“Adam,” the Bishop said sharply. “Drain her now. Your blood will sustain her and the bonding will heal this. You don’t have time to hesitate. Humans are fragile.”
“Marry us.”
“We can see to that later—”
“Now!” He panted, meeting the Bishop’s eyes. “And if I am a widower by morning … end me.”
The Bishop’s wise eyes measured the dire situation. He gave a stiff nod. “Take her blood, my son.”
Adam sank his fangs into her wrist. Spasms tore through her, as he pulled with heavy swallows from her contracting veins. She hardly sipped from his wrist, but his own blood would replenish her cells and return her strength.
She convulsed with tremors. The more he drank the colder her temperature dropped. Her body seized in his arms and his grip tightened.
“I require her full name.”
He couldn’t speak once the bonding began. Grace lowered to the floor, her eyes holding his as he drank.
She brushed a hand over Annalise’s hair. “It’s Annalise Erin Snow.” Her gaze reflected worry. “Her mind is quiet, but unguarded.”
The Bishop placed a hand on Adam’s head. Sharp panic knifed through him. What if this wasn’t what she wanted? He broke his promise to help Cain. She might hate him for his actions.
“She loves you, Adam,” Gracie whispered, reading his thoughts. “I’ve seen it in her mind.”
His heart pounded a mixture of fearful relief and hope, as her pulse thrummed to a rapid beat, a battle of life and death beginning in her veins. His blood slowly replaced hers as he drank from her, his body churning her blood into nourishment that returned his strength.
It was happening. He could feel the frayed ends of his nerves weaving with hers, his senses resurrecting to a clearer perception, as her breathing slowed to a calmer pace.
“Today we enact the union of Annalise Erin Snow and Adam Hartzler, called mates by the decree of God, whose everlasting bond will sustain their connection for ewichkeit. Adam, do you vow to honor this calling and proceed with humility and gentleness, protecting your mate above all else, including yourself.”
He nodded, opening his mind so all could see the purity of his intentions. When Grace did not respond, he understood the Bishop’s superior abilities allowed him to witness his thoughts first hand.
“And as your eternal partner in this world, does Annalise promise to submit to Adam in obedience and grace?”
Adam’s breath held. His sister’s worry reflected his own. His gaze shifted to the Bishop.
“She must agree, Adam.”
“She agrees,” Grace announced, her deceit pelting him like ice.
Adam’s eyes widened and the Bishop paused. There could be no lies kept in the presence of such a seasoned Elder.
“She told me,” Grace announced. “Just a few hours before.” More lies. “She loves him.”
Adam’s heart kicked at his ribs. Her last words tasted of honesty. He looked at Gracie and she nodded.
His gaze dropped to Annalise, his heart bursting with love and his need to wed her tripling. Their fates would be forever sealed after this day, their family made of love and unity, and a bond no other could break.
“Very well,” the Bishop said. “By the power vested in me, I sanction this marriage in the eyes of God. Let it be recorded by the Immortal Amish Order that from this day forward, Annalise Erin Snow shall be known as Annalise Hartzler, wife of Adam Hartzler, bonded in blood, sealed in eternal life. Nothing short of death shall divide the two.”
The Bishop rose to his full height. “She is yours, Adam.”
The last drop of human blood passed his lips. He lifted his mouth, overwhelming emotion choking him and delaying his gratitude.
The Bishop nodded his understanding. “Send word when the bond is complete. I must go see to your brother.”
Gracie stood as well. “The resting is about to start. I’ll leave you.”
He poured his gratitude into his stare and pulled Annalise fully into his arms. He continued to feed her, as her swallows remained shallow. Soon her skin would flush with his immortal life force, and her strength would return—stronger than ever before.
When the resting began and her lips pulled away, he closed the wound at his wrist and carried her to the bed. He stripped her of her wedding clothes, tossing the blood drenched garments on the floor, and washed her body of any markings.
