Blue Sacrifice (Blue Davison) (29 page)

Likely I was meant to smile at her comment or feel
hope at us being reunited. I didn’t feel anything except exhaustion though.
Wanting this whole ordeal to be over, I knew the worry and guilt would end as
soon as I reached the bridge and my fate.

Running through a chilly mist, I didn’t think of
anything. I did what I had done the day I met Flynn. I imagined how easy it
would be to just let go as the water pulled me into the darkness. No more
voices or ugly faces or horrible memories. Envisioning the freedom at the
bottom of the river, I ignored the woman jogging with me and the smiling demons
we passed. Embracing the end, I felt a huge sense of relief when I saw the
bridge ahead.

I didn’t hesitate when I reached the bridge because
I had hesitated enough. Climbing onto the railing, I leaned forward to jump
when I felt a hand on the back of my jeans. Yanked backwards, I fell into
Flynn’s arms and he nearly toppled to the ground.

“Hell, that was close,” he said, out of breath.

“Let me go.”

“Alyssa wouldn’t want you to die and her family
will suffer if you do this.”

“You just want me to live for you.”

“No, I want you to live for you.”

Twisting around, I took his beautiful face in my
hands and tried to make him understand.

“Will it be you who bleeds next? How can I survive
knowing I’m sentencing you and the Zandis to death?”

“How can you expect us to survive, knowing you
died for us? That’s something you can live with because apparently the women in
your family aren’t allowed to do anything more than die. But I grew up to believe
people have free will and I don’t believe it’s fate for you to die. If you die,
I’ll always believe I failed and I’ll never find peace. That’s what you sentence
me and the Zandis to. Even after Alyssa, the Zandis are looking for you. I said
I would check the bridge and they’re looking at your house.”

Pushing him back, I tried to stand and reach for
the bridge. “Penny said the darkness is almost free. I have to do this, Flynn.
I know you don’t understand…”

“No, I don’t,” he yelled, forcing me into his arms
again. “I don’t understand why it has to be you? Why can’t the death of jerk that
hurt Alyssa be enough of a sacrifice?”

“I don’t know, but it just does,” I said, crying
and struggling to break free of his grip.

“If you live, you and I have a chance to be happy
and this town can be damned. The Zandis are rich and they have all that hired
firepower now. They can ride this thing out too. Or you can destroy me, Lacey,
and the Zandis if you die. You made me need you and I don’t think I can survive
if I don’t have you.”

“You feel that way, but…”

“I’m not you,” he said, still struggling with me
on the ground. “Call me weak, but I couldn’t watch you die like you watched
your mother die and go on with my life. What I feel for you is too powerful,
too damn perfect, and I can’t lose it. The Zandis will survive like I can’t,
but the guilt will eat at them. Every day without you will remind them of how
they couldn’t save someone they loved.”

Caressing his cheeks, I touched a hint of stubble
and remembered how it felt against my skin when we cuddled under the blankets
in his freezing room. Since meeting Flynn, I felt the possibility of life and the
joys I had never truly known before. It would be so easy to walk away from the
sacrifice and be safe in the knowledge that Lacey’s family would hunker down
and fight back against any threat. The people I loved most could be safe and to
hell with everyone else.

Except I had been raised to believe my destiny was
to save the people I would now damn. I had always been told their lives were
worth more than mine. This was what my mother was told and why she left me. It
was why, despite Flynn’s love, I was ready to end my life too. Even if the
sacrifice was a lie created to protect someone evil, it was a lie so ingrained
into me that I had trouble letting go of it.

“You can’t know the guilt I feel whenever anyone
is hurt because I haven’t died. I don’t know how to stop believing it’s my job
to die.”

“Don’t think of it as a big leap,” he said, easing
out of my embrace so he could stand and pull me up. “We’ll take it hour by
hour. Day by day. If this town wants to play its games, we’ll adapt. While the Zandis
keep themselves safe, you, me, and Dad will stock up and hold out at the house.
We’ll figure things out as they come and every time you feel doubts, I’ll talk
to you like I did now. One big speech, one perfect night of lovemaking, one fun
game of
Life
won’t be enough to erase years of brainwashing, yet it’s a
start. We’ll share many speeches, nights together, and games where I have two
tiny wives. We’ll share however many is necessary for you to be free.”

