother’s neck, separating his head from his body.
It takes a few minutes for the realization of whatjust happened to sink in. My brother’s head is lying on the deck next to his now collapsed body. He’s dead. Bertram is dead.
“What did you do?” I scream toward the crouched body of Samirah.
“He was going to kill Thorne,” she answers, moving in front of me. “That wasn’t okay.”
“He wasn’t going to kill him,” I argue. “He was just a confused little boy.”
