“She is dying. I can feel her life slipping away. Now tell her to give me the Medallion,” Tristan growled, giving Simone a shake.
“No.”
Fighting the darkness that threatened to consume her, Simone watched Gideon abruptly straighten. Behind her Tristan tensed, prepared to battle a sudden attack. But just as Simone realized that Gideon would never reach her before Tristan could snap her neck, there was a blur of movement and a shocked gasp of disbelief from behind her.
The hand about her neck fell away and stumbling to her knees, Simone shifted about to see Tristan lying on the hard floor with the dagger deeply plunged into his heart.
Still panting with the effort of trying to breathe through her bruised throat, Simone felt Gideon come to kneel beside her. Her gaze, however, remained upon the body next to her.
In horror she watched a shimmering glow outline the long form, flickering in the dim light, then appallingly the body began to turn to ash. Her eyes widened as Tristan simply crumbled onto the floor until there was nothing left but the faintest trace of darkness upon the stone.
A comforting arm encircled her trembling body and Gideon pressed a kiss to her temple.
“It is done.”
Chapter 13
For a moment Gideon simply held on to Simone, allowing the warmth of her to seep into his chilled heart.
He had not realized how difficult it would be to kill Tristan. Not even when he had known that his own life was held in the balance could he force himself to plunge the dagger into the traitor. To bring the life of a vampire to an end went against every moral he possessed.
It was not until Tristan had dared to threaten Simone that his revulsion had been thrust aside and he had reacted without even thinking.
Now, however, reaction was setting in and he shivered in disgust.
Not only at having killed, but the knowledge that he had very nearly waited too long.
One more moment and Simone would be dead.
And he would have been entirely to blame.
His arms tightened about her, his lips unable to stop stroking the satin skin of her temple. He had to reassure himself that she was alive and in his embrace where she belonged.
“Simone, are you harmed?” he demanded in rasping tones.
He felt her shiver as she leaned against him. “Nothing that will not heal.”
“Damnation,” he cursed his weakness at the sound of her strained voice. It was obvious her throat had been injured. “I was terrified Tristan would kill you before I could reach you. I had no choice but to throw the dagger and hope for the best.”
Her fingers rose to touch the amulet that lay upon her skin. “He was too determined to have the Medallion,” she husked.
Gideon gave a slow nod of his head. He was well aware that it had been Tristan’s obsession for the Medallion that had made him hesitate in striking Simone down.
He could only thank Nefri that he had paused.
“Yes. It was his downfall. That and his confidence that I would not choose to destroy him. I very nearly waited too long.”
Easily able to sense his inner turmoil, Simone raised her hand to gently lay it against his cheek.
“Gideon, do not.”
His lips thinned. “I allowed him to hurt you.”
“You attempted to give him an opportunity to save himself,” she argued in soft, but ruthless tones. “Had you simply killed him without remorse or regret you would be no better than he.”
Her words, of course, made sense, but he was not yet prepared to accept what he had done.
“He had become crazed with his lust for the Medallion.”
Simone slowly turned her head to regard the darkened stones. “What happened to him?”
With reluctance, Gideon reached out to retrieve the dagger that lay on the ground.
“The power of the blade destroyed his soul.”
Her breath caught. “His soul?”
“It is as if he never existed. A horrible fate for any vampire.”
As if at last truly comprehending just how final a death Tristan had suffered, Simone regarded him with sad eyes.
“I am sorry, Gideon.”
“As am I.” He briefly thought of his arrogant certainty when he had arrived in London. He had never thought that Tristan would prove so relentless. It had seemed a simple matter to convince him of the error of his ways, and to escort him to the Great Council. “I did not believe it would come to this.”
There was a faint pause as Simone studied his tortured expression.
