crimson oath

choice between truth and love

The rain stopped.

It wasn't natural.

One moment, thunder roared above the battlefield.

The next...

Silence.

Golden flames danced around Ethan's body.

The Bloodfire had awakened completely.

Everyone stared at him.

Hunters.

Vampires.

Even Cassian.

"Ethan," Cassian said softly, his smile widening, "now you understand."

Ethan couldn't hear him.

He couldn't hear anything except the pounding of his own heart.

His parents.

They had died protecting Lucien.

He turned toward the vampire standing beside him.

"You knew."

Lucien's face had gone pale.

"Ethan..."

"You knew."

"I was going to tell you."

"When?"

The words tore from Ethan's throat.

"After I trusted you completely?"

"No."

Lucien stepped forward.

"I wanted to protect you."

Ethan laughed bitterly.

"That's everyone's excuse."

The Bloodfire around him flared.

Lily took a frightened step back.

"Ethan..."

His sister's voice trembled.

"Please."

Cassian spread his arms.

"Look at him," he said to the hunters.

"Even now, the vampire lies."

Lucien's crimson eyes snapped toward Cassian.

"Enough."

Cassian ignored him.

"Did he tell you why your parents died?"

Ethan's fists clenched.

"They chose him."

"They chose peace," Lucien corrected.

Cassian's smile vanished.

"They betrayed humanity."

"They refused g******e," Lucien replied coldly.

Cassian's gaze hardened.

"Your father was my brother."

Ethan froze.

Cassian pointed toward Lucien.

"And because of him, I lost everything."

"No," Lucien said quietly.

"You lost yourself long before that."

Cassian's expression twisted.

"He promised peace!"

The battlefield fell silent.

"He promised humans and vampires could coexist."

Cassian laughed harshly.

"Then rogue vampires slaughtered villages while he hesitated."

Lucien's jaw tightened.

"I refused to kill innocent people."

"You refused to act!"

Cassian's voice cracked with grief.

"My wife died."

His eyes filled with tears.

"My son died."

Even Ethan's anger faltered.

Cassian lowered his head.

"I begged your parents to understand."

"They did," Lucien said softly.

"They understood grief."

"They just refused to let grief become hatred."

Cassian looked up.

Then he smiled.

A terrible smile.

"So I did what they couldn't."

He looked directly at Ethan.

"I decided to end it."

"The Bloodfire."

Ethan's stomach dropped.

"You killed my parents."

Cassian's silence was answer enough.

Lily gasped.

Commander Alaric looked horrified.

"You told us it was an accident," Alaric whispered.

Cassian shrugged.

"It was necessary."

The same word.

Necessary.

Ethan remembered Alaric saying it.

Necessary.

He remembered Lucien saying fear made people do terrible things.

Necessary.

The Bloodfire exploded outward.

Golden flames tore through the battlefield.

Hunters screamed.

Vampires staggered.

The earth cracked beneath Ethan's feet.

"Ethan!"

Lily's voice sounded distant.

"I can't stop it," Ethan whispered.

He fell to his knees.

The fire obeyed only rage.

Only pain.

It wanted Cassian.

It wanted Lucien.

It wanted everything.

A hand wrapped around his trembling one.

Lucien.

"Ethan."

Golden flames burned against Lucien's skin.

He didn't let go.

"You need to let me go," Ethan said desperately.

"You'll die."

Lucien smiled faintly.

"You've been trying to kill me since we met."

"This isn't funny."

"No."

Lucien squeezed his hand.

"It's terrifying."

The Bloodfire crawled up Lucien's arm.

His skin blistered.

Still, he didn't move away.

"Why?" Ethan cried.

"Why won't you leave?"

Lucien looked at him.

Because I love you.

The words remained unspoken.

Yet Ethan heard them anyway.

"I failed your parents," Lucien whispered.

"I couldn't save them."

Tears slipped down Ethan's cheeks.

"I should've protected them."

"You couldn't."

"I promised."

The Crimson Prince lowered his head.

"For two hundred years..."

His voice broke.

"I've failed everyone I've loved."

Silence.

Then Ethan understood.

Lucien wasn't feared because he was heartless.

He was feared because he cared.

Because every person he loved had been taken from him.

"Ethan."

Lucien gently lifted Ethan's chin.

"Don't become me."

Ethan blinked.

"What?"

"Don't spend centuries drowning in guilt and hatred."

The Bloodfire raged around them.

"You still have a choice."

Cassian laughed.

"Choice?"

He raised his sword.

"There's only one choice."

He pointed at Lucien.

"Kill him."

The hunters looked uncertain.

The vampires waited.

The entire battlefield held its breath.

Ethan looked at Lucien.

At Lily.

At Alaric.

At Cassian.

He had spent ten years believing revenge would heal him.

But all it had done...

Was leave him empty.

He rose slowly to his feet.

Golden fire wrapped around him like wings.

Cassian smiled.

"Yes."

"Use it."

Ethan looked directly at his uncle.

Then spoke the words no one expected.

"I won't."

Cassian's smile vanished.

"What?"

"I won't kill an entire species."

"Ethan!"

"I won't let hatred decide who I become."

Cassian's expression twisted into fury.

"You foolish boy!"

"You sound just like your parents."

Ethan wiped away his tears.

"Then maybe that's something to be proud of."

Cassian screamed.

"Kill them all!"

Hunters surged forward.

Vampires rushed to defend the castle.

War erupted once again.

Lucien stood beside Ethan.

Back to back.

"You realize," Lucien said dryly, "we've just made enemies of everyone."

Ethan managed a shaky smile.

"You still with me?"

Lucien looked at him.

Crimson eyes softened.

"Always."

The two of them charged into battle together.

And above the screams and clashing steel...

Cassian watched with murderous hatred.

If Ethan wouldn't use the Bloodfire willingly...

Then Cassian would force him to.

Even if it meant sacrificing the one person Ethan could no longer bear to lose.