“The four know how to hide themselves, and they hide themselves well. So, when you see them like this, it can only be because of love. No one would think the four monsters of Weeping Hollow both endure the most pain and have the biggest hearts. I see Stone fits right in.” Her voice faded, and Agatha smoothed her palm down my shoulder. “I’m sorry Kane did this to you.”
I let out a breath, trying not to move.
“I deserved it,” I said, looking away from her. “I’m not a good person.” After hearing how much Kane truly cared about me, and how this devastated him, I felt disgusted with myself for almost killing him out of hatred and desperation. But it wasn’t over. My mother would suffer for years to come if I chose not to end her life for good. And what I had to do made me nauseous.
Agatha’s motherly voice floated on my thoughts. “We are humans who sometimes do bad and sometimes do good. Whether it is good or bad is not for you to decide.” She looked at me. “One day you will come to realize that even the purest of hearts will choose darkness for intentions they deem moral, if in fact they have a choice at all.”
My gaze crawled to her as Adeline appeared in my mind. “Is this what you’ve told your husband and son to make them feel good about themselves after they’ve murdered innocent people?”
Agatha’s mouth shut.
It stayed quiet for what seemed like an eternity, the room uncomfortable.
Not long after, Stone returned with vials in his fists. Julian was not far behind, and Agatha bounced from her chair as soon as the two walked into the room.
Julian bid his mother a glare. “Everything okay?”
“She needs to drink a vial,” she said, not looking him in the eye. “One of you can fill the bathtub with ice, water, and at least an ounce of the other vial of magic. The temperature needs to be at freezing point. And she will have to sit in the tub until the water seals the magic and the wound closes. No longer than half an hour.” The four of us had suddenly become silent. “You better get a move on it if you want Kane’s name off her back.”
“I’ll go get the ice,” Julian muttered under his breath.
Stone sat beside me. “Agatha seems upset.”
“Does she?”
“You are the only one who can piss someone off in such a manner,” he said, helping me in a sitting position. My skin split again, and I tried to contain the pain from showing on my face as he handed me a vial. “If I had a choice, I’d have only my magic inside you. Not four other men.”
“Is someone jealous?” I threw back the magic like a shot of liquor, and it tasted sugary and smooth, like toasted vanilla.
“I was just told that as long as Heathen magic is stirring inside you, you will gain a desire for them. My hope is to keep you away from every single one of them for as long as I can.”
I took his hand, weaving my fingers between his. “I’m too caught up in your web, Stone Danvers, and I have no desire to be freed.”
We stared at one another, and a small, content smile possessed his lips.
Julian appeared in the doorway, interrupting us. “It’s ready.” He tossed the thermometer to Stone. “I’ll start a fire for when she gets out. Come get me if you need anything.”
Stone scooped me up with carefulness and brought me into the dimly lit bathroom, closing the door behind him.
“Someone is sucking up,” I whispered.
Stone grinned. “We now have an understanding.”
He set me down at the edge of the tub and crouched to take off my shoes and socks, then my jeans. He tossed them one by one to the side in a pile, only leaving on my bra and panties.
I turned and as soon as my toes touched the freezing water, a dreadful chill rushed through me. I tried not to think about it and slowly descended into the tub. My skin felt like it was burning from the cold water, and I sucked air through my teeth.
“How long did she say?” My voice was scattered, and I was trying to stay calm but I felt panic start to rise inside me. My body was resisting me, refusing to fully submerge. The shock jarred every muscle in my body, and I had to force myself to sink from my knees to my bottom.
Misery consumed Stone as he watched me. Then, not able to handle it any longer, he unlaced his boots and kicked them off. In the next moment, he was stripping off his shirt and pants.
“What ... are ... you doing?” I asked through chattering teeth with a shortness of breath. My muscles were twitching. Like I couldn’t control them.
He stepped into the tub and paused, taking a moment to catch his breath before sitting behind me. I couldn’t see his face but knew from the way he stopped, switching from fast to slow that it was just as paralyzing for him.
He guided me to lay on my side between his legs, with my head resting on his upper thigh. “You’re experiencing cold shock. You have to control your breathing,” he said, gathering my hair and keeping it out of the ice-cold water. “You have to keep your heartbeat steady.”
I said thank you in my head. It was too cold to leave my mouth.