Smiling faintly, I was overwhelmed with competing
emotions. “I don’t know what the right choice is. When I think of loving you
and how happy you make me, the choice seems so simple. Then I see you dead. I
see you suffering because of me and the easy choice isn’t so easy anymore.”

“Go home with me tonight. That’s all I’m asking.
Once we’re home, we’ll talk more. I’ll warm you up and we’ll dream of a future
where you don’t die for me or anyone else. Then the sun will rise and we’ll
figure out tomorrow. Baby steps, Blue. The first one is leaving the bridge with
me and giving you time to think.”

Wiping the tears from my chilled face, I studied Flynn
and saw how his dark hair was mussed from the cold breeze. Reaching up, I slid
my fingers through his hair and brushed it out of his eyes.

“You came to Lily Falls and fell in love with me,”
I said, my voice breaking. “I still can’t imagine how that happened, but it did
happen. It’s a sign. How could it not be?”

Flynn sighed, giving me a little smile. “I love
you more than you can ever know and I’m going to stay with you. We’re going to
make plans for a real future. Picture our whole life together. I can see it and
soon I hope you will too.”

Wrapping my arms around him, I wondered if the other
sacrifices had signs like Flynn? Did they meet someone amazing and never give
themselves a chance to love? Or was I different because I grew up without a
Davison to guide me? Was I able to see the signs more clearly because I was
younger and less sure? Somehow I saw Flynn and couldn’t look away despite my
best intentions. Did that make me special or merely lucky?

Leaning down, Flynn tucked me into his jacket and
wrapped my shivering body in his strong arms. His kiss was tender, yet
claiming. He wasn’t letting me go. I was his and we would figure out a way to
beat the darkness. Love defying evil sounded so corny, but it had kept me alive
so far.

“Best kiss ever,” Flynn said when he finally
released me.

A little lightheaded from the heat of his kiss, I
only smiled. Forever I could swim in those warm green eyes, but the wind picked
up and I knew it wasn’t safe for Flynn to be in town at night.

“Blue!”

Hearing my name, I turned to find Penny running
towards me, wearing pajamas, a heavy jacket, and ill fitting shoes. Right
behind her was Hans.

“I’m out,” she cried, “and I’m going to jump so
you don’t have to.”

“What?” I said, walking towards her. “How?”

“Hans came for me and he got me out,” Penny said,
pulling me into a hug. “He said you couldn’t die and it was my turn. I’m going
to jump so you can live.”

Glancing at Hans, I saw him glaring at Flynn.

“How did you get her out?” I asked.

“Doesn’t matter. She’ll take your place.”

“Yes, I will. I was afraid of the cold,” Penny
said, stroking my face, “but I can’t let you die. Hans made me see and I know
he wouldn’t lie. He loved your mom so much and I know we can trust him.”

Frowning, I pulled her back from the railing.
“Wait so we can talk about this first.”

“There’s no time,” Hans said, standing a few feet
from us. “The clock is going to chime and the sacrifice needs to be made.”

“I’m going to die for you, Blue. Hans told me how
I need to prove to you and Rhia how much I love you and this is how. I know my
fate now.”

Opening my mouth to tell her how Flynn said we
shouldn’t die and how the town was using us to save someone else, I heard Flynn
speak first.

“Your kind always cheats,” he said in a cruel
voice.

Hans stepped closer. “And your kind always whines
when they lose.”

“I didn’t lose. I kept her from jumping, didn’t
I?”

“With lies.”

“Like the lies you told her mom, huh?” Flynn said
with a sneer.

Looking to Flynn, I thought back to the first day
we met and every day since. Even with the chill, my face burned with shame at
how I had fallen for all those obvious lies. I thought myself so savvy and
tough. Yet when a beautiful guy tempted me with pretty words and promises, I
tripped over my brain running into his arms. Imagining how he must have laughed
at me and my attempts to blow him off, I barely noticed Penny climbing onto the
railing.

