Her grandmother sighed heavily. “Child, howmany times do I have to tell you to let it go? The world turns onand the Goddess takes her due. He’ll get what’s coming to him.”
“Excuse me,” I interrupted. “I don’t knowwhy she did it and I don’t care but it seems your granddaughter hasgiven a man I care for the means to kill himself.” I nodded down atthe stake. “Now, she’s claiming there’s no way to reverse the spellbut if you’re a witch too—”
“I am.” The old lady nodded in a statelyway. “I am the leader of our coven.” She glared at Gwendolyn.“Which happens to be devoted to white magic.”
Gwendolyn shot me a dirty look. “I’m sorry,Grams, but white magic wasn’t going to get this job done.”
Her grandmother shook her head. “You’vegiven the darkness a hold in your heart, child—you've put your footover the threshold of the Shadow Lands. Don’t you remember the ruleof seven? You’ll have this come back on you seven times as bad aswhat you’ve done sometime in the future.”
“She’s going to get it back right nowif somebody doesn’t tell me how to save Corbin,” I snarled. “I meanit, lady, I want answers and I want them yesterday.”
“Let me see it.” The old lady held out herhand for the stake and I gave it to her, wincing when I saw ittouch her bare flesh. She held it carefully, as though it was asnake she wasn’t quite sure was dead, and examined it.
“A soul eater,” she said at last and gaveher granddaughter another piercing look. “You made him a soul eaterto use. Gwendolyn, how could you?”
Gwendolyn shrugged, looking guilty. “It waswhat he wanted.”
“A soul eater—that’s what it’s called? Howexactly does it work?” I asked anxiously.
“It killed his enemy and now it’s slowlyeating away at his life force—his soul,” the old lady said. “Whenit finishes sucking away the last little bit, he’ll die.”
Hearing the old lady confirm Corbin’s fatewas almost more than I could take. I had been hoping against hopethat she was a more powerful and experienced witch than Gwendolyn,that she would tell me everything was going to be all right. Butnow…
“I don’t want him to die. He can’tdie.” I felt hot, helpless tears rising to my eyes and rubbed themaway angrily. “He can’t because…because I love him.”
As I said the words I knew them to be true.All the things I had told myself, all the reasons I had given aboutwhy Corbin and I couldn’t be together were a load of bullshit. Nowthat I knew he was dying—really dying—I realized that I loved him.That I wanted to be with him, even if it meant giving up my job andmy family.
But now it was probably too late.
“Please,” I said to the old lady. “Please,you have to help me. Help me to help him. Reverse this—dosomething.”
“I’m afraid there’s nothing to be done,child.” Her voice was gentle and her eyes were sad.
“But there has to be,” I whispered.“He…he did this for me.” I looked at Gwendolyn. “Didn’t you say hetold you he needed to do it to keep his loved one safe?”
Reluctantly, she nodded. “Yeah.”
“Well that’s me.” I pointed tomyself. “He did it for me—to protect me from that asshole Roderick.He probably thought there was no other way so he…he killed himself.All because of me. And I told him…told him I didn’t love him. ThatI couldn’t be with him…”
Suddenly I was on the verge of a majorbreakdown. I kept seeing that fleeting look of sadness on Corbin’sface. How he’d said it was nice that I would miss him when he wasgone. He had been giving me so many clues—how could I miss themall? And then, after he had sacrificed his long life for me, Iturned him down. Rejected him. Told him I could never love him.
“He probably knew he only had about a weekto live.” I was openly sobbing now. “He’s letting himself die forme and I treated him like shit.”
The old lady reached into the pocket of herrobe and handed me a folded Kleenex. “There, there, child. So yousay he made this sacrifice for love? Not for vengeance or hatred orany other dark purpose?”
I shook my head. “He did it for me. I’m sureof it. God, I’m such an idiot. I thought he was going on atrip or moving but he’s not—he’s dying. It was right infront of my face the whole time and I didn’t see it.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Gwendolynmuttered. “Sometimes the most obvious things are the hardest tosee.”
“Don’t talk to me.” I shot her a glare. “Imay be an idiot but you’re the one who gave him the way to do this.You helped him kill himself—hell, I hope you do get what’scoming to you seven times over.”
Her creamy cafe au lait skin went pale. “Areyou cursing me?”
“If I could, I would,” I snapped.“Unfortunately I’m not a witch. I’m just a plain old stupid humanand the vampire I love is about to die because I can’t do anythingabout it.” I looked at the old lady. “Can I?”
She shook her head. “The only way to breakthe soul eater’s hold on him would be with another sacrifice—aneven greater one than he has already given.”
“But…” I swiped at my eyes. “But he gave hislife—his life for me. How can I top that?”
“You can’t,” Gwendolyn said flatly. Hergrandmother glared at her and she shrugged. “I’m sorry, Grams, butI don’t see how she can.”
The old lady sighed. “I don’t either but youcould show a little compassion, Gwendolyn. It was by your hand thistragedy came about. Your magic did this—you should feel bad forthis poor girl.”
“I’m sorry,” the younger witch muttered. “Heacted like it was the only way to save you. I wouldn’t have done itotherwise.”
I shook my head and looked up at the oldlady. “So…that’s it then? There’s nothing I can do? No way to healhim or save him?”
“I’m afraid not, child. A sacrifice thisgreat—the sacrifice of a life—cannot be exceeded.”
“Fine. Thanks for nothing.” I got off thecreaking porch swing and stumbled
