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The bond between us reopened, and I knew that was my cue to go to him. I took the final few steps and sat down beside him. He turned his face to mine and his blue eyes were dead. Lifeless. I couldn't blame him. He'd single handedly killed his brother. And Amir had taken the easy way out. He refused to fight, to beg, to ask for forgiveness for his behavior.
"Stefan?" I whispered. Tentatively, I reached out to him, resting my hand on his arm. The blood on his arm had turned a dark red, staining his pale, flawless skin.
"I killed the wolf," he muttered. His head tipped back and he stared into the bright, cloudless sky. "I killed my brother, Josephine. I had no choice. I had no other option."
My heart shattered into a million pieces as he begged for some sort of absolution. I would have told him anything to lessen his pain, to ease his guilt. "I know. You did what you had to do, Stefan. He was like Kian."
His head snapped back and those blue eyes gazed back into mine. "Did I? When did everyone change sides? When did this become a battle to exist, to survive?"
Swallowing hard, I shook my head sadly. "When you found me. Everything was set into motion because of who I am and what I can do." I looked down at my hand. It was still gripping his arm, holding on to the one thing that still made me feel alive. "He would have killed us, one by one. Fletcher, Lukas...then he would have tried to kill us. My shield isn't perfect. Certain abilities interfere and it doesn't work. Kian will find a way around it."
He was quiet and a still hung in the air between us. "His blood is on my hands. He let me murder him because he lacked the courage to end his own life. He chose greed over honor. He deserved to die for his crimes. As does his accomplice."
Glancing over my shoulder at Liev, I noticed his uneasiness and eagerness to flee. If Fletcher hadn't restrained him, he'd have bolted. I nodded to my brother and he stepped away, letting me wrap my shield around him, keeping him securely in place.
"He was a pawn. Stefan. Amir only used his weakness to get what he wanted…what my father wanted." I gritted my teeth and my voice sounded harsh when I spoke. "He'd been working with him all along, at least since the Council meeting. Amir killed Lenora and Adolfo. He would have killed us without a second thought or care. He wasn't the same man you knew all those years ago."
His blond head bowed and he looked at the pile of ash and clothes, which was all that remained of Amir. "You are right. I noticed the difference in him, the restlessness and deception is his eyes but I chose to overlook it. He had turned into the thing he feared the most."
My breath caught in my throat. "What was that?"
He raised his head and our eyes locked. The sparkle was back, but he remained solemn. His mouth settled into a thin line. "He turned into our maker."
Solveig. Amir had turned into the same power hungry vampire, hell bent on dominance at any cost. He had learned nothing from her death. His arrogance made him think he was invincible.
I scooted closer and pulled him to me, ignoring the blood that tainted his skin and clothes. Burying my nose into his chest, I hugged him tightly. It was then that I voiced his unspoken fear. "It won't happen to you, Stefan."
He breathed deeply and his voice was barely audible. "You sound so sure. There are no guarantees. Not anymore."
My embrace only grew tighter. My arms ached from holding him so tightly, but I refused to show him any weakness. A feeling of calm washed over me as I remembered the dream I’d shared with Garrett. Who knew I’d be using his words of wisdom so soon. "I am sure. You're everything Amir could never be. You're good, Stefan. To your very core, you're a good man. My uncle would have given you this advice if he was here, but since he isn’t, I’ll share it with you instead. You need to let the guilt go…and regret nothing you do if it means you live to see another day."
His mouth brushed against my forehead and I felt relief flood his body. His tense muscles relaxed and he melted against me. It was time for me to take over, to handle things and let him deal with the grief and guilt that plagued his heart.
"We need to go. Regroup and go home." I whispered. I gave him a final squeeze and stood, facing the group of men, each dealing with their own demons.
"I'm going to let you go, Liev. Don't take my forgiveness as a weakness. If you cross me or my family again, I will end you."
I drew back my shield and faced Fletcher. "We're leaving tomorrow. There will be a seat for you, if you decide to come with us."
He jutted his chin and his sharp eyes narrowed. "Thank you."
"You saved Lukas' life today. I should thank you." I looked at him curiously. “How did you know to follow me?”
“Call it brotherly intuition that you needed backup…and you left a note. And about the rest…we'll agree to disagree. You see, you gave me back something I'd lost.” Fletcher fiddled with his jacket and shifted uncomfortably. "You gave me back hope. I didn't have much left until I met you."
My eyes welled with tears. He didn't like to be touched, but I launched myself at him anyway. I was surprised to feel his strong arms return the embrace.
“I hope you'll come with us,” I whispered in his ear. “I’ll be making arrangements to leave tomorrow. Be at Garrett’s tomorrow morning if you’re interested.”
He tipped his head and offered me a wide smile, the first I’d seen from him. "Goodbye, Josie. I'll see you soon."
Fletcher went to Liev and they headed out of the clearing together. All that remained was Lukas, Stefan and myself.
“We need to help him, Stefan. He’s a mess.” My mind reached out to Stefan. He slowly stood and walked across the clearing to his child who was slumped in the grass, still curled up into a tight ball.
“Lukas. Come. It is not safe not stay out here.” Stefan commanded gently. He knelt down on one knee beside Lukas. “I am sorry you were pulled into this. I did my best to keep you safe.”
Lukas struggled to sit up. He refused to look at either of us, keeping his eyes to the ground. He wrapped his arms around his legs and rocked back and forth.
