But that’s not the plan. I’m not supposed to feel this way. I’m not supposed to depend on anyone.Nothingis supposed to get in the way.
And yet, the thought of killing her…I would sooner rather rip out my own beating heart and offer it to her to toss into the flames.
No.
No, no, no.
The pulse in the side of her neck, pressed against my bicep, slows with every inhale. Dread fills me at its rhythm. At the exact same way my heart beats with it. I hold my breath, feeling my heartbeat slow, then feeling hers slow in response.
Two hearts beating as one.
No. This can’t be. There’s no way.
I take my free hand and prick my finger on my extended fang. Blood wells, and I smear it onto the necklace. It unlocks with a hiss and drops to the floor.
I reach for the bond between us, and every muscle in my body turns to stone.
The bond is still there.
It’s still fucking there.
My mind races, but it’s all white noise. None of it makes sense.
With shaky hands, I release Elle and step away from her. I take off, nearly sprinting down the path. The guard calls for me, but I ignore him. And leave my mate behind.
This time, the screaming in my head is mine.
Chapter 34
MAE
For the last three days,dinner has been served right as the sun begins to dip below the tallest peak. Today is no exception. The stone door opens right on time and a tray of food is shoved through the opening. It slides toward me on the gritty floor, dirt underneath scraping the bottom as it comes to a stop before me.
The brown soup looks abnormally lumpy, and I eye the meal with distaste. At least it smells better than whatever they gave me last night. Giving a prisoner soup while their hands are bound behind their back is another level of depravity.
The wound on my stomach protests as I scoot toward the tray, but I don’t have the luxury of missing meals. I have no clue what’s about to happen to me. As much as I’d rather kick the meal back to them and scream a heartyfuck you, I lay on my stomach and bite the edge of the bowl. I shove my disgust away and tilt it back. It spills over the sides, into my mouth, down my neck, and onto the floor. It tastes like ass, just like the last few nights’ dinners.
I lay there for a moment, the wound in my stomach pulsing and sending waves of pain through my midsection. I wrangle my way back into a sitting position and slump against the stone wall once more. Myheartbeat echoes in my ears. My breathing is shallow and the air feels too thick. All from that one bout of movement.
My wound continues to get worse. Laying on the ground and inviting dirt and Mother knows what else isn’t helping it heal. Every time I have to eat, the wound is ripped back open. But I don’t know what else to do. I have to eat. I need every bit of strength I can get.
I rest my head against the stone wall, resisting the urge to bash my skull against it.
The dreams of my mother and the girl with oceans in her eyes have barely left my mind since I woke. I’ve spent every waking hour dissecting them and committing them to memory. Every night, I pray for more. But nothing else has come.
The first dream is clear. If it’s true, then Elle is my sister—my twin. I wanted to snort when I woke up from the dream. Of course she’s my sister. She’s the only other female I’ve ever met with antlers. We have the same eyes. We both share the truth-telling ability. How could I have missed it? From the moment we met, she felt familiar to me.
But the second dream…The girl told the tale of a world that has begun to come true.The rabbits hide. The birds are silent. And the moss is soaked with blood.The ground isn’t soaked with blood yet, but the animals—and the hybrids—are in hiding as the witches spread.Witches run rampant through the forest, leaving a trail of blood in their wake.Yes, that one is clear—Asmo and I experienced it ourselves.She couldn’t rid the world of the dark magic that plagued her creatures.Could this be the Cursed?
If this is all true, then the world is about to die. And the only ones who can save it are two pairs of mates that the Mother Herself created.Because the day cannot exist without the night, the Mother crafted the females after the light, and the males after the dark.Elle, the epitome of fire—of light. Me, with hair as white as the flames I wield. Asmo and Marik, brothers who control the darkness and flames of night.
If the second dream is true, the Mother has given Elle and me mates who are brothers…which means Elle’s mate has to be Marik. Or Marik is mine, and Asmo is hers.
No.
Although I know very little about mates, I know they are physically incapable of causing harm to one other. If Marik was my mate, he would never have been able to do what he did. My first kiss with Asmo was electric, different than any other male I’ve ever been with. Every kiss, every touch, has been a shock to my system. Marik’s touch, on the other hand, felt like any other.
If the only way to defeat Cora is for both pairs of mates to work in tandem…How in the Motherfucking hell is that supposed to work if Marik is the villain and Elle is his captive? Not to mention, how am I supposed to do anything trapped in this cell? I have no clue what’s about to happen. Am I about to be walked to my death? Am I the next one to be hanged? Or will Cora waltz in and finish what she started?
