Chapter 37: The Council's Shadow

It took around twenty minutes for Zoe's eyes to open after we'd transferred the soul. I was lying beside her on the floor, back against the wall. My bandaged hand was resting on my knee, throbbing under the white cloth.

She blinked, once, twice. Her lips were no longer blue, but bright pink; her cheeks had color too.

"Arya?" Her voice was rusty as if she hadn't been using it for days.

"I'm here. You're safe," I said, leaning closer to her.

She started sitting up but couldn't hold herself upright. She trembled. So, I supported her as she slid to the place next to me, pressing against the wall. Her hand grabbed mine. "What happened? Last time…Cross had me in his basement."

"He's human again, Zoe. The soul of Raze is in Mira now." It pained me to say those words.

She stared into the room for a couple of minutes and then finally met Mira's eyes – the girl was curled up in the corner, holding her legs to her chest. Her face was completely pale, and she kept trembling every few seconds.

"In Mira…" Zoe's whisper faded into silence. "Does that mean Raze is in her?"

Again, I did not know what to say.

But apparently, she didn't expect me to say something. Instead, she shut her eyes and leant her head against my shoulder. "I'm so tired."

"Then sleep," I whispered. "I'll wake you if something bad happens."

She fell asleep within less than a minute. Her breathing became calm; her hand relaxed in mine.

"So, what should we do with Cross? He's still in the car," Jenna's voice was steady and without any emotions as if she had never cared. She remained standing, still looking at the window.

Vance didn't stop packing his leather bag, and he didn't raise his head from it. "We can't kill him. If we do it now, we become murderers. He's human again."

"Yeah, and that's supposed to help? Leaving him alive means he will eventually find some ways to restore his power!" Dorian hissed through his clenched teeth, trying to sit up from the bed. He failed; his face paled again.

I looked at my bleeding hand covered with the white fabric. "He gets tied up, and we give him to the vampire council. Let them sort this out."

"They will execute him," Jenna stated, turning away from the window.

"Well, we're not responsible for him anymore," I sighed, and nobody objected.

I rose up from the floor and walked over to Mira, who was sitting in the same pose. She hadn't moved from her place ever since we brought her back from the basement. Again, her knees were pulled up against her chest, and she was hugging them; her forehead rested on her arms.

"You didn't have to go that far," I told her quietly, stopping beside her and sinking down on the floor.

"Yes, I did," her voice cracked.

"No one asked you to…"

She lifted her gaze, revealing the tear tracks running down her cheeks, and looked at Zoe's sleeping form. Then, she looked back at me. "This was the only way to repay for what I did to your coven…" Her words were interrupted by another sob. "…and to you."

I stared at her trembling hands resting in her lap. "You can't pay debts this way. The more debts you acquire, the more you get."

She didn't answer me; she only pressed her hands against her eyes again.

"Dory…?" I heard Dorian's voice behind me. I turned around – he was reaching for my hand from the bed.

I got up and walked towards him. By that time, Jenna and Vance had left the room; only Mira was staying in the corner, still trembling. Zoe was sleeping, her head was against the wall.

"You frightened me," he said through the gritted teeth, holding on to me.

"And I scared myself," I replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. "What did you say?"

He stared at my bandaged palm, then at me. "What you said earlier in the hallway, Arya. Have you meant it?"

I knew exactly what he wanted to ask me. I had to admit – my words had hurt him. But they came straight from my heart; I meant them all.

"I meant it," I said softly, looking at our interlocked hands.

He drew me closer, and I allowed it. He kissed my forehead with gentle touches; no dramatic moves. I could barely feel the taste of old blood in his kiss.

We were sitting like this for a while. He was breathing heavily; I could feel his heartbeat beneath my hand…

"I'm not going anywhere," I whispered.

And he didn't respond.

Mira suddenly inhaled sharply.

I turned towards her, and the girl lifted her face from her hands. Her eyes were black, and her body was stiffening.

"Now you think that you've won. But there's Cross, and you haven't defeated him yet…" Raze's low growl escaped through her mouth. "But that's not the only trouble."

"Keep quiet, Dory," I whispered and gently pushed Dorian back.

"Mara, you've failed. The council knows everything and wants the grimoire. And they want you too," Raze chuckled through Mira's throat. He pointed her finger at me. "They will come."

Her eyes flickered brown, and then black again.

"They can't bind me anymore; it doesn't work," he continued. "Soon, I will break free… and I will find you!"

The girl's eyes turned brown.

She fell on her side, panting heavily. Her breaths were getting louder and faster; sweat poured down her forehead.

"Her pulse is accelerating," Vance stated, running back into the room and falling on his knees right next to her. "The bindings are weakening. He fights harder this time."

"How much time is left?" Jenna's face was ashen.

Vance shook his head. "Days, probably less…"

....

We lost, again.

Mara…Mira…Raze…we had to deal with her all over again.

Zoe sleeping, Dorian lying pale on the bed…

We had won nothing.