A third time.
Immediate release allowed me to breathe.
Blood bubbled to the surface, and a sob wracked my chest as the water turned red and a copper scent invaded my nose. The release was quickly overtaken by stinging. Sharp pain that made me curl forward, over my sliced-up arm.
My arm broke the surface of the water with a slap. Blood immediately spread throughout, like tendrils of crimson, infecting every inch until the water turned pink.
A loud, echoing, gut-wrenching scream left my mouth. Filled with every inch of my agony. My scream turned into a sob.
Everything was so fucking wrong.
An ache infected my throat, but I couldn’t stop the wail.
A loud banging echoed through the bathroom. I’d left the curtain open since I’d been taking a bath, so I had a clear view of the wood splintering off the hinges. It cracked open fromthe opposite side, dangling from the bottom hinge while leaning against the wall.
“Briar?” Kyan gasped. “What is?—”
He clamped his mouth shut.
I opened mine to respond, but a sob exploded freely, loud and echoing.
Briar, he mouthed.
Another wave of cries left my lips, uncontrollable and body-wracking.
Kyan stumbled forward, his attentive gaze sweeping over my cut-up arm floating in the water.
“Fuck,” he choked out. He blurred in my vision, looking like a massive blob. “What the fuck?” he whispered repeatedly. I followed his gaze to my leaking arm, the shredded flesh gaping and gross.
I couldn’t feel my fingertips.
Arms wound around me and hoisted me out of the water. My sobs had calmed with his chest against my nude body. The biological effect that I wanted to destroy. He practically ran to the bed and sat me on the edge, winding a towel around my wounds with quick but gentle tugs.
“Don’t move,” he ordered, fastening the end of the towel. He left and returned just as quickly to toss another towel around my shoulders. My teeth chattered from how hard I shivered. Tears no longer blinded me, but the dry hiccupping mixed with whimpers continued to spill from my lips.
The door flew open.
“Elias passed out—” Sinclair cut off, his attention on the towel around my arm, where blood seeped through.
“What happened?” His eyes became shards of ice.
Kyan walked in from the bathroom at the same time, and Sinclair turned with a snarl.
“Whathappened,” he roared, getting in his face.
Kyan shouldered him as he shoved past.
“I-I don’t know, I found her like this.” He was already crouched next to me, placing the box on the bed. He looked over his shoulder, offering me the back of his head. He must have mouthed something to Sinclair because his gaze flared wider. “Sin, come look at it.”
Kyan’s hands kept trembling. He met my eyes, and his were shell-shocked. “I-I’m sorry I can’t stop it,” he croaked, flexing his shaking hands. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Sinclair was already kneeling in front of me, extending my limp, numb arm.
“We have to take her to the hospital.”
“It’s too dangerous. What if she’s recognized?” Sinclair said as he opened the towel. He hissed out a breath.
I followed his gaze to the bright red blood. Multiple jagged slashes adorned my skin in uneven slices from my wrist to the inside of my elbow.