He arranged her peacefully on the bed, drawing the covers over her chest. And the waiting began.
Her heart slowed until there was nothing. The room stood silent as a tomb. He watched her lips, awaiting her first new breath. He listened for the first rattle of her heart. He waited for the flutter of her pulse. He held his breath, studying her eyes, not wanting to miss the moment they opened.
Minutes felt like centuries. As time stretched his panic showed. His fingers glided over her chilled skin, too cold.
“Annalise,” he whispered, voice shaking. “Come back to me, ainsicht. I need you now.”
He swallowed. Her face rested, as unmoving as a china doll. Time atrophied. He forced himself to remain still and patient. But as the resting stretched on, he knew something had gone terribly wrong.
Chapter Forty-Three
Larissa’s muscles clenched with pent up rage as Silus paced at the doorway of their bedroom.
“You will not leave this room,” he ordered. “The Council requires my presence. I’ll not only have to aid in the sentencing of your brother but answer for your humiliating behavior tonight.”
Her heart heaved with worry. “Will you not speak on Cain’s behalf? He is your brother by law.”
“He’s nothing to me!” His eyes narrowed to pinholes, darker than his soul. “And you will not speak of him under my roof!” He gripped the door, removing the key from the lock. “Disobey me, and you will be punished.”
The door slammed and she flinched. The familiar sound of the lock turning preceded his footsteps. She preferred isolation to his company.
Her mind turned to Cain, her worry stifling. They would execute him. By now, the bonding was likely done, and Annalise irrevocably belonged to Adam. Cain was truly alone in this world, as was she.
Their abandonment of Cain, their unquestioning trust in Adam… She could not be in the middle. But there was no middle. No one cared that Cain had been called to the same woman as their brother. No one trusted what went against tradition.
The truth slapped her like iron, weighing her down to an unchanging place. There was no growth here. No escape. No hope.
Cain’s experience, his pull to a woman designed for someone else, proved that promised soul mates were not always the answer. They had been taught nothing but lies, promises from inexpert Elders, in order to keep them obedient and docile. And when those lies were exposed, the rabble-rousers were punished.
Larissa desired truth. She was through pretending. Her serene veneer had cracked long ago, and she was finished putting others before herself.
She’d find Cain and escape this place, once and for all. She’d never survive an eternity with Silus. There was no hope in this lonesome place.
The Elders would meet tonight. They’d want to deal with this situation swiftly and…
Her heart ached. If only she could speak on her brother’s behalf. But females were forbidden to attend Council meetings.
Silus was not an Elder, but with two of his forbearers on the Elder Council, he assumed an undeserved authority, and no one blinked an eye. His lust for power might be a secret to the Council, but she knew his desires to one day hold a position of influence.
She scowled at the door, her shoulders shaking with his imposed imprisonment. Her breath labored as her jaw locked. The walls of her sanity constricted until the indignant screams inside her head vibrated her spine.
Be the obedient wife…
Submit to your husband, he is your lord and master…
Fetch my shoes…
Lie still…
She spru
ng to her feet, eyes narrowing in the lock. Pulling back her lips, she hissed and kicked the door, splintering the wood into the hall.
She growled under her breath. Her nose lifted, scenting the air. The house was silent.
Her wrist twisted, her hand curling, claws digging into the wall like talons. She prowled through the silent hall, her nails scoring the plaster.
She threw open the front door and loomed at the front step. A prison behind her, the wide-open future ahead.
The moonlight cut through her nightgown as her bare feet pressed into the boggy ground. Black hair fanning down her back, she walked like a pagan into the woods.
The further she walked from her home, the faster her steps. Her heart beat steadily, its increasing tempo edging her on. Sprinting into a run, she raced through the trees. Branches whipped at her clothes and mud caked between her toes.
Reaching the edge of the forest, she slowed her steps and crept along the shadows. The barn loomed in the fallen moonlight. The wind held still.
