Page 119 of You Only Love Twice
"Malloryn, don't," Gemma warned. "Isabella, please. We don't care about the Master. Only you. Please put the pistol down. It's over."
Byrnes and Ingrid skidded around the corner of the stairs, sliding to a halt when they saw the scene.
"I know who it is," Isabella said, glancing toward Byrnes and Ingrid. "I know what he wants. He wants to see you suffer, Malloryn. He made you a promise once. But you'll be last, Malloryn. You'll be there to watch them all fall. Do you know who it is yet?"
Of all his former enemies there was only one who'd hated him this much.
"He wants you to see your beloved city burn."
It struck him like a bullet to the chest.
"He wants you to see your queen die."
The heat drained from his face.
"He wants to take all your playing pieces off the board. One. By. One."
No.His heart became a frozen pulp in his chest, his ears ringing. Her words confirmed every little doubt he’d been having lately.
"I killed him," he whispered, as she confirmed every suspicion he'd had.
"Did you?" Isabella's laughter rang like the tolling of bells. "You never know how much the craving virus can heal."
The body went into the ground. I saw him buried. I put him in the fucking coffin myself, where he could rot, just as the queen ordered.He stared at her through a world that felt like it was turning in slow circles around him, as if he were caught in the middle of a waltz. Shook his head slowly as all his nightmares came true.
I cut his throat.
Stabbed him in the heart.
Shoveled the fucking dirt over him myself.
How could a man survive that, blue blood or not?
"Now you know," Isabella whispered. "Now you know who you're dealing with. He wants you to know he's out there. He wants you to be looking over your damned shoulder every second of every day. Wondering who he's going to take next."
"You won't get near the queen," he said softly. "It's over."
"I was never meant to get near the queen. This bullet isn't for her." She clicked the safety off, her hands shaking and tears streaming down her face. Those green eyes begged him to save her, even as her mouth spat those hateful words. "You challenged him once. You said there was nothing of your heart left to take, but he wanted to test this theory.
"Goodbye, Malloryn. Just remember, this time the joke shall be on you. I was never the Chameleon. Just the one meant to set her in play." Isabella put the pistol to her chin, her face going blank through her veil of kohl-lined tears. "London Bridge is falling down...."
Malloryn jerked forward, one hand outstretched. "Don't! Don't do it, Isabella."
"Falling down, falling down."
Tears streamed down her face as she stared at nothing.
"Wait!" he yelled as she pulled the trigger.
And then it was too late.
Chapter 24
"Malloryn!" Byrnes yelled, sounding so far away.
Malloryn caught Isabella in his arms as her body slumped toward the floor, shock searing through his chest. The weight of her slumped against him as he went to his knees, trying to lay her down.
There was blood all over his hands.
