Page 31 of Silverproof Damsel

“Stop!” I demanded, but they only turned to stare at me with ink-colored eyes that had matching veins spreading over their faces. “What the fuck?” The sound of flesh tearing forced my attention back to the hole in my abdomen.

Ravens tore at my entrails. Many of the other jet-black colored birds plucked my organs apart as they feasted on my innards. Nausea tore through me as I ripped my regard away from the havoc of them consuming me. Gazing across the room to the table, I whimpered at discovering them doing the same thing to Nyx’s chest wound.

“It could’ve been worse,” someone said, causing ice to sluice through veins. “If my brother were smarter, he’d let me slaughter you all like the animals you are.” The disembodied voice held a deep, sated malice that drifted through the air likeacid over flesh. “Don’t worry. Soon, you’ll hand me what I need to kill both of you.”

Closing my eyes, I sent my flames burning through the dreamscape. At least, I was praying it was a dreamscape. His pain filled howl brought a smile to my lips as I added fuel to the flames. The scent of singed hair and burned flesh was strangely satisfying.

The moment I yanked myself from the nightmare, I winced in pain as agony shot through my shoulder. Blinking, I gritted my teeth as I silently screamed from the sheer terror of waking up still wounded.

“Stop it, Remington Alaina. You’ll tear the stitches from your shoulder.” Winchester’s stern tone had my head whipping toward where it had sounded from.

Weakly, I whispered the only question I needed answered. “Where’s Nyx?”

“She’s not entirely dead. Your friend isn’t alive, either. We don’t know what the hell is happening with her, other than she seems to be—sleeping? I’m uncertain what is occurring with her, honestly. Nymphs are secretive about their species’ healing process. Very little is known about how to aid them during it, honey,” she promised, offering me a watery smile.

That didn’t make me feel any better. It hadn’t removed the fear of losing my best friend, or the one constant in my life. Nyx hadn’t abandoned me to flee when shit hit the fan. She’d stuck beside me through thick and thin.

Unlike my family, Nyx knew how to heal me and what to do in case of an emergency. She knew what to do when my temperature wouldn’t lower quickly enough or when I was in dire need of heat to protect my core temperature. She was my person. It was as simple as that. She’d always been beside me, no matter the cost or consequences she paid for staying there.

“How bad did they hit us, Winnie?” I inquired when she refused to look at me. She’d faced me, sure. Her eyes, though, they looked at the spotbesideme. She wasn’t meeting my stare, which meant something was wrong.

“The men who attacked us are very skilled in their craft, I fear. We expected them to use guns, not swords. They snuck up from behind the house and gained access through the back door. Luckily, Colt realized the bullets were merely a distraction to keep us from searching for the shooter. He barely made it inside in time to prevent them from reaching you.” She paused, swallowing repeatedly as she finally held my gaze, offering me a watery smile.

“Where’s Colt?” I breathed, barely above a whisper of sound. My heart clenched, twisting painfully in my chest. Blood pounded inside my head as tears scolded my eyes, trickling down my cheeks as I trembled with fear at what she was about to confirm.

“They were able to cause a distraction by plowing an armored truck into the side of the chateau. It forced us to separate to ensure you were okay while defending the entrances. We weren’t prepared for them to wield steel swords, enhanced with ancient, dark magic. It took time to drive them back to ensure they couldn’t breach the chateau. Once we were certain they were fleeing, we heard a crash from inside. By the time we got to you, Colt was already dead.”

“You’re mistaken. He can’t be dead. That’s not possible,” I argued as my lips trembled as blood started to whoosh in my head, pounding deafeningly. “No, Winchester. It’s Colt. He can’t be dead. We just have to . . . we need to . . .” I searched for an answer, one that would bring my brother back. “Vampire blood could help fix him.”

“He’s gone. Remi, we cannot bring back what we have lost. That’s not how it works,” she whispered past the tears chokingoff her words. “Colt knew what returning here might end up costing him. He still came here. We all did.”

I moved my head and struggled to rise and go to him. This wasn’t happening to me. I hadn’t wanted them to come here because I knew the price would be too heavy to pay.

“I wasn’t worth his life.” A sob broke from my lips as Winchester turned, sliding her arms around me tightly. I couldn’t breathe through the fist that squeezed and twisted my heart from my chest. Giant, broken sobs shook my chest as I pushed against my sister’s hold, needing to put distance between myself and them.

“To us, you are worth so much more.” The faraway look churning over her features caused the knot in my abdomen to twist.

“I don’t know why I am. I’ve not done anything to earn that from any of you,” I whispered through the pain tightening in my chest.

“Our childhood was much like your own. We were forced to live in total darkness. Roslyn beat us, starved us, and as each one of us broke, she began shaping us into weapons to wield against her enemies. I never gave her a chance to cage you as she’d done to us.” Flipping her thick silver braid aside, she released a strained exhale.

“The day you were born, well, we felt what it was like to have the warmth from the sun shining on us for the first time. You lit up our world, honey. Even though we’d escaped Mother’s clutches, you drew us back here. The others came and went, but I stayed because I knew what she intended to raise you as she’d raised the rest of us. Someone had to remain here to protect you, so I did. I delivered it to you myself, Remington. She didn’t even ask if she had a son or a daughter before she left you with me. She didn’t care either way what she’d delivered, but I was happy you were a girl.”

“You named me,” I stated, not needing her reply to know the answer. When she started to reply, I shook my head. “It wasn’t a question, Winchester. You’re the only person in our entire family who has ever used my middle name. Hell, other than Nyx, you’re the only person who knows what it is. Plus, I’m the only one of her children who has one.”

“I wondered if you’d figure out that I’d been the one to name you. I wanted you to know that you were loved. Roslyn never provided us with actual names, Remi. She named us after the gun she trained us to shoot with. Until we had proven ourselves to her, we weren’t worth one.”

Snorting as I wiped away the tears still covering my face, I shook my head. “That’s sad. But it doesn’t change that my life isn’t worth more than any of yours. Plus, you cannot expect me to sit around and wait for them to return. I won’t do it. I just won’t.”

“If you go to him, I won’t be able to save you from him.” Tears escaped from her icy-blue eyes. “We’re not strong enough to fight off the order and Van Helsing knights. Hell, you couldn’t leave with him if you wanted to do so right now. The order is still outside. They’re waiting for you to do exactly what you’re thinking about doing right now.”

“They’re not ready to fight both, either. Maybe it’s time we stop fighting one another and start fighting beside one another, Winnie. Rhys won’t agree to an alliance, but he’d do whatever it takes to ensure his child’s safety.” Opening her mouth to argue on my behalf, I held up two fingers as I leaned back against the pillows, wincing. “I trust him not to harm me. Plus, I have insurance that promises he won’t be able to harm me for several months.”

Winnie’s eyes lowered to my abdomen, grinning. “I taught you well, kid. Maybe too well,” she admitted. “Still, I don’t like this plan. I don’t like the idea of you being at Van Helsing’s mercy.Remington, I raised you. You’re the closest thing I have to a daughter. If it’s between losing you or fighting our way through this shit, I’d prefer to fight our way free.”

“They killed Colt, then they could kill you. We are at an impasse, Winchester.” Watching her face tighten in confusion, I tilted my head, offering her a sad look. “You see, if staying here means I lose any more of you, then I choose to leave. I’ve already considered my choices. I’d chosen him. Rhys is prepared for this fight. Plus, he won’t hurt me. You must let me go. I’m no longer a child who can’t protect herself.”

“I hate that you are right, Remi.”

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