know," he said with a finality meant to dissuade her from continuing.
He had always had a tentative alliance with Gabby. It was Liz and Sam she was really friends with. They had always fought tooth and nail over everything. Even the day that he had asked, no told, her to help him when he had managed to piss off Katrin, the two thousand year old witch that had it in for him. Everyone else was just guilty by association. Then Aya had come along and shit had hit the fan and splattered over everything.
Now that he was here with Gabby in the middle of the night, lying on his parents grave… she didn't seem all that bad. He might even like her a little, even though she was a witch. Zac realized he'd let the whole witch vs. vampire thing drop the moment she had been kidnapped by Arturius. He hadn't even realized. He wondered when she had gotten over it.
He didn't even realize that they'd been lying there in silence for at least ten minutes until Gabby asked, "Did you really love her?"
Her question stabbed him right through the chest and it felt as sharp and as vividly painful as the bullet that had ended him. "What a stupid question," he hissed.
"It's not," she said and he felt her gaze on him. "Even vampires can love."
"I thought so," he whispered, letting his arm fall back to his side. "But, now I'm not so sure." Turning his face towards hers he saw her struggling with what she wanted to tell him. He knew Aya had said something to her about him and he couldn't help it. "What did she say?"
"I think she's just doing it to protect you."
"What makes you say that?"
"It seemed difficult for her." She looked away.
He snorted, not really believing her. Nothing was ever difficult for Aya. There was no doubt in his mind that she had left with that annoying knight, Tristan. He knew something that he didn't and now he was disposable. She'd recharged her batteries and found a new lead on the last Roman, Regulus. He wasn't needed anymore.
"Nothing's difficult for her," he said out loud.
"Nobody's that heartless, not even a vampire."
That really annoyed him and he struggled to keep his anger in check. "Why are you defending her?"
"I'm not, I…"
"I get it, Gabby. Witches and Celestines walk hand in hand. You're all buddy buddy with your secret witches business."
She sighed, obviously wanting to berate him further, but she remained silent. "Listen, Zac," she said after a minute. "Perhaps this was just the lesser of two evils. Perhaps leaving was the kindest thing she could do."
"What's done is done, Gabby," he huffed. "No use playing detective. I don't really want to hear it."
"Give it some time, Zac."
He jerked his hand away when he felt her warm fingers curl around his. "Time is all I've got."
"Don't forget the two vampires, a witch and a human, too."
Damn it. Gabby was right. Why did she always have to be right? He let out a strangled laugh, turning his face away from her. "I never thought I'd hear myself saying this, but I'm glad you were here." A witch and a vampire best friends ? At least miracles happened sometimes . And this was a Christmas miracle.
"Are you in control of your senses?" she joked.
"Unfortunately."
"Well, right place, right time, I guess."
He felt himself stiffen. Someone else had said those words to him when he had been in the same position. Except this was a grave he was lying on and not a ditch he was lying in. Morgan had picked him up and brought him back from insanity. And now she was dead. All because she had tried to help him again. All because she had loved him. Now, Aya had thrown him away and what was love but a way to hurt him and everyone else beyond repair.
"Gabby?" he whispered.
"Yeah?"
"I have a bad feeling that this is it."
"What do you mean?" Her voice had a note of worry that annoyed him, but he let it slide.
"That I've been who I was meant to be all along."
CHAPTER SIX
Z ac was so completely lost, the only place he
He had always had a tentative alliance with Gabby. It was Liz and Sam she was really friends with. They had always fought tooth and nail over everything. Even the day that he had asked, no told, her to help him when he had managed to piss off Katrin, the two thousand year old witch that had it in for him. Everyone else was just guilty by association. Then Aya had come along and shit had hit the fan and splattered over everything.
Now that he was here with Gabby in the middle of the night, lying on his parents grave… she didn't seem all that bad. He might even like her a little, even though she was a witch. Zac realized he'd let the whole witch vs. vampire thing drop the moment she had been kidnapped by Arturius. He hadn't even realized. He wondered when she had gotten over it.
He didn't even realize that they'd been lying there in silence for at least ten minutes until Gabby asked, "Did you really love her?"
Her question stabbed him right through the chest and it felt as sharp and as vividly painful as the bullet that had ended him. "What a stupid question," he hissed.
"It's not," she said and he felt her gaze on him. "Even vampires can love."
"I thought so," he whispered, letting his arm fall back to his side. "But, now I'm not so sure." Turning his face towards hers he saw her struggling with what she wanted to tell him. He knew Aya had said something to her about him and he couldn't help it. "What did she say?"
"I think she's just doing it to protect you."
"What makes you say that?"
"It seemed difficult for her." She looked away.
He snorted, not really believing her. Nothing was ever difficult for Aya. There was no doubt in his mind that she had left with that annoying knight, Tristan. He knew something that he didn't and now he was disposable. She'd recharged her batteries and found a new lead on the last Roman, Regulus. He wasn't needed anymore.
"Nothing's difficult for her," he said out loud.
"Nobody's that heartless, not even a vampire."
That really annoyed him and he struggled to keep his anger in check. "Why are you defending her?"
"I'm not, I…"
"I get it, Gabby. Witches and Celestines walk hand in hand. You're all buddy buddy with your secret witches business."
She sighed, obviously wanting to berate him further, but she remained silent. "Listen, Zac," she said after a minute. "Perhaps this was just the lesser of two evils. Perhaps leaving was the kindest thing she could do."
"What's done is done, Gabby," he huffed. "No use playing detective. I don't really want to hear it."
"Give it some time, Zac."
He jerked his hand away when he felt her warm fingers curl around his. "Time is all I've got."
"Don't forget the two vampires, a witch and a human, too."
Damn it. Gabby was right. Why did she always have to be right? He let out a strangled laugh, turning his face away from her. "I never thought I'd hear myself saying this, but I'm glad you were here." A witch and a vampire best friends ? At least miracles happened sometimes . And this was a Christmas miracle.
"Are you in control of your senses?" she joked.
"Unfortunately."
"Well, right place, right time, I guess."
He felt himself stiffen. Someone else had said those words to him when he had been in the same position. Except this was a grave he was lying on and not a ditch he was lying in. Morgan had picked him up and brought him back from insanity. And now she was dead. All because she had tried to help him again. All because she had loved him. Now, Aya had thrown him away and what was love but a way to hurt him and everyone else beyond repair.
"Gabby?" he whispered.
"Yeah?"
"I have a bad feeling that this is it."
"What do you mean?" Her voice had a note of worry that annoyed him, but he let it slide.
"That I've been who I was meant to be all along."
CHAPTER SIX
Z ac was so completely lost, the only place he
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