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I chose to create chaos.

“I no longer want to die.” I said with finality.

“Of course not. Because ofCecelia,”

“Maybe,” I hedged,

“You know what I want, Mercy? I want you to finally admit that you’re everything you said you wouldn’t be. That would be your gift to me. Be honest, tell me that you love her. Tell me that I could never be what she is to you.”

It felt like a trap, but a trap I was falling into purposefully. I was sick of lying, and of walking on eggshells. I needed Narcissa to let my girl go, because she wasmy girl.

“Fine!” I said, exasperated, “I love her. I need her to be alive. I need her in my life. She’s changing me, and I need her to continue to do that. Ineed her.”

Narcissa snarled, as if my admission was still not good enough for her.

“You need her? Is that right? That’s a shame, then, since it seems she doesn’t want you anymore,” and I watched as she lowered her head and latched onto Cecelia’s neck, two perfect fangs sinking into her flesh. Cecelia let out a small whimper of pain, and I watched, unable to move, as she sucked the life out of her.

Turning a vampire isn’t an easy feat. Merely drinking and blood sharing isn’t enough. A vampire must pump into the wound on their own will. They must have the intent to let the parasite multiply and find another host. Narcissa eyed me as she continued to drink, and I let out a roar as I stumbled forward, grabbing for her as she swallowed each gulp. Kill her, or turn her, I could see the battle wrestling in her mind. What would hurt me worse?

My approach hastened her decision, and she continued to suck until I shoved her out of the way, hearing the thump as Cece hit the floor. Her body writhed and spasmed, and I watched as she started to die.

Narcissa clawed at my eyes and I dodged just barely, throwing her to the ground and rolling around. We were a tangled mess of limbs, so much like we were when we’d once been in bed. This time, though, I kicked and scratched without abandon, pulling at her hair and finding any open patch of skin that I could to bite.

My fangs found her arm and she screeched in pain as I dragged down. Her wound bled, and blood scattered onto the floor. It had become a bloody mess of a scene, and I found it hard to differentiate what mess belonged to who.

Narcissa used my momentary paralysis to find a sensitive spot on my ribs. She grabbed a hold of me and latched on like a leech, tearing the skin from my bones.

I screamed in agony, and that was the last thing I felt. My world went numb as I sent at long last a fleeting glance towards Cecelia on the ground. I couldn’t tell if she was breathing or not. Maybe she was dead.

If she was, I wish Narcissa would end me too. I wasn’t sure there was a world where I could live, and Cece could not.

Kill me now, Narcissa, I repeated to myself over and over again, as her fangs pricked my skin.

39

CECELIA

Everything burned.

My body was fire and pain and a torment I couldn’t escape. I was consumed with the flames of hell and I would burn until there was nothing left of me.

I was a phoenix with no hope of rising from the ashes.

* * *

Narcissa had sunkher fangs into me and sucked the life out of me. I had felt my body go limp as she hunched over me, taking everything I was from me until I was a lifeless husk. That’s what it felt like, at least.

I didn’t know how long ago that was. Minutes? Hours?Days?

It didn’t matter. Whatever she had done to me, I was now in a void with only pain to fill my consciousness. I wanted to scream but my mouth opened and only silence came out. I was in a prison of my own mind, held in a grasp of flaming venom flooding my system.

I had no option but to succumb, begging for it to be over soon.

* * *

There were voices around me.And screaming. So much screaming. I could hear them but whatever they were saying sounded like buzzing in my ears.

Somebody had hold of my body, whispering nonsensical words into my ear.