She knows what I mean.
"Four," she whispers, lips shaping the word like a confession.
And something clicks. Her pupils dilate, her breathing slows. The trance starts.
"Four people, huh?" I echo, voice steady, gaze locked. "Anyone close?"
She nods slowly. "A boyfriend." Her voice trembles.
"Ah. A lover. Tragic."
"It was," she says. "He had a ring. I found it after. He was going to propose. And I killed him with my own hands."
"So that's the story behind all the glitter," I say softly. "No wonder you try so hard to be light—you're still dragging your lover's corpse behind you."
Her eyes glisten.
"The weight of it still crushes you, doesn't it?"
"Every day," she whispers.
"Mmm… poor girl." My tone soothes. "You wouldn't wish that pain on anyone else, right?"
She nods, dazed. "No. It's… agony."
"I've killed more than you," I say gently. "Imagine how I'd feel if I still could. If I let all that grief in, it would splinter me."
"It would," she murmurs, her voice gone thin. "It could destroy you."
"Yes. But if you help me, it won't. You don't want me to suffer like you do, right?"
Her eyes glaze over. "How can I help you?"
Got her.
"Unlock me. Let me go," I say softly.
She stands, moves toward me like she's sleepwalking.
"I… I don't have… a key," she breathes.
"Come closer, then," I whisper.
She obeys. One step. Another.
The door creaks open.
Tomas.
Donna blinks awake just as I lunge, grab her, and pull her tight. My fangs hit her neck—hot, fast, perfect. Her scream tears through the basement as blood floods my mouth.
Tomas is on us in a heartbeat, wrenching her away. Bone snaps under my grip, a clean, satisfying crack.
"Sage!" she gasps, clutching her broken arm, backing away.
"Not Sage," I growl. "Not Sabrina. Nothing human. Just the monster." Blood drips from my lips. A small taste, but better than nothing.
Tomas drags her out, slamming the door behind them.
