Page 119 of His Eternal Claim

“Clear,” I whisper.

Satisfied with my answer, Zagreus kisses my forehead. He walks out, leaving me alone with the knowledge that even away from the estate, the darkness is never truly far behind.

Chapter 42

Sacrilege

THE REQUIEM | Past

Iam getting married.

I bunch the wedding gown in my fists and walk down the corridor leading to the chapel. The gown grows heavier with every stair I descend, and when I look down, the fabric is drinking the crimson on the floor.

I frown as the scent of copper floods my senses. “Selene…”

“Mama?”

I turn toward the sound, expecting to see her standing by the window, adjusting her pearls. Instead, I see shadows spilling from the wall like branches and skeletal fingers reach for the train of my gown.

I stumble back as the jasmines turn red, falling down into the crimson liquid that stains my gown.

“You can’t wash away what he did, Stina.”

I abruptly turn around to find Mama standing there, wearing a dress that mimics mine, but it is strange in colour. It’s not entirely red, but like someone has splashed red on white fabric. “Look what he did.”

She raises her hands. They’re red. Her smile turns cruel as she points to her chest where there’s now a big red stain as if she’s been stabbed there. “He killed me, Stina. Your husband killed me.”

Panic spikes, and I look down at my hands, my fists covered in the same blood, staining the lace gloves until they stick to my skin.

“No, no, no…” I whisper, shaking my head. “He won’t.”

I try to wipe them against the gown, but the more I rub, the more the blood spreads, climbing up my torso.

“Zagreus?” I call out.

“Look at yourself, Stina,” she hisses, the copper smell turning so thick I can taste it on the back of my tongue. “You made him kill me.”

The lace around my ribs tightens, squeezing the oxygen from my lungs, pulling me downward as the marble floor beneath my feet softens, turning into a bottomless pool of red. I scream, but no sound comes out, just a bubble of dark red escaping my lips as I sink into the floor.

A violent jolt snaps through my entire frame.

My eyes fly open, my chest heaving as I suck in a breath of real air. I am trembling so hard that my teeth click together.

I look around, trying to focus my blurred vision.

The chapel is gone. The bloody wedding dress is gone.

Mama is gone.

“Mama…” I whisper, swinging my legs off the couch as I reach for what I think is the door.

Everything’s blurry, I can’t focus, and I can’t breathe. “Stina…”

I whip my head around. “Mama?”

Mama, where are you?

She was just here. I can still see a smile on her face. I can still see her red hands pointing to the gruesome, bleeding tear in her chest.