Page 129 of Cruelest Kiss and Fairest Blood
Heightening my senses, I seek out any sign of her. There’s the soft sound of water, directing me toward the well. My chest seizes. Lenore lies face-down at the bottom. My shadows spring forward, scooping up my little raven and dropping her into my arms.
She’s cold, wet, and very, very still.
“Lenore, wake up, little raven. Wake up.” My hands brush along her face and arms. I place a palm on her chest. No heartbeat. Something hard protrudes from her stomach.
Her dagger. It glints in the moonlight. It’s embedded several inches into her abdomen.Cassius. That son of a bitch.
There’s no blood. I need to remove it now. I slide it out with as much grace as I can manage, and the wound seals shut. The resurrection has begun.
Lenore sputters, spewing water. Her heart starts to thrum beneath my palm.
“My love.” I bury my face in her shoulder.
“Harrow,” she croaks.
“I’m here.”
She’s quiet for a long moment. “I thought, I was hoping…” She swallows. Tears well in her eyes. “I was hoping I wouldn’t come back. I don’t know how many more times I can take it.Each death gives a glimpse into your world. Such a lovely star-filled sky. So much brighter than the stars here. I wish I could stay.”
Her burden makes my heart ache. “I could try and take you myself, but?—”
“But you risk the sanctity of all those under your care. Including my parents. I couldn’t stand to know I was the cause of their suffering.” Her lip quivers. “There must be another way.”
Animals emerge from the shadowed corners, stepping into the rising light of day. They come to Lenore, laying muzzles and paws across her body.
The peachy hues of the dawn are soft against her pale skin. “Are you sure I’m alive? I can’t feel my heart.”
“It’s beating.”
Lenore stares into the sunrise. “Show me.”
Laying my hand above her chilled chest, I soak in the rhythmicthump thump thumpof her heart.
“Right here. Just beneath my fingertips.”
“It’s yours. My heart.” Lenore leans forward, pressing her lips to mine. Tears are streaming down her cheeks when she pulls away. “Please make sure I don’t come back this time.”
Shock delays the registration of pain as the dagger slices through my fingers and plunges into Lenore’s heart. “No!”
The animals scatter, their screeches and chirps of alarm breaking the quiet of the dawn.
My other hand flies to the hilt. What do I do?What do I do?
Lenore lies perfectly still. An instant death. Shadowing my hand, I remove it from where it’s impaled on the blade. She stabbed right through me. Daylight glints against the jewels embedded in the dagger.
If I remove it, she will come back. When she does, I’ll be forced to take her soul in order to ensure she stops rising.
Think, Harrow,think. Honoring Lenore’s wishes will require great sacrifice. I can take her soul. If it’s ferried to the Underworld upon her death, I am certain she won’t come back. But there are consequences for stealing souls. Reaping her after she comes back is tantamount to dooming my domain. What spirit will be set loose to destroy the mortal world? What dark creature from the in-between will fall down to torment my land of the dead?
That’s not what she would want. The ruin of her world and the destruction of my peaceful gardens below. Lenore is too good. Too kind.
I hold her in my arms, hating the sight of the dagger protruding from her unmoving chest. The right thing to do wars with my deepest desires. My hand rests on the hilt, and an idea slams into me.
What if I don’t remove the dagger? A blade buried deep in her heart will surely prevent her from coming back. How long will it take for her body to fall permanently still if it’s not allowed to resurrect itself?
If I leave it in, she will remain dead. Which means her body will follow the natural order of death. Decay will take root in her tissues. When her organs are gone, there will be no way to resuscitate herself.
Yes, this could work.
