I swing one of my swords down over the head of the final demon in front of me as the castle shakes. I turn to see Jaxson has killed his demons but destroyed the castle as he has been using his power. The castle shakes, and all of us go flying into the side of the corridor, the remaining demons that are running towards us flying through one of the doors in the room. A loud scream makes me stand up as quick as I can.

“Winter,” I shout when I hear her scream again, and this time it sounds more desperate than before. I run into the throne room with Jaxson following to see Winter on the ground, holding the crown in her hands as the demon king tries to pull it off her. I know if he gets that crown off her, he will control her, but I won’t let that happen again.

“I will cut your hands off, little princess,” the demon king warns, and I run over to him as he turns to see me.

“Ah the vampire comes to save little Winter,” he laughs, letting go of the crown, and Winter falls to the ground. I look her over quickly, seeing the blood on her head and the cut that is healing but, otherwise, she looks okay. She is alive, at least.

“I’ve come for my queen and my crown,” I nod my head towards the crown he is wearing that belongs to me. That crown has always been worn by the king of the vampires and, despite hating my father and the royal family I was born into, the crown is mine.

“You vampires are always fun to kill.” He laughs. I chuck one of my swords over to him, and he catches it.

“Fair fight,” I say, and he nods with a smirk. Jaxson runs into the room and over to Winter, and I see him from the corner of my eye, but I don’t take my eyes off the demon king as he looks over at Winter.

“Wolfy has come to die, too? I have to say; your ancestor was the best one to kill. So easy,” he says, and Jaxson’s growl fills the room as well as another shake of the castle which almost makes me fall over. I hold my ground like the demon king does as he turns his evil, red eyes on me.

“I’m a demon, I don’t play fair, so don’t expect it, boy,” he shrugs, looking every bit like my father as he does.

“Good thing I don’t either,” I say and use my vampire speed to rush at him, catching him off guard a little and cutting his side. He swings around, and I block with my own sword as he throws hit after hit, and I block him. He shocks me by using a red wave of his power, but my sword blocks it, cutting through the wave. His eyes widen as he takes in my fray touched sword, one that Freddy had his friend make for me. I manage to get him back across the room towards the portal with the fifth hit. He knows it by the evil smirk he gives me as our swords clash, and he throws wave after wave of red power between the hits. I look over to see Jaxson holding Winter as she screams for him to let her go and to help me. Her blue eyes meet mine, filled with worry, but I look away before I can feel any guilt for not spending more time with her. For not telling her what I planned today. I focus back on the demon king, his red eyes bright with power as he hits my sword again with a big bang and I twist, so my back is towards the portal. The coldness of the portal hits my back as I’m pushed against it with every hit of our swords. I hit him once more, but this time jump off the ground, catapulting over him and slam my legs into his back He looks on in shock as I send him flying against the ground in front of the portal, and his sword falls into the portal. I run after him and pick him up, pushing him into the blue portal with both my hands. I pull the crown off his head quickly with one hand, as he struggles to hold onto my other hand that is pushing him further into the portal. I edge my feet closer, knowing he could easily pull me in with him at this point.

“If I’m going, then so are you,” he says as he struggles against me, and I push once more and let go, as I feel a sharp pain through my heart. The demon king laughs as he disappears into the portal, and I look down at the silver dagger in my heart.

“No, it can’t be that,” Dabriel says, standing up from the chair he is sitting on in the meeting room. Atti and Jaxson look at me in shock, not expecting me to tell them this when I asked to speak to them all before the war tomorrow. I called this meeting because Winter has to survive, nothing else matters to me, and I know they feel the same way. I never expected to fall for her, to love her more than myself.

“Listen to the prophecy: the words. I know it’s me. I saved her, I brought her back to life. I’m her saviour,” I tell Jaxson. I don’t need to convince them what I already know.

“It’s bullshit and doesn’t mean anything. I’m not losing you because of some old prophecy, not after everything we have been through,” Atti snaps out.

“Every part of the prophecy has already come true. We were born on the same day, she chose right and rules all races. We as her mates stopped her from destroying everything with the demon king . . .,” I say and clear my throat. “To close the portal, someone of her blood must die. I can feed on her and have her blood. I’m her saviour, and I will die for her.” I finish my sentence, and Jaxson punches the wall next to him. Atti looks up at the ceiling, and Dabriel looks down at the ground. There aren’t many words that can be said, nothing will change what has to happen. It will be me or her, and I’m going to make sure it’s me. I just hope she knows the strength of my love for her, it’s everything to me.

“Did you always know?” Atti asks me quietly, a look of shock on his face as he meets my gaze. His voice sounds like he has given up all hope, and he finally understands how I’ve been feeling for a long time.

“No. Not at first. I realised when she came back to life, and I had saved her,” I tell him. I remember when I walked into the bedroom and saw her awake on my bed. I remember kissing her as I realised that I saved her and what that meant. Every part of me wanted to run away until she woke up, and then I knew, I knew I’d never leave her. If it meant death, then that was the price I’d willingly pay for my time with her. I never had true happiness, not with anyone, until her.

“That’s a long time to know,” Jaxson practically growls and starts pacing the room.

“The prophecy still says, ‘If the fates allow, no one need fall,’” Dabriel says. I know that part of the prophecy, but I doubt fate can save me now.

“Tomorrow, you need to get Winter out of the way,” I tell Jaxson, who stops pacing and rubs his face with his hands.

“She will hate me for not stopping you. She will hate us all for knowing. We have to tell her,” Jaxson says.

“If you tell her, she will never let me in the castle. She would die to save us all.”

“I think that’s been her plan all along,” Atti says quietly.

“I want her alive, but this is too much, what you’re asking for,” Dabriel says, shaking his head.

“Let’s put this simply, if any of you could die to save her, would you?” I ask them, and they don’t say anything, which is the answer I needed.

“She will be alive, that’s all that matters to me. Let me do this,” I say. Jaxson’s simple nod is all I need as an answer from him.

“Fine,” Atti responds.

“The fates will stop this, no one is cruel enough to do this,” Dabriel says, but I know from how he looks at me that he won’t say anything. Winter is everything to us all, and we won’t risk her life.

* * *

“NO!” Winter screams behind me, but I watch as my blood mixed with Winter’s drops onto the portal, and it cracks. The portal slowly disappears as I fall to my knees, nothing else matters now. I saved her.