Page 113 of Her Dark Promise

I swallowed and then asked, “Are you alright?”

She shook her head. “Me? I’m not the one who was stabbed and—” She bit her tongue and lowered her head.

I knew what she was thinking about, but I had done my best to not think about it. I couldn’t think about how his calloused hands felt against my skin, his hot breath wanting to make me vomit. I wanted to forget that it ever happened, but I couldn’t.Not when I looked into Emilia’s eyes and saw the pain that she was going through by seeing him again and knowing what taking his life meant for her.

I pushed past my own feelings and said, “Emilia, please don’t mourn for killing that monster. He deserved it for everything he did to you. I am just sorry you were the one to do it. That I didn’t have the strength to fight him.”

“And what about you?” She was near hysterics, staring at me with wide eyes.

“What?” My heart began to beat irregularly.

“Stop being strong for us. You were assaulted, too.” I tensed at the word. She must have seen this reaction as she lowered her voice. “You are always putting others before yourself, even after everything.”

“I just wanted to protect you.” My voice trembled, barely above a whisper.

“You did,” she urged. “You have protected me for twenty years.Alwaystaking care of me when I had my spells, my tantrums, giving me food when we were running low… I remember everything.”

I wanted nothing more than to shield her from all the horrors of the world, and if I had the means, I would resurrect him just to make him suffer more for the rest of eternity.

When I turned my head, she continued, “You act as though you are so tough, invincible, but you aren’t. You care so much. We can all see it.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but nothing she said was wrong.

“You push us away and keep us at arms-length to protect your heart.” She grabbed my hands and brought them to her chest, willing me to hear her. “Why do you think Callum and I have stayed by your side? Weloveyou.”

I shook my head, pulled my hands out of her grasp, and winced from the sudden movement. “Please stop…” I dug my fingernails into my palms and bit back the sob that threatened to escape. “Loving you will destroy me.”

Her shoulders slumped at hearing my words—my truth. I know she seemed to believe her words, but I heard nothing but lies. There was no plausible reason why she would love me. The only reasonable answer was that she wanted to keep me alive. I didn’t tell her any of this as I knew she would insist on her sincerity.

Without another thought, she grabbed my shoulders and embraced me. I tensed as her shoulders shook, and she cried on my shoulder. It only took a few moments before my body began to shake uncontrollably as the weight of what that monster did to me and what he could have done began to settle into my bones.

I allowed myself this one moment of weakness, and I clutched her even closer to me, digging my fingers into her back as we used each other to mourn.

Hours passed and as tired as I was, I couldn’t fall asleep. I sent Emilia away under the pretense that I needed rest, but really I couldn’t look into her eyes any longer. Our conversation took more out of me than I cared to admit.

“Just let me in to see her!” Someone shouted.

Silence, then another voice saying, “You betrayed her in the worst way possible. You need to leave before she wakes up and finds you still here.” More silence and then that same voice said a little more delicately. “Just let her rest Bastian, her body needs it, as well as her mind.”

Callum and the hunter.

I didn’t hear anything else until someone opened the door. I looked over to find Callum carrying a bowl in his hands. “You’re awake.”

I continued staring at him as he walked over and set the bowl down on the side table.

“Where is it? The blade?” I didn’t want to hear any more lies. Not from him.

“How about you worry about it when you’ve rested?” I didn’t like his answer, but I was too exhausted to fight with him.

He grabbed the spoon that was in the bowl, scooped a small amount, and brought it to my lips. I closed my mouth. I didn’t have an appetite.

“Your grace, you must eat if you want to heal.” He sighed, and I could hear him standing there. “Just please eat something when you feel up to it.”

I closed my eyes and curled up into a ball slow enough that my sutures wouldn’t rupture, I didn’t want to see anyone else.

I heard the door close and tears lined my eyes. I tucked my chin to my chest and begged them not to come, but they didn’t listen, and my body shook from the resistance. I was so tired of crying. So tired of trying to be someone that everyone wanted me to be. Whom I would never be.

I sat there in silence until her voice made another appearance. It was just us. Again.

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