Despite being angry and hurt, I fold beneath his fingers like paper, only for him to rip out my origami heart and crumple it in his fist. He can smooth me out again, but I’ll never be the same.
I may bear the marks of my fragility, but my edges are sharp and hungry for blood. Even delicacy can wield the greatest afflictions.
“If you hurt me,” I begin, finally meeting his eyes. My voice is quiet, but my stare bears the gravity of my next words. “I will never forgive you. I will feel nothing for you, not even hate. I will take back whatever part of me you own, and I fucking promise you, Dreadful Sharpe, youwillfeel that loss.”
For once, there’s no smirk. No cocky brush-off, no snapped response. His expression is serious as he nods.
Sighing, I stand, and when I look to Severen, he’s peering up at me from his book.
He wiggles it at me, and says, “She had to do a lot of forgiving, too, but now, she’s married to the vampire king.”
I arch a brow. “Did he turn her into a vampire?”
Severen’s brow furrows, confused. “Yes.”
I nod. “Sounds about right. He drained the life out of her, and now she’s dead inside—all because of him.”
Dread and Severen stare silently as I turn and walk away.
CHAPTER 31
DREAD
Reverie chews on the skin around her thumbnail as we make the forty-five-minute drive to the mountain. The air between us is tense and quiet, and I argue with myself over whether I should break it.
A month ago, I probably would’ve enjoyed watching her squirm and fret. Now, I just want to hold her hand.
I’m so goddamn fucked.
However, she doesn’t ask questions, so I keep silent.
By the time I pull into a dirt driveway with overgrown leaves and bushes invading the path, she finally drops her hand to her lap, a bead of blood bubbling around her nail.
The tension thickens, and my car wobbles as I drive down the uneven terrain, bringing us farther away from civilization and deeper into the mountain.
I can feel her anxiety heighten, and once again, I’m overwhelmed with the urge to grab her hand and reassureher.
Except she wouldn’t believe me, and it enrages me that whatever little trust I built with her is gone. Her father may have ruined my progress, but there’s no one truly to blame but myself.
A small wooden cottage breaks free from the wild foliage surrounding us, the mountain at its back, its blue shadow just barely peeking through the thick fog.
I park right outside of it and turn off the engine. She silently stares at the cottage for several beats before turning her attention to me, a silent question in the air.
I don’t turn to meet her probing stare, already hearing the remnants of forgotten memories, and I feel nothing outside of the entourage of emotions flooding through my system.
It happens every time I come here. Even after thirteen years, the pain, the sadness, the grief—it’s still as powerful as the day I watched my mother walk out that front door.
“I buried my mom here.”
From my peripheral, Reverie’s mouth opens then closes again, seeming both surprised and confused.
“What? How?” Her voice is barely above a whisper, but it could be because my heart is pounding hard enough to rattle my rib cage.
This is the most sacred place on Earth to me, and showing Reverie Adams where half my soul lies might be the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.
“For obvious reasons, my grandmother chose to cremate her, though we would’ve even if Lionel hadn’t done what he did to her body. After my dad passed, she had those tough conversations with me about our bodies and how they decompose.” I shrug a shoulder. “Don’t know if she should’ve, really, but I always appreciated it. My mom was always really big on honesty, so when I asked questions about where my dad’s body went, she answered. Anyway, she told me some people have specific requests for how they’d like to be put to rest, so I asked about hers. So, obviously, when she died, I honored her request.”
The second I knew I’d be following her to Hollow Canyon, the first thing I did was look for a place for my mom. It took me weeks of scouring the internet before I stumbled upon this abandoned cottage up for sale. Instantly, it felt like home. I stared at the pictures for hours, and, even through a screen, I couldn’t shake the undeniable feeling that bringing her here was exactly where she was meant to be.
