I nodded. It sucked, but at least I could talk to Austin. The black mist was still clear, and I could feel his growing impatience. It was starting to mix with my own.
A few minutes after my dinner tray went through the slot, Niko vanished. For a second I was worried something happened,that maybe the devices were shifted because my rescue party was found. But the next second put every fear to bed.
Austin stepped out of his shadows in front of me. The relief that flashed across his face probably mirrored my own.
“Violet,” he breathed out before scooping me up into his arms and holding me tight.
As I breathed in the scent of him, I let myself cry for the first time in twenty-eight days.
47
THE VILLAIN
Four weeks and one day.Twenty-nine days since I held my wife in my arms, since I laid eyes on her, since I could fucking breathe. The first thing I felt when I saw her was burning rage, quickly overpowered by relief that she was alive.
But the rage was still there. It took all my self-control to keep from storming out of here and killing every person dumb enough to cross my path.
They fucking tortured her. My beautiful, kind, wonderful Violet. They fucking hurt her.
There was a black and blue bruise on her left cheek, a mostly healed black-and-yellow bruise under her right eye. I could see jagged scars along her neck, chest, and arms. The one that filled me with the most rage—the reason I had to get her in my arms to stop looking at it—was the O’Neill family crest branded onto her collarbone.
My wife.
My strong and independent Violet.
Branded.
Her body shook as she clung to me, wrapped herself around me like she was worried I’d vanish again. Little did she know, I wasn’t letting her out of my sight for the foreseeable future.
We’re never separating again, her voice came down the bridge as though she’d read my last thought. She may have, but I hadn’t meant for her to hear it.
“Never. Never again,” I whispered into her neck.
Her grip tightened for a second before she let go.You didn’t come alone, did you?
I shook my head. “No. Whisper, Hemlock, Eva, and Weave are here.”
Good.
“Why are you using the bridge?”
As soon as the question left my mouth, I wanted to punch myself in the face for it. The small smile she’d been growing since I pulled her into my arms vanished and her eyes went straight to the ground.
I—I wouldn’t let them hear me scream or cry or beg. I refused to let them hear me. I just—My brain is having a little trouble trying to get back to usual. Bear with me, okay?
I pulled her in closer. “Take as much time as you need.”
I tried to keep my voice steady but it didn’t work. The second I imagined her taking every bruise, every cut, even the brand, without making a sound?—
No. She lived it. She survived it. I could keep my shit together.
Can we get out of here now?
“Absolutely.”
Apparently, we had to save a witch before I could get us to the meeting spot. I had to let everyone know we were going to be a bit longer than anticipated and gave Violet an ear piece so she could listen to everyone fussing over her.
“V? Does he really have you? You’re really okay?” Hemlock’s stupid voice was the first one through.
