Daisy gasped and stood up. “No way, no chance you’re doing that. That’s to be your punishment? Sacrificed like a lamb to the slaughter? I know how powerful Byron is, but I’m going to tell her to forget it.” Daisy was feeling a mixture of anger and fear, which wasn’t a good combination.

Torija got up from the bed and walked over to her. “This wasn’t Byron’s suggestion. It was mine.” Torija took her hands. “It was always meant to be me, cherie. Anka wanted me from the start, and to be honest this was what I planned, with a few slight differences.”

Daisy was confused. “What do you mean?”

“Our bond, it’s not what I want for your life,” Torija said.

Daisy felt the anger balled up in her chest, and it was about to blow. “You don’t get to choose for me. I want this bond for my life because I love you.”

“I love you, and that’s why I don’t want this for your life. But just let me explain.” Torija rubbed her chin and tried to decide how best to explain. “Getting to know you, having this journey together, has been the best time of my life. Discovering love again, being capable of it again, is something I couldn’t have imagined possible, but my grandmother, Angele, and you all believed in me.”

“I know, and we wanted you to have a better life,” Daisy said.

“I have had a better life, but I know Lucia wanted my redemption more than anything else. Lucia, the Reaper, and Sybil all told me that to gain forgiveness, I had to walk willingly into death. That’s the cure for the green poison. The Green Man has to face the people he has wronged, killed, or caused pain to.”

Daisy went back to the bed and sat down. She covered her face with her hands, then said, “That’s why you were trying to leave without me last night, weren’t you?”

“Yes, I was going to hand myself in to Byron, and after all I had done, I expected her to take my head and my heart. A born vampire’s death. But I didn’t want to hurt you, didn’t want you to see it.”

“I don’t want you to go. I’ve only just found you.” Tears started to fall from Daisy’s eyes.

Torija sat down with her. “I don’t want to leave you either, but I’ll never be the Torija you fell in love with or leave Victorija behind unless I face my past. You and Amelia are the descendants. You have an important job to do against the coming darkness, and I’ll be waiting for you on the other side.”

Daisy couldn’t find the words to express her emotions right now.