He opened his hand, revealing the shards of the stone, easily broken from the strength of one palm. The glass-like pieces fell to the ground, crunching beneath his boots as he took a step back, away from Ambrose’s wide-eyed form.
Ambrose was frozen, hand at his neck, lips wet from the Tenebrae’s kiss. His eyes fell to Luella on the ground, and he snarled, "This is your fault, you bitch!"
Shadows tangled up his legs and kept him pinned to the wall, tightening around his throat to cut off the rest of his threatening words.
The Tenebrae tutted and canted his head predatorily. He turned to look at Luella, but remained silent. There was something on his face. Regret? Loathing? Disgust? It flickered away like the dying embers of a fire, gone like the green in his eyes, replaced by shadows.
"Master, why would you take this from me?" Ambrose begged.
"You fucking dare ask such a thing afteryoutake fromme?" The Tenebrae took the other male’s chin, as if to kiss him again. "Nothing lasts forever—even your foolish, petty love. You hurt the things you love the most. And by trying to take her innocence and corrupt her—hurt her—before I can wed her, you demonstrated this so clearly. Your love will turn to resentment. It always does. Then hatred. I know you love me, as more than a mere master. I’m doing you a favor; you hastened your demise by acting so recklessly."
The Tenebrae moved his fingers over the other male’s chest softly; though, his words were harsh, imbued with a simmering anger. He pulled his hand away, as if warring with the idea of touching him or not, then, before Luella could so much as take in air to her tight lungs, he made a fist and punched it straight through Ambrose’s chest.
Flesh tore, bone cracked, and red blood poured over the Tenebrae’s hand.
Ambrose gasped in shock, pinned to the wall by the shadows. His hand fell from his bare neck. His face grew pale as blood seeped from within his chest cavity. It trickled past his lips as he coughed.
"Punishment begets punishment begets punishment," the Tenebrae said. He did something inside the other male’s chestthat made him seize against the wall, then, with a sucking sound, he pulled free a red beating mass.
She watched their side profiles, disgusted with herself, with them, as the Tenebrae crushed Ambrose’s heart in his palm, just as he did the onyx stone.
Ambrose died immediately. He fell to the ground, and the Tenebrae dropped the heart carelessly on the ground and wiped his bloodied hand on his thigh.
Luella’s eyes were drawn to the gaping, empty mass in Ambrose’s chest.
She waited for him to awaken. She’d seen him survive this before. But with every passing moment, more blood pooled from within the hole in his chest, and his eyes remained unseeing.
The Tenebrae crouched by her side, covering Ambrose’s body from her sight. He touched her cheek with bloodied, warm fingers. She felt a streak of wetness left on her tender flesh.
The Tenebrae raised a hand, the delicate links of a silver chain twined between his bloody fingers. The end bumped her chin as he dangled it over her face like a swinging pendulum. "That stone I crushed in my hand was a gift to him. It kept him alive, and I took it back, just like I took his heart away—he had wanted to give it to me, after all. When you love someone, you’re turned into the most selfless version of yourself, the worst version you could possibly be. He would’ve given me his heart if I had only asked, so I took it without asking."
He gripped her chin, just as he had Ambrose’s. She waited for his fist to punch through her chest and claim her heart. Would it hurt? Surely only for a moment, then death. She could endure anything for a moment.
"I imbued my blood within the stone. It let him utilize my shadows, heal quicker. The greatest of gifts, squandered for you." His shadowed eyes trailed down to her shift still sitting high on her thighs. "Did he fuck you?"
Luella didn’t answer, trembling in waves of tired, wretched want. She wished Az would show up. Could she will him to? She would sink willingly into the madness if it meant she could see his face right now. Could he help her—help take away this need burning inside her? She nearly called out for him. For anyone.
"Look at me right now."
Her face was forced back to his. How had she not seen it sooner? Just how devoid of any soul or life or warmth, the being that inhabited Caliban’s body was.
"Were you claimed by him?" the Tenebrae demanded. He rarely raised his voice, but even the softest whisper felt like a thunderclap.
"No—" Her voice was a broken thing. "He tried. He almost—did." She felt more wetness trickle down her thighs and sobbed.
The Tenebrae let her face go, then stood, towering over her. "I will send for the healers. And someone for the body. Don’t be frightened, he cannot hurt you now." His tone dropped into a singing whisper. "His heart beats for no one."
He turned and left. The door to her cell clanged shut violently, making her flinch. She was left lying on the floor, blood on her face from his touch and desire coursing through her. Only silence remained—and a heart that would never beat, lying an arm’s length away.
74
FOR ALL THE LIGHT HER EYES COULD SEE
LUELLA
When the healers came for Luella, she was incoherent. They touched her, and she yelled.
"No! Get away from me." Luella scooted back until her wings bumped into the wall.
