by Eliza Tilton
Pain shot through the spot—hot, venomous agony that made my head spin—and blood spurted from my arm like a fountain.
The last creature fell to the side, Leo standing behind him with a bloody knife. His face had lost all the beautiful color, replaced by bluish-white and dark circles.
He ripped the dead off me and threw them away before falling beside me in a mess of tears.
“No, no.” He scooped me into his arms and pressed against the wound. Blood oozed around his fingers.
“I’m okay,” I croaked, my throat burning.
“You are far from okay.”
Francesca appeared in the room, crying. “Where’s Christoff? I don’t see him anywhere.”
“Gone,” Leo said, and he shook his head. “All this, and I didn’t kill him.”
“Perhaps you weren’t supposed to,” I said. My chest burned, and I coughed.
Leo’s gaze widened, and he wiped my mouth with his hand. When he drew back, blood covered his fingers. “I need something to stop this bleeding! She’s losing too much.”
“I’m going to get help,” Francesca said before running out.
Pain blossomed in my chest when I moved. Each breath hurt. Was I really dying? I moved my head to better see my arm, and I wished I hadn’t. A vicious gash gushed blood from my forearm where the zombie had gnawed the skin. Leo kept his hand tightly against the wound, but I saw the truth in his frightened eyes.
“I tried to fix everything,” Leo said in a hushed voice. “I’ve made everything worse.”
I reached my hand up and placed it on his icy cheek. “You can change it now.”
“How?” he groaned. “I’m cursed.”
“Then let God set you free.” Finding the last bit of strength, I sang from the depths of my soul. Holding his gaze, I sang to him, about my feelings, about us, about his father, all while ignoring my own pain.
He sobbed, keeping my gaze tightly within his. Warmth spread through my body as I switched the melody, letting the joy inside my heart into his. The dark circles keeping his eyes hostage retreated. Holding the note, I caressed his face, a tingling sensation running through my arms and to the tips of my fingers. Where I touched his skin, life breathed in, bringing color. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back as I ran my hand down his neck. The bluish-white faded, replaced by beautiful olive tones. A sweet smile spread on his face.
When all the magic disappeared, I stopped and lay back in his arms.
He sniffled and smiled at me with those sparkling hazel eyes I’d come to love. “What did you do? It’s gone.”
My eyelids fluttered. “I . . . I sang.”
Leo leaned over and brought his lips to mine. The chaste kiss sent a spring of warmth through me. I envisioned us at the waterfall, kissing until the night swallowed us whole and we were lost inside the stars. His soft lips lingered as if breaking away from me would end everything. How beautiful that my last moments would be wrapped in a sweet kiss.
I only wished there would be more.
“Thank you,” he whispered, and a tear splashed on my cheek. “I’ll make things right. I promise you.”
“My Leo . . .” I wanted to tell him everything would be okay and, in time, all of this pain would fade.
“You stay with me, Arabella. Just hold on.” He brushed my cheek with his fingers and showered me with gentle kisses, hugging me closer to his chest.
I coughed again, blood splattering his white shirt. “Promise me that you’ll stop. If I die . . .”
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” he sobbed.
Humming thrummed in my ears. His lips moved, but I couldn’t hear anything. His face was torn, and tears covered his cheeks. Was he screaming my name? Every sound muffled, and exhaustion forced me to close my eyes.
Be good.
Don’t let the pain destroy you.
I promise one day you’ll be happy.
Chapter 28
Two Months Later
Arabella
Edgard packed the rest of the supplies into the wagon. Mother stood outside with Father, crying, Rufus wagging his tail beside them.
“I don’t understand why you both need to go. The roads aren’t safe,” Mother cried.
Father wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close.
“I know it’s hard, but I promise I’ll write as soon as we arrive at Oxford,” I said. “We’re staying on the merchant’s road. The Lord will keep us safe, and so will Edgard’s pistol.”
She nodded, and I leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek. Father grabbed us both in a hug.
“A change of scenery will be nice for both of you, and your Aunt Ruthie is excited to have you visit.” Father patted my head before letting me go.
I knelt to rub underneath Rufus’s chin. “I’ll miss you the most.”
Leaving Rufus tugged on my already broken heart. He’d been by my side for five years, and leaving him here tore me to pieces. But part of our journey was training. Edgard believed my gift would be an asset to the queen’s guard, and together, we would rid the world of monsters. While we did plan to visit our aunt, Edgard knew of a monastery in Oxford where they trained girls like me. Edgard could teach me how to shoot and throw a punch, but he knew little about training magic abilities.
