Page 97 of The Duke’s Wager

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He had no idea what was happening. One minute Henry was talking, then Lucy stormed at him and then there was that sound again.

That awful nightmarish sound. Only this time it was followed by what felt like a punch to his gut.

There was something warm on his chest.

Red.

Red liquid seeped from his shirt. No… this was not right. He had washed Julian’s blood off him.

Only when he sunk to the ground, did the realization truly hit him. It was his own blood.

There were voices around him, all speaking impossibly fast. He recognized Lucy’s panicked voice, followed by the calm voice of a man.

It was not Nicolas, nor was it Henry. The constable?

“…arrived, just in time, Lucy…”

This time it was a woman, but Lucy did not give her time to finish speaking. He could hear a wail erupting from her lips, then she was there – next to him, her hands pressing desperately against his chest.

“Edward… Edward, look at me… Please, my love!”

She wanted him to look at her. He was so tired, he wanted to sleep… but Lucy begged him to look at her, so he opened his eyes.

She seemed far away, though he could feel her touch.

She was beautiful.

“Please, Edward! I need you. Please, do not do this to me. I need you… I love you! Please, stay with me!”

Behind her, the sun had risen completely – forming a circle of light around her blonde hair.

She looked like an angel. Or perhaps she was one. Perhaps he had died and gone to heaven, to find an angel who looked like his Lucy.

His…

“Lucy…”

He said her name with a smile, his breathing labored. He wanted to speak, but every word tore through his chest painfully.

“I… love… you.”

The Lucy-like angel sniffed at this and pressed against his chest heavily. “I love you too. Please… please, Edward… stay with me. I need you.”

“No.”

She did not need him. She was strong enough, brave enough to conquer the world. Behind her, he could vaguely make out the sound of Henry Beaumont swearing as the constable dragged him away.

“You…” He tried breathing, but it hurt so much. He just needed to close his eyes for a minute, but first… first he needed to tell her.

“You don't need me to breathe or live. Step out that door and conquer the world. If this is my last day on this earth, I will meet you at the stars...”

He wanted to say more. Wanted to tell her that if this was his last day on earth, he would gladly die over and over again to have the opportunity to hold her even once.

This was his destiny – what he was born for. To love her.

There was something wet on his face. Tears. His own? No. he was not crying. It was hers. He wanted to lift his hand to wipe her tears, but his arm felt too heavy.