I am brought down to where Dylan was left. He is in the corner of the cell he was left in, and he looks up at me, his eyes brightening when he recognized me.
He looks at the doorway behind me, then back to me. "Are you okay? What did they do to you?"
I break down then. I start to cry and I slowly sit down on the other side of the bars, and Dylan sits down on the other side. He reaches forward, and we hold hands. He makes me look at him then.
"When is it happening?"
"Tomorrow morning when they decide to feed you to the demons."
He nods. "Oh."
I laugh, but it comes out more as a sob. He looks at me.
"I'm sorry," I say, trying to calm myself down. "I didn't want to cry in front of you."
"Hey, it's okay," Dylan says. "Calm down, it's okay. I am not going anywhere. Okay?"
"Don't say you're going to be in my heart, because I want you here with me. Not there .... please not there."
He squeezes my hands gently and scoots closer to me. "I promise you, Autumn. I will be fine."
"We don't know that," I say miserably.
"Okay, no, we don't. You're right. But still, I don't want you to worry. This will work out, okay?"
"Dylan," I say. "wait. You have power, right?"
"I don't know how to access it when I'm not being controlled by someone like Mikael."
I look into his brown eyes and I try to find that optimism he shows me, but I can't see it. Is he lying just to try and make me feel better?
That is when I remember that he needs to feed. I can sense his hunger, and I know he's trying to keep it at bay. Vampires can feed from each other, but it is frowned upon unless it is a dire situation, or if they're mates.
We aren't mates, but as much as that thought makes my heart race, I have to focus on that this is probably life or death for him. He's so pale he's almost gray, and so I bring myself closer to him, and raise my arm. He looks at me skeptically.
"Bite me," I say. "You need to feed."
"But —"
"Dylan, you are gray. You have no color left in your features and you are going to die. I can sense your hunger. Please do not die on me. Please. Just drink."
He nods and then leans forward, opening his mouth. I watch as his teeth sharpen into fangs, that then pierce my skin and suck my blood.
I close my eyes, realizing now why people say vampires should only do this when mating or imprinting, or in direct situations. Because the feel of him drinking my blood is intoxicating. Because how much love floods through me at the moment I see his eyes open, briefly glowing amber, before closing again. He drinks deeply from the wounds in my arm, and he then leans back, pulling away from me so as to not drain me too much.
He then looks into my eyes, his own still faintly glowing amber. Dylan then looks at my arm, which is still bleeding, even as it tries to heal itself. If I'd just fed, my wounds would heal up like a superhero's would, which is what happens with Dylan now that he has fed.
"Thank you," he says.
I nod. I feel slightly dizzy now, so I remain seated. Dylan inches closer to me again.
"I wish we had more time," he says softly.
My heart sinks. "Me too."
He nods. "They're going to try and feed me to their friends tomorrow. But if they do, and keep you alive .... "
"I will avenge you," I say, my voice breaking.
He nods again. "Thank you."
At dawn, they come and drag me away from him. I don't cry, but I do fight them, just to get a few more precious seconds looking at him, trying to tattoo his image to my heart and soul.
But no matter what, I know I will not let them kill him.