Page 195 of Bound By Crimson
Even surrounded by hands, she was utterly alone.
And the worst part?
It wasn’t even the pain.
It was the betrayal behind it.
Chapter Seventy-One
Legacy and Lineage
Darkness swallowed her whole.
The last thing Lyric remembered was screaming—screaming so loud her own voice cracked—then the world slipped sideways, and the pain dragged her under.
She came to slowly.
The pain was still there—sharp, low, but no longer pulsing. Just a dull reminder. Her limbs felt heavy. Her throat was raw. She was clean. Her nightgown was different. The sheets beneath her were fresh.
Someone had tended to her.
She turned her head, vision blurry.
Tessa sat beside the bed, eyes closed, hands folded in her lap like she was praying.
“Tessa…” Lyric’s voice was barely a whisper.
The maid startled upright, her eyes wide. “Oh—oh, you’re awake! That’s… good. You’re awake.” She stood too fast, backing toward the door. “I’ll—I’ll get you something to eat.”
Lyric reached out weakly. “No—wait—Tessa. Where’s my baby?”
Tessa froze.
A flicker of panic. Of guilt.
“I’ll bring you some soup,” she said softly. “You need your strength.”
“Tessa. Please. Just tell me if he’s okay. Let me see him—”
Tessa’s eyes brimmed.
“I’m sorry.”
Then she stepped out and locked the door behind her.
Lyric passed out again.
---
The second time she woke, Tessa had returned.
She placed a tray on the table—soup, dry toast, a glass of water—and carefully sat beside her again.
“You need to eat,” she said gently. “Please.”
Lyric was starving. Her whole body trembled with hunger.
She let Tessa help her sit up and slowly brought the spoon to her lips.