Scanning the vacant surroundings, she dashed across the field, pressing her back against the planked wall of the barn. She slipped into the shadows, and winced when the wide door groaned as she pulled it open.
A smile overtook her face. Cain told the truth. The car filled the space, keys dangling beneath the wheel.
The door squeaked as she opened it. So many buttons and dials. She turned the key, and her breath caught as the machine roared to life, softly vibrating beneath her legs.
Panting with excitement, she twisted knobs and pulled levers, gasping when the car rushed backwards, crashing into the back wall of the barn. She needed to go forward.
Her foot pressed the pedals and wheels turned, the engine roaring. She pushed the lever in the center and her body flew back, the car propelling forward and crashing through the barn door.
She laughed and gripped the wheel, the car careening into the cornfield. The bumpy drive bounced her on the seat as stalks of corn whipped noisily at the glass. And then she was free, shooting onto the road and speeding into the night.
Chapter Forty-Four
Cain’s eyes flew open as he gasped for air, drawing a lungful of breath into his burning lungs. He sent his senses outward, sensing he was not alone. In a cell, yes, but guarded.
His mind reached for Annalise, meeting a steel wall where he usually found a fissure of light. He couldn’t locate her, couldn’t sense her. Panic tightened his chest and he pushed his mind harder, wincing when his efforts brought sharp pain.
Iron cut into his flesh. Cuffs restricted his circulation and slowed his blood flow. Chains rattled along the crude cement floor as he shifted to stand, but there wasn’t enough slack. They’d tethered him to a low point in the wall.
His eyes searched the shadows for any kind of tool or weapon. Rodents scurried along the dank corridor walls outside of his cell. The rich scent of earth informed him he was several stories underground. A door slammed in the distance.
Heavy footsteps fell in measured steps, growing louder as someone approached. The swipe of a match preceded the flickering glow of a torch.
“Where is he?”
Cain’s eyes closed as he prepared for the inevitable. His head swayed with a wave of vertigo. Bile rose in his stomach, but he swallowed it back. His mouth filled with saliva and blood. Turning his head, he spit on the floor, more wooziness gripping him.
He lost interest in the voices in the distance. Vaguely hearing the footsteps, his mind focused on his breathing. Weakness—so much weakness.
“You’re conscious.”
He jerked at the unapologetic probe forced into his mind and showed his teeth. Only the Bishop had the power to trespass so brazenly. Cain growled at the intrusion.
Heavy footfalls echoed closer. Cain angled his face away from the flickering light, his eyes too sensitive to face it.
“Good evening, Cain,” the Bishop greeted.
Cain’s breathing filled the silence, his eyes fighting to block the unwanted light.
“Do you understand why you’re here?”
He squinted, as the Bishop lit several oil lamps along the corridor wall. “Where’s Annalise?” Cain slurred.
“She is with her mate.”
His newly healed chest lifted under the crust of dried blood, his freshly graphed skin pulling tight. He pushed his mind forward again, the slight exertion draining him. “I can’t sense her.”
“I’m not surprised. You’re weak and she’s not yours to sense.”
His jaw clenched. Their connection existed. He’d felt it and so had she. “Have they bonded?”
“That’s no concern of yours now.”
“Give me the truth!”
“Control yourself. The girl’s situation holds no relevance to your circumstances. I’ll give you the truth when you share yours. Explain your behavior.”
Something wasn’t right. He should be able to sense her. Their connection severed when Adam attacked him. But that was hours ago.
He jerked against his bonds, roaring with frustration. “Tell me where she is!”
“Silence.”
The Bishop held the highest authority, Cain’s alliance to the order and the powers that be, crumbled the moment they turned on him. Though the man had three centuries seniority over him, and possessed the ability to eviscerate him with only his will, Cain would not obey. His loyalty was to Annalise.
“Why isn’t she responding?” His arms jerked and his body thrashed, unable to break free or penetrate the wall blocking him from sensing her mind.
