“I deserve worse than what Malcolm gave me,” he mutters sadly.
My heart aches at those words. Lysander has been nothing more than a loyal friend to me throughout everything. Especially now, risking his life to help Haven and Emma escape without asking for anything in return. I just can’t see how he deserves to be scarred and damned for eternity.
“I haven’t seen him since the night I was turned,” Lysander continues. “I never thought I would ever see him again, until I heard Henri had invited him to this littlefête.”
“Do you think he will come?”
“It’s hard to say. Malcolm isn’t known for showing up when he is expected to, but Henri is determined to have him here.”
“Why is that?”
He sighs. “Oh, I don’t know. My guess is that Henri wants to prove something to him. Show him all the good he has done with the curse he’s been given. It is why he takes people in, like you and many, many others, and puts on this show of perfection.”
I instantly think of Haven. “He destroys lives to make his seem perfect.”
What else has Henri lied about?
I think of the night that had changed my life, the fire at my family’s farm that claimed my mother and brother. Could Henri be responsible for tampering with my life, too?
“Yes, well, now you know one of the reasons Malcolm chose him.”
Hard footsteps come from above, and with every step, dust swirls and falls from the wooden planks that make up the ceiling. I freeze.
“Keagan,” he whispers, answering my thoughts.
I move away from the door but wish I didn’t to leave him this way. “I’ll come back for you tomorrow night once the guests start to arrive,” I promise.
Lysander gives a dry laugh. “Yes, please, because I amdesperatelylooking forward to the party.”
Haven
Alone in my bedroom, I start to undress. I step out of the thick gown, relieved once the heavy material leaves my body, and slip out of my heeled boots next. The pins come out of my hair next, and finally the jewelry.
Facing the standup mirror, I tug on a plain shirt made of cotton, lace up a corset, and pull on a pair of stockings before looking at my half-dressed reflection. A mass of dark curls cascade down my front, but it’s not enough to hide the two raised bruises on my neck from Henri. Across my cheek, the pink mark from Henri’s ring stands out despite the rosiness of my skin, and I frown.
Am I beautiful? I’ve never thought myself as such. I’ve always been torn and broken, never beautiful. No matter how many times Henri has said I was. Even with thecustom-made gowns and gaudy jewelry, I have only played the part of beautiful, but never truly was.
Now that the layers of clothing have been stripped away, and I stand here partly naked and vulnerable, I can see only the truth staring back at me. And it hurts. My father is still gone. The pain of his death weighs heavy in my chest. There are still rope burns on my wrists, cuts on my face, and bruises all over my skin. I certainly look like I’m in pieces, but there’s something different about me this time.
Somehow I feel…whole.
It doesn’t make sense. I know it doesn’t, but it’s true. Things are different now. Something’s changed.
Avrum.My reflection’s eyes widen as the answer comes to me at once. I gained the pulse of life again the moment Avrum offered me his scarred hand and given me hope. Then again when he’d pressed his lips against mine for the first time in this very room.
Is it beauty I am feeling? Is it strength? Love? My mirrored-self smiles back at me. It must be.
Hushed voices come from outside my bedroom door. Keys jingle, and the lock releases. Still only partially clothed, I wrap my arms around myself. Over my reflection’s shoulder, I watch as the door opens.
I suck in a deep breath as Avrum walks in. When he sees me standing there, partially exposed to him, he stops short. Heat rises to my cheeks and travels to my lower belly as his eager eyes roam my body and his lips part from hunger. He takes three steps forward but pauses just behind me.
When his darkened gaze meets mine through the mirror, I notice the battle raging inside him.
“Haven.” He breathes my name, and my insides tremble at the amount of desire threaded in his tone.
I lick my lips in anticipation, and when he sees it, he takes another step forward. His hands come up and touched my shoulders, and instantly my body relaxes. The entire time, I watch him from the mirror. They slide down my arms, and as he presses himself against my back, I can feel every rigid muscle of his chest and the stiffness of his groin.
My heartbeat gallops. With him so close to me, I can barely think straight. He is the escape I crave. And when his warm breath tickles the hollow of my neck, all I can think about is our entwined bodies in the attic and how amazing he felt thrusting into me until we both came undone in each other’s arms.
