Soul Bound (Moonstone Saga #2)(44)
Author: Courtney Cole

I couldn’t see his face in the darkness, but I could feel that he was shocked.  His silence attested to that.

“What do we do?” he asked quietly.

“You know what we have to do,” I answered.  “You know what you have to do.”

Silence.

I strained to see him, but could barely see my hand in front of my face.  I looked to my right.  The vision of Olympus was gone.  Apparently Zeus had wanted to extinguish all forms of light around us.  We were left with nothing but the eerie red ring of the sun.

Without the energy from the moon, I instantly felt weaker, although I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination at this point. Surely my strength wouldn’t drain so quickly.  But I was still hungry.  I knew that for sure.  My throat was as dry as a bone, so dry that I constantly felt like I needed to cough.   I was at a distinct disadvantage.  Not only was my energy draining at an exponential rate, I had to deal with my curse as well.  I could only pray that Brennan would kill me before I killed him.

And then I had to laugh at myself.  I had to pray?  Pray to whom?  The gods?  No one there would help me.  None of them could.  The only one who could wanted my head on a spike for the world to see.  I laughed a humorless laugh and then fell as silent as Brennan.

“Brennan?” I said quietly.

No answer.

“Brennan?” I asked, this time in concern.  Why wasn’t he answering?

Finally, his low voice came from the shadows.  “I’m here,” he replied.

“Why weren’t you answering?” I asked.   My heart had started a slow slam against my ribcage.  Was this it?  Was he finally coming to his senses and he was going to kill me?  Was I going to die soon?

“It’s hard to speak,” he said, his voice heavy.  “There’s a weight on me.  I can’t move very well.”

“A weight?” I asked quickly, rushing through the darkness to find him.  I tripped on the altar and went sprawling across the stone.  I lay still for a moment, rubbing my throbbing shin before I climbed to my feet again.   Feeling my way carefully around the altar, it didn’t take long for my fingers to brush against Brennan’s warm body.  My first thought was that his normally very hot body wasn’t nearly as hot as usual.  It was back down to a normal body temperature.  Secondly, his skin was clammy.  I fumbled for his face and pushed his damp hair away from his forehead.

“Come sit down,” I instructed him, pulling him toward the altar.

“I don’t feel right,” he mumbled.   I gently pushed him onto the altar and curled up with him on the stone, stroking his arm.  I gritted my teeth at the frustration of being so close to his tantalizing smell, but I had to stay with him.  He needed me.

“I think the absence of light is harder on you than the absence of moonlight is hard on me,” I observed.  “It’s affecting you more quickly.  It probably has something to do with the fact that moonlight is only a reflection of the sun or something.  God knows we’ve been warned about that enough.”

As I spoke, a thought occurred to me, a thought so horrible that it stilled my hand immediately and I pushed Brennan away as I leaped to me feet.

“What is it?” he asked groggily.  “What’s wrong?”

“I think I steal your energy,” I said uncertainly.  “Do you feel better the farther I am away from you?”

As I spoke, I backed up, further and further until I was against the invisible wall.

“Do you feel somewhat better now?” I called to him.

“A little,” he answered.  His voice wasn’t quite so sluggish.  It was true.  I absorbed what little energy he had left.  I would have to stay very far away from him.

“Brennan, you’re going to have to end this,” I said wearily.  “Soon, you will be too drained to function.  You have to kill me and end this now.  Please.”

“I can’t,” he answered sadly.  “I honestly don’t think that I can.  I don’t think I can make myself hurt you.”

The despair in his voice caused me to weep.  I couldn’t help it and I felt so weak, but I couldn’t stop the tears that streaked down my cheeks.  My shoulders shook with my sobs and I thought bitterly that Zeus was probably vastly enjoying my sadness.  Even that thought couldn’t stop the flow of tears.

“Please don’t cry, Emmie,” Brennan begged from across the way.  “I can’t stand it.  Please.  It’s tearing my heart out.”

“There’s a way to end it,” I pointed out dryly.

More silence.

He was ignoring me now as he tried to ignore the effect the eclipse was having on him.  I knew exactly what he was doing, because I was doing it myself.  I was trying not to think about the discomfort that my curse was causing me or the pain that sprung forth every time I thought of not being with Brennan.

I curled up into a ball on the icy cold of the stone altar and closed my eyes.  The blackness of sleep consumed me quickly.

* * *

“Empusa.”

I opened my eyes.  It was still blacker than the blackest night.  The trees were still, there was no wind.  I couldn’t see Brennan anywhere, but I knew he was here.

“Empusa,” the voice whispered again.

Gaia.

I sat up, the stone of the altar cold beneath my hands.  It was so very cold here.  I shivered without meaning to.  I hated to show Zeus my discomfort and I gritted my teeth together in an effort to keep them from chattering.  I couldn’t see her, but Gaia’s voice was right in my ear.

“Don’t turn around,” she cautioned me.  “Zeus is watching.”

I glanced towards where the vision of Olympus had been, but it was still black.  I couldn’t see them, but I had no doubt that Gaia was right and that they were watching me at this very moment. I could practically feel their silver eyes on my skin.

I tried to look as casual as possible as I stretched, then tucked one leg under me as if I was just trying to get comfortable in the cold.  I stilled, waiting for Gaia to speak again.  When she did, it was a feather-soft whisper in my ear.

“Hades sent me to remind you of something,” she said hurriedly.

In my mind’s eye, I could picture her glancing toward the Olympians, worrying that Zeus would discover her presence.  Gaia was a survivor.  She would never put herself in danger unless she considered the reason to be very, very important.  I gulped hard.  She was putting herself into danger for me.