Tapping my temple, I—
“Lucien?” Rook’s voice seemed far, far away.“Lucien?!”
“You’re burning up! Open your eyes!”
“Lucien?” Rook’s hands landed on my cheeks, grounding me, freeing me from the awful voice in my head. “You’re scaring me.”
I snatched her into my arms.
She folded into my lap, wrapping her arms around me as I clutched her painfully close. Breathing her in, my heart steadied as I felt her, smelled her, touched her.
Real.
She’s real.
“Sorry. I’m fine. I didn’t mean to...”
What?
Hear voices?
Feel no pain?
Give in to the worries that something about this place wasn’t right?
“You can’t ever leave me...okay?” Her question wrenched my head up.
“Why would you say such a thing?” My heart fisted with agony. “I willneverleave you. I love you. Where you go, I go, remember?”
“Wake up. Before it’s too late!”
Launching to my feet, I swiped the bowl, food, and chopsticks off the table. They landed in the pond, scaring the fish.
“Whoa.” She grinned, ridiculously happy that I’d abandoned the idea of eating lunch in favour of eating her.
Tossing the wine jar over her shoulder, she arched her chin and bent over the table.
My clothes disappeared into the ether as I folded over her.
Unease and dread slithered through my blood as I bent my knees and took her.
Shadows oozed around the courtyard, watching.
Darkness crept closer, blotting out the sun.
The flowers wilted, the pillars rotted, and I ignored it all.
I ignored the dread, the fear, the voices.
I was happy.
Wewere happy.
And nothing could take that away from me.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
THE FIREPROOF ROOM WAS SUPPOSED TO contain him.
