Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 107652 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107652 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
“We’re leaving.” Snatching my blade, I moved toward the back window.
The panther followed obediently, but his whiskers flared as he looked back at Rook still unconscious.
I still didn’t know what they’d done to me that made my very human blood do something very unhuman. I had no explanation for why it could take away pain or heal but...for the first time, I was grateful.
She’d be fine when she woke.
She’d be strong for what I needed her to do.
“Come,” I ordered, climbing out the window and holding it open for him. The soft thud of his bulk crushed the orchids beneath.
The flames in my blood that’d been sated while I’d stayed close to Rook returned in full force. Sweat broke out, rolling down my spine. “That girl can look after her while I can’t.”
Breaking into a fast walk, the embers in my bones caught fire.
With every breath, the ash in my lungs choked me—
“Ghh.” I doubled over as another shot of molten torture threatened to knock me out.
I shoved a fist into my stomach, fighting the urge to return to Rook. It seemed even unconscious, she had the power to ease my pain.
But I didn’t trust myself not to touch her again.
Didn’t even recognise myself with what she’d fucking done to me.
Gritting my teeth, I tripped toward my quarters.
As long as I kept my pulse calm I could—
PAIN.
White-hot fire tore through my chest, almost sending me to my knees.
Whisper whimpered, low and uneasy, pressing his solid strength against me.
“Don’t,” I rasped. “I’m fine.”
He didn’t believe me, staying plastered to my side—doing what he’d trained himself to do when I got this bad.
“Am I that weak to you?” I tried to laugh—
The next surge buckled me completely.
My vision tunnelled, spots blooming at the edges. I caught myself on his velvety shoulder, digging my fingers into his powerful muscle.
Whisper started walking, his shoulder blades undulating under my hand. I moved with him, putting most of my weight on him, using him as a walking stick.
Pressing my other hand over my smouldering heart, the world tilted—
Whisper hissed again, half-shoving me toward my home.
I wanted to push him away, to keep a scrap of dignity—but the ground lurched again, and I lost the argument.
“Stupid beast,” I muttered.
He sneezed violently, telling me exactly what he thought of my pathetic existence.
My head hung in defeat. “Just get me home. Then you can gloat all you want.”
I managed to stay awake just long enough to pass out face-first on my bed.
Chapter Forty-Eight
BLOOD SPRAYING EVERYWHERE.
A panther’s snarl. A scream—
My eyes flew wide, stopping the replay of what happened.
“Oh, thank god, you’re finally awake!” Laura’s pretty, slightly freckled face filled my vision. “You’ve been out cold for a while. Look.” She pointed at the night pouring in through the windows. “It’s dark.” Springing to her feet, she wrung her hands. “Are you hungry? I can make you something—”
“Wait.” Sitting upright, cursing the small rush of vertigo, I grabbed her hand. Golden light spilled from lanterns flickering around the room, the layout was familiar, the bed soft like mine, the furniture almost identical, and yet...not mine.
“Where...where am I?”
Laura froze, glancing at where I touched her. Slowly, she sat back on the bed again and patted my arm. “This is Evelyn’s pavilion.”
“What?” I scrambled in the blankets, trying to get up.
Memories of Whisper tearing out Evelyn’s throat made mine close up. “How did I end up here?”
“Lucien Ashfall brought you.” She tugged her hand from mine and balled them in her lap. “I saw him carrying you. You weren’t moving and I thought...I thought he’d hurt you.” She winced. “It wasn’t like I could confront him, so I went to your place to figure out how to help, and...almost threw up all over the rug.” She swallowed hard. “Evelyn and Lydia are...well.” She shook her head. “Let’s just say, staying here for now is better.”
A knife cutting.
Blood spraying—
I flinched. “You saw them?”
She caught my eyes and nodded stiffly. “What the hell happened?”
I glanced at the cuts on my hands from fighting them off. I ran my thumb over Lydia’s fingernail marks on my wrists. I flexed my arms and pressed the bruises that Evelyn had delivered and...didn’t feel much of anything.
I ought to be in agony from their abuse.
I should be stiff and swollen and in a terrible state, unless—
Lucien.
Running my tongue over my bottom lip, the flavour of earthy copper filled my mouth.
Again.
He’d fed me his blood again.
And...it helped.
Again.
But how?
“Rook...?” Laura shifted closer. “Rook...are you okay?”
“What?” I shook my head. “Yes, of course. I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Why did I feel guilty for being medicated on his blood? Why did I stiffen with the need to hoard every one of Lucien’s secrets?
She didn’t look like she believed me.
Silence stretched before she murmured, “Now that Lucien’s killed Evelyn, he’s exterminated all the girls who claimed they were here to murder him.” She fiddled with the blanket. “The only girls left are those trying to sleep with him or the other three mistakes like us.”