MY CRUEL PROTECTOR
I said.
Julian laughed, a bright, genuine sound. "You can't protect me from the blood, Gianna. We are all Lanes. We are all part of the same design. If I give him my blood, if I synthesize the cure... I lose my life. That’s the price. The 'Third Strand' is a one-use bridge. I was built to die so he could live."
I looked at him—this man who was a ghost of a life Nevan never had. He was beautiful, he was peaceful, and he was a sacrifice.