Oh,God!
Lucien.
Whisper would return to him.
Lucien would murder whoever’d hurt his beloved companion.
I wobbled as my mind threatened to blackout.
Swallowing hard, I staggered to my feet and almost fell against Laura. Grabbing her hand, I commanded, “You have togo. Now. You weren’t here, got it? You didn’t hurt the cat. You know nothing about any of it.”
She scowled, trying to hold me upright as my pain made me double over. “But—”
“No buts.” I pushed her toward the door. “Go.”
She tripped as I propelled her outside and onto the grass. “But you’re—”
“Oh, God.” I dropped to my knees as the sunshine drove a screwdriver into my eyes.
“Rook!” Falling with me, she wrapped an arm around my shoulders and tucked me against her.
And I was done.
The stress and anxiety that I could never control reached their nasty crescendo.
I sagged in her hold, my voice going thin. “If Lucien comes here and asks who hurt Whisper, it was me, alright?”
“No, I—”
“Do it. For me. He won’t hurt me. But you?” I shuddered, my tongue thick and useless. “Promise me you’ll say it was me.”
“Rook?” She hugged me tighter. “Rook?” She shook me as I slipped closer to that line of forced sleep. “What’s wrong with you?”
“It’s fine.” I struggled to stay awake. “I just have this thing where...I shut down if I’m overwhelmed.”
I lost grip on this world and fell...
Chapter Thirty-Five
THE BROKEN GLASS ON THE TOP OF the walls keeping me in this hell glittered in the sunshine. The streams and lakes twinkled, the trees swayed gently, and the many covered open-air pathways, salas, shrubs, and flowers did their best to paint a picture of serenity and calm.
But all I felt was disgust and despair and smouldering, scorchinghate.
I stood on the roof again.
My one place where I didn’t feel so trapped.
The heat from the black stone of the huge mansion warmed my bare feet, but even with the bright afternoon sun, its fire couldn’t compare to the flames in my veins.
I’d shrugged off my coat, letting it fall to the ground. I’d unbuttoned my shirt, baring just enough of my chest to the soft breeze. The metallic glint of the vitalsync core peeked out of my clothes, the lights flashing red.
I needed Rook.
Without her, the pain had returned to unbearable levels.
I hated how quickly I’d grown used to her.
To rely on her.
