“Please,” he begged.
That single plea tore apart my already broken heart.
A sob caught in the back of my throat and—
Whisper suddenly roared. Locking his glowing gaze on the forest, his tail lashed like a whip.
Lucien narrowed his eyes in the same direction.
I heard the weary curse he didn’t verbalise.
With an exhausted groan, he used whatever remaining strength he had left to clamber to his feet, leaving the girl to rest on the ground.
“Rook.” Holding out his hand, he never took his eyes off the darkness, waiting for me to take it.
Threading my fingers with his burned ones, I gasped as he jerked me tight against him.
“Whatever happens, I love you.” His gaze glowed crimson. “This is all my fault. I don’t know if I condemned you to breaking like me, but...having you here. Seeing you well and strong...it gives me peace to think you’ll somehow survive without me.” His lips twitched into a tired smile. “You’re better than me in every way, so youwillfind a way...I know you will.”
“W-What are you talking about?”
He shrugged listlessly. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I was the reason you died. I’m grateful to know I didn’t cause you pain tonight by leaving.”
I opened my mouth to tell him that was exactly what happened. He’d put too much distance between us. He’d taken away the very connection we needed to stay alive but...my throat froze over.
I couldn’t tell him that I’d been in excruciating agony. Couldn’t tell him how close I’d been to my final breath as I’d found him on this mountain top. How I’d twisted time to get to him—
How was I supposed to layer him with yet more guilt when he couldn’t stop looking at the little girl as if he’d personally murdered her?
“Lucien, I—”
“Don’t.” He shook his head. “I didn’t want you to see this, but...I know what I’m doing. I know what has to happen, and I’ll protect you with everything I have.”
Tiny flames licked along his collarbone. The pyre in him caught fire again, chewing through the frost I’d fed him.
No...
Bringing my wrist up, I went to bite a bigger wound—to force him to drink more of my blood, but...a rustle in the trees. A twig cracking.
The bond twisted as Lucien’s attention arrowed into the night.
The glow beneath his skin brightened just as a familiar nightmare picked its way through the rubble of bodies and stepped into the crater Lucien had caused.
“Well.” Marcus pulled out a pristine white handkerchief from his navy suit and held it to his nose. “Thisisunfortunate.”
Chapter Sixty-Nine
I’D ENVISIONED THIS MOMENT EVER SINCE the fire awoke inside me. I’d been smug with power and eager to torture him. I’d plotted all the ways I’d make him scream but now...now I didn’t care.
I’d had it so lucky compared to these people.
I’d lived in a palace—had food and shelter and Whisper.
And the immature asshole inside me who believed he was owed retribution had far worse things to worry about.
“I thought you’d turn up at Brimstone’s old head office.” Marcus drank in the carnage. “A little birdie told me you left that fortress you call home earlier today and I was rather looking forward to a visit.”
I didn’t reply.
