Page 99 of Origins of Eternity

“Iamsorry,” she said again. “But this wasn’t ever going to end any other way.”

She pulled Gigi’s body down to the floor and went to her closet, where she pressed the button and looked around the small, hidden room, figuring out where Zara had gone to the moment Gigi said Zara had run. If Zara had run, Gigi would’ve been able to follow her scent, but not in the room that was one step away from being hermetically sealed.

“Zara?”

“Oh, thank God,” Zara said when her head popped up from behind the bed.

“You’re safe. You can come out. I have to get Arwen.”

“Where is she? Is she okay?”

“No, she’s not, and I want you to leave before she wakes up.”

“Wakes up? You–” Zara paused and stood. “She’s…”

“She’s becoming one of us now, yes. I got there too late. And when she wakes up, I need to be the one to tell her that I failed her, so I need you to be gone.”

“I want to talk to her to explain myself,” Zara said and moved around the bed and out into the closet with her.

Iro shoved her into the wall, making the hanging clothes bang and fling around them, and she held the knife to Zara’s neck, baring her fangs as she growled.

“This is partly your fault. You led her to this.”

“Youled her to this,” Zara argued. “Had we not metyouthat night, she’d still be human.”

“And I will never forgive myself for that, but you led Cassia to her. You made it easier for Cassia to get what she wants, and I am determined to never let Cassia get what she wants ever again.”

“I’ll help you,” Zara offered.

“You’ll leave,” Iro replied and stepped back. “Before I do something else Arwen will never forgive me for.”

Zara looked terrified as she stood up fully.

“Where can I go? Cassia knows where I live. She’ll just send someone else to kill me.”

“Go to my office and stay there for now, until I figure out what I want to do with you. I want to talk to Arwen first. As much as I want to…” Iro shook her head. “I’m not doing anything without discussing it with her. She’s already had the biggest choice of her life taken away from her. I’m not going to do that to her again. There’s a door concealed in the wall by the bathroom in my office. I’ll call security and tell them to let you up. You can hide there from Cassia and whoever else. I have animal blood in the small fridge in there, too. It won’t taste good, but it’s better than nothing.”

Zara looked down and saw blood.

“I smelled it, but I thought it was Gigi’s.” She reached for Iro. “You’re not healing.”

“Iwill. Now, go. Stay there until I tell you, Zara.”

“Okay. I’ll go.”

“And, Zara?”

“Yes?”

“I don’t know how she’s going to feel, but she… might not want me after this, once she realizes what I’ve brought into her life. I hope that’s not the case, but it might be, and I won’t put my own needs over hers. I… She might need you.”

“I’m a vampire, too,” Zara said. “I helped Cassia.”

“Yes, but she’ll ultimately forgive you for that in time. It’s easier with friends; harder with–”

“One true loves?” Zara guessed. “Is that what you two are? Why it happened so quickly between the two of you? How you were able to push Cassia aside so easily?”

“I hope so. I hope she’ll forgive me,” she said. “Now, go. I’ll text you the address. Take the subway. Stay sharp and look around for anyone who might be following you. Turn off your phone once you have the information to get you there. I’ll have someone in security leave you a new one on my desk. It will have my number and only my number programmed into it. Do you understand?”