Vampire heart

Echoes Bene

ouse was

casional call of nightbirds outside, Ayo couldn't sleep. He lay on the thin matt

could be. Like a statue. Like

e he d

awake?" A

wer immediately. T

his side. "Do

not like human

unds...

t

vier now, tinged with a s

"Tell me something true," he said.

at him through

ust you, I need to know you're

sat beside him. His presence was a qu

d to walk in

ked. "Wa

He touched his arm, as if remembering the pain. "I laid

llowed.

st died. I had

The pain in Malakai's voice wasn'

ou sur

rvive. That'

, hand brushing Malakai's. Hi

he whispered. "Maybe it's

yes flickering in the da

s," Ayo admitted. "Like h

soul remembers. Even

wanted to remember.

dangerous. Some gentle

lo

ouls are bound, blood can a

I drink your blood, I'll sud

ing memories closer to the surface. It's

him. "Woul

lakai said. "But on

y logical part of h

deeper, olde

" he

He reached into his coat and retrieved

it shallo

ded, th

welled up, deep and dark, but it didn't fall. It

k," h

ed of spice and storm, iron and mem

ched his tongue,

aught. His s

his across a battlefield. Laughter in a stone temple. Blo

backward,

i caug

ht," he murmu

his chest.

ija

ou were younger. But the same eyes. The

dded. "And

before he could stop them.

echoes. Even ac

n years, he cried-not for himself, but for the man he used

t with him

back down. He didn't return to the other side of the room th

me differentl

ea

ith Malakai. They were younger, freer, wrapped in robes dyed with red earth and ind

were

n f

ys f

ned by guards. Elijah dragged away by Rami,

us," Elijah

Rami had answered. "You

ose t

lade to the throat.

awake, hear

already wa

w it,"

d. "He ki

was raw. "I tr

reath shallow. "I remembered w

nce passed

ng," Ayo whispered. "Not jus

," Malakai said. "And I'll

hand. This time, Mal

two souls, once torn apart, now drawn together by blood, memory, and someth