Thinking of the future made me remember the past.
My mind was still hazy from the day of the wedding, but I remembered Leo’s face. My song broke through his curse, but what happened after that . . . I still didn’t know. Whatever zombies hadn’t been destroyed disappeared with Leo.
How could he leave after everything?
How could he leave me?
“Ready?” Edgard tossed a satchel over his shoulder.
I kissed Rufus on his wet nose before standing. “Yes.”
We climbed into the wagon, and our parents waved, my mother a sobbing mess.
It would take us a few weeks to reach Oxford, and during that time, Edgard planned to teach me more hand-to-hand combat. When I had come to a few days after the wedding, he told me they found me with no pulse, covered in my own blood. The bite on my arm had a vicious infection that went to my heart, but thanks to one of Mr. Barnum’s magical flowers and my father’s resuscitation techniques, I survived.
No one had seen Leo since that day.
I rubbed my left arm where the zombie had bitten me. The skin had healed but left a heinous scar—another mark on my already marred body.
Francesca’s husband also vanished. I had questioned my decision every day since I awoke. Had I made a mistake by trying to stop Leo? What if that man really was a demon and now he roamed free? Thinking back, I don’t know what I would have done differently.
With Mr. Owens dead and her husband missing, Francesca became a very rich woman by inheriting the mines and the fortune that came with it. Her first act of business was to give the families of the dead miners money to help them rebuild. Her second would be to stabilize the mines by reinforcing the main tunnels. I hadn’t known Francesca long, but she proved to be a strong woman and would do fine on her own.
Edgard whistled beside me. He had a slice on his cheek from fighting the zombies, but other than a few other scratches, he was fine. It was a miracle we survived that day when so many others had fallen.
I had a few broken ribs. Even now, the pain was not completely gone. Edgard promised to keep my training light until I fully recovered. While I assumed the magic left when I healed Leo, I tested it out on a spider, and the tingles were still there.
Gripping my skirt in my hands, I thought of Leo’s blade in a leather holder on my thigh. The one item he’d left behind. His sister gave it to me. At first I had refused, but she didn’t want the weapon, claiming it only brought her misery.
The dagger did the opposite for me. The blade reminded me of how Leo left, leaving me to die, leaving my
heart broken when he knew how much pain I’d already endured in my life.
The road to Oxford would be long, and Edgard had plenty of ideas and stops planned along the way. What he didn’t know was that I had my own plans.
And that included hunting Leo.
THE END
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I could not have written this series without the help of my mentor, Rebecca Hamilton. From conception, to execution, she was with me every step. I’ve learned so much from her teaching and I’m forever grateful.
To my amazing cover artist, Lori Grundy . . . girl, you brought Arabella to life and I can’t wait for the world to see all four covers!
Thanks to Krystal and Janelle for making sure my words make sense.
And of course, many, many thanks to my husband Cory who works through plot lines and fight scenes with me.
Thank you for Reading
Make sure to check out book two in the Unholy Magic Saga
Hunter of the Song
Traveling through Oxfordshire brings more than just lessons of how to harness Arabella Grace’s songspell magic. The same occultists who inflicted nightmarish pain on her in London have spread throughout England, and more than one of Leo’s zombies have been found haunting the river banks.
And something is preying on young girls in the quiet village where Arabella and Edgard are staying. When the inn owner’s daughter, the closest person Arabella has to a friend, goes missing, she refuses to listen to Edgard’s demands to retreat to the safety of
the Queen’s Guard.
Either the cult or Leo is responsible, but either way, Arabella refuses to do nothing. Her abilities are strong enough to save the girl and stop the kidnappings. But if she makes the wrong choice, it will change her life and seal the fate of those around her.
Arabella’s power once saved those she loved. Now it could destroy them.
COMING IN THE SUMMER OF 2019
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling author, Eliza Tilton, graduated from Dowling College with a BA in Visual Communications. When she’s not arguing with excel at her day job, chasing after four kids, playing video games, or writing, she’s getting her post-baby body back and inspiring people on the way.
Read More from Eliza Tilton
http://elizatilton.com/
Contents
daughter of the song_unholy magic saga book final epub
Landmarks
Cover
Table of Contents