“No,” I whispered, pulling her down. “We can’t
trust them.”

“It’s okay,” Penny said, caressing my face again
and watching me with bright crazed eyes. “Hans can be trusted. He loved your
mom and she loved him.”

“Then why did he let her die?” Flynn asked. “Why
did he want you to die, Blue?”

“I never wanted them to die especially not Blue,”
Hans said angrily, “but it has to be done. She’s too young clearly and things
have changed. Penny will do it, won’t you?”

Nodding obediently, Penny climbed the railing. My
mind raced with every conversation I ever had with Hans and Flynn. Unable to
catch my breath or think straight, I still knew Penny shouldn’t jump. Both men
were liars and we needed time to think before anyone died.

“Aren’t you such a good daddy?” Flynn mocked behind
me while I wrestled to get Penny off of the railing. “Guilting her into killing
herself.”

“Like you care,” Hans yelled. “You just wanted her
to live so the town would spill more blood. That’s all you got out of this.”

“That’s not true. I got to nail your kid too.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hans surge
towards Flynn who met him halfway. The men were quickly at blows and I used the
distraction to pull Penny away from the railing.

“Hans lied,” I whispered to her. “He doesn’t care.
They aren’t our friends. We have to go.”

“But then you’ll die.”

“No, we’ll both live,” I said, holding her face in
my painfully cold hands and using my thumbs to caress her freckles.

“It’s our job to die.”

“No, it’s a lie. Everything has been a damn lie
and we have to run.”

“We have to die,” Penny said, staring over my
shoulder.

Following her gaze, I saw my mother and Assad walking
towards us. They weren’t alone and I felt the darkness surrounding us, wanting
its sacrifice. Hans and Flynn noticed the demons too and stopped fighting.
Shoving Flynn aside, Hans hurried in my direction.

“It has to be this way,” he said, his gaze on
Penny. “A sacrifice must be made. It’s the only way to save the town.”

“He’s lying,” Flynn said.

“Shut up,” Hans yelled and Flynn shrugged. “Let
Penny jump. It should be her turn anyway. If Aurora had stayed here and died
last time then it would be Penny’s turn. You and your mom would have had
decades more, but Rory ran and Penny…” Hans focused his gaze on my aunt. “You
want to fix things, don’t you?”

“Yes. I want the voices to stop. I want to be
free.”

“Dying won’t free you,” I said.

“She’s right,” Flynn added. “Dying in Lily Falls is its own special kind of hell.”

“Get away from us,” I told Hans who reached for Penny.
“You lied about everything.”

“He’s the reason you’re with Gretchen,” Flynn
said, smirking while leaning against the railing. “He made sure you didn’t end
up with Rory or the Zandis. He wanted you where he could control you so he convinced
the bitch she wanted a kid. Tell me, Blue, how did that turn out for you?”

“Stop talking to her!” Hans hollered then softened
his tone when speaking to me. “I’m the reason you exist. Your mother didn’t
want children. Even after she got pregnant, she didn’t want to have you. I
saved you.”

“Just so she could die later,” Flynn said and Hans
twisted around to glare at him.

“You came to Lily Falls to do the same thing to
Blue that I did to Rhia.”

“Don’t forget how I also convinced her to live and
flip off the town. That’s why you’re really pissed, isn’t it, old man? I
succeeded where you failed. You had years with Blue, yet she chose me after a
week. Hurts, doesn’t it?”

Overwhelmed by how stupid I had been all of these
years and how I was merely a pawn, my brain wanted to shut down and forget
about loving Flynn. Forget how I let myself trust a man who was now laughing at
me.

Forget how Hans truly was the man I longed him to
be all of these years. Even wanting him to be my father, I always understood
why he didn’t show as much love as I craved.
I wasn’t his flesh and blood.
Merely an extension of Gretchen
. Except now I knew those reasons were lies.
Hans hadn’t given me love because he simply didn’t want to waste time on a sacrificial
lamb he created for a single purpose.