Page 212 of Vampire so Virtuous

“Cally!”

The box sank quickly, water filling it so fast he barely had time to draw a last breath.

For what good it would do.

If he could just get a hand free.

He struggled against the chains, scrapinghis skin raw, the scent of blood mixing with the water. Yet it made no difference. They were too strong, too tight, and too many.

His lungs burned, but he refused to breathe.

All his power, all his strength, and it still wasn’t enough.

The box was still sinking, already far beneath the surface. He had to get out. He had to breathe.

Water rushed into his lungs, choking him. His body screamed for air, but there was nothing—only the pain building in his chest. There was no air to be had but still his body tried to breathe, and he convulsed under the weight of his need. His head thrashed, desperate for a release that would never come.

His chest tightened, an agonizing vice, and he forced his legs to push, his head slamming into the box with a dull thud.

The pressure of the water hampered his movements, and it wasn’t enough.

Over and over.

His skull cracked against the box, again and again, a punishing rhythm that did nothing but add to his pain. The box didn’t budge, and his body screamed in frustration.

Even with all his strength, even with the burning hunger in his lungs, there was no escape. No release. The agony was overwhelming, but it wouldn’t kill him. There was no peace to be had.

Forever in this watery grave, madness his only respite.

Antoine reached for their bond, grasping at it like a lifeline. It tugged him west, to where she waited for him. But instead of the solace he sought, it only tore open the wound of his failure.

Je suis désolé.Je t’aime.