His agitation exploded. Muscles corded along his limbs, as he yanked the chains bolted into the wall. His heart beat erratically, as adrenaline burned through his veins. Bearing his teeth, his neck contorted with stretched muscle, and he roared through his teeth at the pain.
What was happening to him?
Fire seared his insides as sweat broke over his skin. Churning lava tunneled through his arteries, clogging every passage, and stealing the oxygen from his blood. He could feel his cells dying, popping like tiny molecules as the dark veil of death seeped into his limbs.
His spine bowed, his arms tugging against the chains as a roar of pain ripped from his chest and echoed off the walls. Soot and plaster crumbled from the cracks in the wall. He growled, his eyes flashing with fury, as whatever was taking over him threatened to snuff out the very life in him.
“I said control yourself!”
He flashed his fangs at the bishop and hissed into the light. Unable to control his body’s reflexes, he thrashed against the consuming cold. Scalding heat burned on his skin as ice chopped like rapids at his insides. His limbs trembled, and his lungs convulsed.
Every breath only teased the shallow crevices of his lungs. Pain consumed him. Sweat poured into his eyes. And then everything stopped.
Cheek pressed to the cement floor, he panted. His throat wheezed, carved open from his screams and raw under his words.
“Something’s … wrong.”
His larynx burned, but not as much as his fury when the bishop merely tipped his head and watched him with flat eyes, devoid of empathy.
“Does your soul suffer for her?” There was genuine curiosity in his even tone.
Cain panted through the spiking discomfort, his tongue licking over his dry lips. He wanted to explain the unbearable pain, the sense of death swallowing him whole, but his body was too weak. Face pinching with shame and agony, he softly wept.
Cain felt the bishop’s presence in his mind as he spoke. “Do you truly believe you were called to her, a human destined for your twin? It’s impossible. Your delusions have cost you your life, I’m afraid.”
He was already dying. It didn’t make sense. He had his mother’s and sister’s blood. His wounds on the outside had healed. Yet something inside of him syphoned his strength, as if pulling his life through a funnel and leaving only the husk of his body behind.
“Did you honestly believe you had a claim to her?”
“I do
n’t…” He panted, the sharp stab of pain stealing his breath. “…know.”
He jerked as another rush of adrenaline stabbed through him. His muscles locked, jolting his spine forward as he bowed against the unforgiving ground. The bolts jostled in the wall as his body thrust against the chains.
“Enough!”
His bones screamed as his body slackened and he collapsed. Grit stuck to his face, blood seeping from the corner of his eye.
The sense of his insides popping with little bursts of pain and his veins reconstructing brought excruciating agony. It was as if he were being reborn, torn apart thread by thread, only to be sewn back together again. But it was killing him.
A shiver ripped through him as understanding dawned. The pain was not his own, but hers.
How?
His fingers, which felt broken and severed, twitched at his back. His lungs, which burned with fire, heaved in his chest. And the blood he tasted…
As another wave of agony tore through him, he accepted that it was her life being siphoned away and her pain calling to him. The bonding had begun, and from the other side, he could only feel her pain. Just as she had known his anger and frustration, he was losing her. Adam was stealing her presence from his soul. Taking away her gentle light until nothing but darkness filled him.
He had nothing left of her. She was gone. All but her pain.
If her light died inside of him, what would become of him in the end?
“What’s … happening … to me?” he begged, desperate for the bishop’s knowledge.
“You’re weak from the earlier altercation.”
His weakness had nothing to do with the fight. His injuries had healed. This fresh agony was beyond anything his brother had done. “This is … different.”
The Bishop stepped closer, his mind probing Cain’s. “You’re fine.”
“Something’s happening!”
“Genunk! The bonding has begun and your fate is sealed. You must relent this obsession and save the last of your dignity to face the Council.”
“I can feel her pai—”
Original Sin (The Order of Vampires Book 1) Page 38
