Page 211 of Dark Souls

“It’s up to you if you want to be involved in this,” I said carefully. “I need to kill him to put this all behind me, but you don’t have to. It’s your choice. You must do what is best for you and your own peace of mind.”

She exhaled loudly and then looked over her shoulder at Ronnie before returning her gaze to me. “I don’t want to kill anyone. But I want them both to pay horrifically. The person I wanted dead is already dead, so I feel at peace with you and Ilaria finishing them. I know that probably makes me a coward, but I don’t want them to win by proving to them that I am the monster they have always said I am.”

I reached out for her hand. “You are not a coward. And you are not a monster. You are Hana, my little sister, who sees the world in all its colours despite how it has treated you. That is a precious thing, little one. Protecting that part of you is what matters, and I am so fucking proud of you.”

She stood up and then wrapped her arms tightly around my waist, pressing her cheek against my chest. I held her and rested my chin on the top of her head, noticing how Ilaria and her family members had wandered off to the other side of the room to give us a moment.

“I am only able to be who I am, to have survived what we did because of you. I’m sorry that you have always had to carry that burden for me.”

“It is not a burden to protect you, Hana. It is an honour, and it is what big brothers do.”

“Zoran used to say that.” She smiled into my chest as I blinked rapidly, feeling an ache pulling under my skin at the mention of my older brother. “I don’t remember much about him, but I do remember how he would say he’d always protect us because that is what big brothers do.”

My throat closed, and I struggled for my next breath. I had forgotten that. More like repressed my memories of him completely when I turned off my humanity. Hana leaned back, keeping her arms around my waist and peered up at my face.

“Will you come back now, Lulu?” she whispered and the pleading look in her eyes was so full of heartbreak and hope that I had to look away.

Instead of replying because I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to feel safe enough to allow the walls I’d built around myself to ever fully come down, I kissed her forehead and let her go. She smiled sadly and turned to walk over to Ronnie. I watched them together for a few seconds and saw how her smile brightened when she looked up at him as he tenderly brushed a curl of her hair behind her ear.

“Luka?” a soft voice spoke from behind me and I turned to see a blonde woman with bright green eyes and a sweet smile. She radiated warmth and kindness. Her whole energy reminded me of my mama before she lost my father. “I’m Alina. Ilaria’s grandmother.”

I nodded. “The therapist one? Ilaria told me about you.”

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you properly, Luka. I just wanted to say, I know all of this is a lot and if you ever just need a moment to breathe, sit in a safe space, and decompress, here is a key to one of my meeting rooms.” She held out a key to me and I took it carefully, twisting it in my fingers. “Welcome to the family.”

She went to walk away, but I quickly called out, “Will you be there? To talk?”

She paused and turned back to regard me with a thoughtful smile. “Only if you want me to be.”

“I’d… I think I would. I think I need to try.”

She nodded. “Okay. Then I’ll be there. Whenever you’re ready.” She walked away, and I put the key in my pocket just as Ilaria passed her grandma and approached me. I swept her up in my arms, needing to have her as close to me as possible.

“I think I just signed myself up for therapy with your grandma.”

Her face was a picture of surprise. “Really? Wow. Okay. I kind of love that for you.”

“I want to see if there is anything left to salvage of the man I used to be. But first, I need to show Mitchell and Belladonna what kind of monster they created. I don’t want anyone else in the room when I kill him. Only you. I know you can handle seeing me at my worst.”

“I’ll get the camera.” She winked. I threw my head back and laughed.

Darkside

Ileanedmybackagainstthe wall with my arms folded as I watched Luka precisely but brutally rip out each one of Mitchell’s teeth with pliers, leaving his precious fangs until the very end. He choked on the copious amount of blood that was forming in his mouth, gargling his screams. He twisted his face to the side so it would spill out on the table he was strapped to. Facing the video camera that was perched on a stand, I bent forwards so I could look into his eyes.

“Smile for the camera, Mitchell. Belladonna wants to say hi.”

His head fell back down on the table as he pinched his eyes closed. Luka walked around him, with his bloody hands tapping away at his chin, studying Mitchell.

“These straps just aren’t going to work for what I have planned,” he stated calmly, tugging one tighter, which made Mitchell cry out because he put pressure on the millions of cuts in his torso Luka had made with his scorched stake. Luka strolled over to the wall of torture equipment and picked up two long, sharp wooden spears. He threw one across the room to me and I caught it by the leather handle around the middle to stop it from burning my hands.

“Shoulders,” Luka said, and I stepped forwards to Mitchell’s right shoulder as Luka stood by his left. Luka lifted the spear above his head and then slammed it down into Mitchell’s shoulder with so much strength it went through his body and wedged itself in the table beneath him. An agonising cry left Mitchell, followed by protests, but Luka glanced over at me, ignoring him completely. “Your turn, love.”

I inhaled, wanting to make sure I impressed Luka by sending the spear into the table beneath Mitchell, just like he did. I wanted to show him that, even though I may be tiny in comparison, since giving him my soul, I felt stronger than ever. With both hands wrapped around the spear, I did a little jump into the air with it raised above my head and used my whole body weight to plunge it through Mitchell’s shoulder. It pierced the table beneath him, keeping him pinned down.

I gave a whoop of celebration as a beautifully wicked smile lit up Luka’s face. Mitchell was crying now, tears mixing with the blood on his face as his bloody chest lifted and fell frantically.

Luka undid the straps on Mitchell’s torso but kept the ones on his legs in place. I stepped back when I saw the dangerous savageness cast over my mate’s eyes and licked my lips, preparing to watch Luka really unleash his wrath. My heart was pounding and adrenaline was rampaging through me because I was excited to see it. I knew what that made me. Fucked in the head. I’d always known this about myself. It’s who I was. I was attracted to danger.

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