No Dimitri interrupted gently. He moved his face toward mine our foreheads nearly touching. It wont happen to you. Youre too strong. Youll fight it just like you did thistime.I only did because you were here. He wrapped his arms around me and I buried my face in his chest. I cant do it by myself I whispered.You can he said. There was a tremulous note in his voice. Youre strongyoure so so strong. Its why I love you.

Stop fighting me he said trying to pull on the arm he held.He was in a precarious position himself straddling the rail as he tried to lean over far enough to get me and actually hold onto me.Let go of me I yelled back.But he was too strong and managed to haul most of me over the rail enough so that I wasnt in total danger of falling again.See heres the thing. In that moment before I let go I really had been contemplating my death. Id come to terms with it and accepted it. I also however had known Dimitri might do something exactly like this. He was just that fast and that good. That was why I was holding my stake in the hand that was dangling free.I looked him in the eye. I will always love you.Then I plunged the stake into his chest.It wasnt as precise a blow as I would have liked not with the skilled way he was dodging. I struggled to get the stake in deep enough to his heart unsure if I could do it from this angle. Then his struggles stopped. His eyes stared at me stunned and his lips parted almost into a smile albeit a grisly and pained one.Thats what I was supposed to say. . . he gasped out.Those were his last words.

Do you think Im prettyI think youre beautifulBeautifulYou are so beautiful it hurts sometimes.

I took a deep breath. Are you free tonight There was a long pregnant pause. What about the man in the dream he finally asked. There is no man in the dream.