Bloodbond

Chapter 21

"Gabriel! Look at me, please," said Madame Lavoie. When his gaze still remained firmly planted on my face, her voice rose.

"Gabriel! I know you are worried about Cassia, but now is not the time to lose focus. We need to finish this now or all of Cassia's suffering will have been for naught and the bond will fail. Now, look at me!"

Finally, but with great reluctance, Gabriel tore his eyes from my face and turned to look at Madame Lavoie. She nodded her head. "Good. Now, I need you to let go of Cassia's hands and lie down. Cassia," she turned to address me. "I need you for you to get on your knees by Gabriel's side. Can you do that for me?" Her voice was so much gentler with me, as if she feared I would splinter at the smallest sound. Maybe she was right.

As I moved to kneel beside Gabriel, I heard Madame Lavoie get up and cross over to me. I looked up at her as she handed me the dagger that had rested on the cloth in front of her. When I held the dagger in my hand, I felt the world crash around me. How could they expect me to do this? After what I'd already been through?

The dagger lay limp in my hand as Madame Lavoie made her way back to the book. Before she could say a word, I started shaking my head. "No."

"Cassia?" she said cautiously.

I repeated myself. "No."

"What do you mean no, Cassia?" she asked.

"I can't do this. Please don't make me do this," I started to cry all over again. I had never cried this much in my entire life and I never realized just how draining it could really be.

"Darling, you can do this. I know that you have worked so hard to keep it together until now and you are more than capable of finishing this," explained Madame Lavoie. I just kept shaking my head. I couldn't do this!

"Sweetheart," came the whisper from the ground. I looked down to face Gabriel. He reached up to brush the tears from my cheeks and he gave me a weak smile.

"You can do this. You're strong and you're doing so well. I believe in you." My tears started to fall in earnest now. I was so worn out and I just wanted Gabriel to hold me in his arms and never let go.

"Look at me, Cassia," he breathed and I did. "Don't let them win this. You're better than anything they can throw at you and the moment this is over, I promise to wrap you in my arms and keep you safe. I can't lose you."

I wanted to hear those words more than anything in that moment and I finally nodded my head. This was almost over, just a little bit more. I grasped the dagger more firmly in my hand and turned to look over at Madame Lavoie. A small smile graced her lips before she bent down to return to her task of reading from the book.

This time around, the air grew warm as her words filled the room. It just kept getting warmer and more uncomfortable. I could feel my brow begin to break out in a sweat and it just kept getting worse. My body was struggling to handle the heat and I could hardly breathe in the stifling air around me.

"Cassia!" Madame Lavoie called. When I slowly turned to look at her, I saw her grasping the two vials I'd seen earlier. "Listen closely. You must do exactly as I say, okay?" at my nod, she continued. "You must first plunge the dagger into Gabriel's heart. DO NOT HESITATE or the dagger will not make it. There is only once chance at this, so you must do it full force." I shook, but managed to nod my understanding.

"Once you've done that, quickly pull the dagger out and do the same to yourself. It is imperative that you do it in one smooth motion or the bond will fail. After you've done that, I will come in and collect both your hearts' blood and place it in these vials. If done correctly, you will both live, so please, Cassia, be careful." Her words only made me more aware of how much was riding on me. Both my life and Gabriel's were literally in my hands now. If I messed this up, we'd both be dead long before the power of the bond had a chance to overcome us with its strength.