Darkness Chapter 26: Heartbreak

**Vincent**

I'm fighting alongside Peter when I hear Alec screaming for me. I snap the man's neck I'm holding and rush to him. “What the hell do you need? We're kinda in the middle of a battle, man.”

Alec’s eyes prick with tears. “It's Nelly. She's been stabbed. It's bad.”

“How badly?” A couple of soldiers run at us, and we flip them and rip their heads off.

Alec struggles to speak. “She's not gonna make it.”

“Who did it?” I growl.

Alec sighs, “Tara. Brandon is with her.”

“Take me there now!” When I run into the inside of the gates, Brandon is guarding a bloodied body. There are several dead men in front of them. When he steps aside, I see the blood pooling out of her body. She's coughing up blood. 

She looks up at me and smiles. “Vincent…I…”

I pick her up and hold her. This can't be happening. I can't lose her. I won't. I lean down and tell her, “I love you. For the rest of my life, I will only love you. Do you trust me?”

“No....w. Isn't...the…time,” she stammers. I know what she's referring to, and it makes me smile.

“Brandon, give me your knife.” He hands it over to me, and I slice my wrist. Please, forgive me, Nelly, but I can't lose you. I pray to any gods listening that this works. “You need to drink this.” I prop her up and hand her my wrist, holding it to her mouth. She struggles to get the blood down, gagging as she drinks. I've never done this before, so I don't even know how much to give her. Hell, it may not even work since she's lost so much blood. “Nelly, baby, please drink. It is the only way. I love you, please drink.”

Brandon asks, “What are you doing?”

I look at him. “If it works, it will save her. If not....”

Nelly says, “I...llo..ve…....you…” She goes limp in my arms. Please, Nelly, wake up. I need you to drink. I force more blood into her mouth and make her swallow. Now we wait.

Brandon asks, “So now what?”

I shrug as I fight back my tears, “Honestly, I don't know. She'll either wake up or she won't. Guard her. I need to kill a few people.”

Brandon grabs my wrist. “If you find my sister, I get to kill her.”

I nod. “I can't make any promises, but I will try.” Perhaps he does love Nelly, but why did it take me capturing her for him to admit it? I loved her when I first saw her, truly saw her.

Over the next several hours, we take out the arm and are joined by the wolves. They've taken out the rebels to the south of us and helped us drive back the remnants of the army. Aaron and Tara are in the wind. No matter, I will find them. If it's the last thing I do, I will make them suffer and pay for what they did.

I go back to Brandon, who is sitting on the ground, cradling Nelly. She's still not woken up. This isn't looking good. I take Nelly from his arms as Alec helps Brandon up. I carry her lifeless body to my home. When I walk in, the servants gasp at her body. They rush to grab things to clean her up. I just walk past them to my room.

I gently lay her on the bed and carefully undressed her. With a soft washcloth, I tenderly cleanse her skin. After finishing, I slip one of my shirts over her and lie beside her. "Please awaken. I yearn for you. I adore you. I love you. You are my everything. Please...please come back to me."