Page 540 of Coal Hearts

Darting forward, I caught her.

In a moment of insanity, I scooped her into my arms and cradled her ever so close.

My world righted.

My darkness paused.

Christ, she felt good.

So, so good.

I could barely breathe as I carried her into the bedroom and tucked her into bed.

Her chest rose and fell, her eyes glazed with panic.

For a moment, I forgot she hated me, forgot she feared me as she looked at me for comfort and safety.

Tucking black hair behind her ear, I bent over her and whispered, “You’ve walked on eggshells around me all month. You’ve kneeled for me when I didn’t ask you to. You’ve tried to seduce me when I’ve done my utmost to give you space. You’ve turned into one of them—a broken obedient jewel—and now...now you think I would happily cash in a voucher that gives me the right to murder you.” Inhaling her perfect scent, I sighed, “I knew you hated me, nightmare, but I had no idea how deep that hatred goes.”

Grabbing my hand, she shook her head. “It’s not like that. I—”

“Go to sleep.” Wrenching my fingers from her hold, I swallowed back another wave of darkness. “Don’t touch me, don’t fear me. I’m the winner of that prize, and I’m not going to use it, okay? That’s the end of it.”

Before she could say anything I couldn’t survive, I turned on my heel and left.

* * * * *

The knife dripped black with blood.

My blood.

I dropped it, and it tumbled into shadow.

The wound in my leg kept growing, growing.

The shadows kept creeping, creeping from my puddling lifeforce on the floor. Every heartbeat, the shadows grew thicker and taller, sucking all the light from the room.

A chasm, not a room.

Rock all around me, cold and entombing like a crypt.

My crypt.

Someone walked toward me.

Someone with light for blood and sunshine glowing eyes.

“Ily...” I stepped toward her, yanked to a stop by shackles made of shadow.

Luminous tears rolled down her cheeks, glowing brighter and brighter. “You have to set me free, Henri. Let me go before you’re completely swallowed.”

I kicked at the shadows restraining me and marched toward her.

Fingers of black jerked me back before I could touch her.

“Help me,” I whispered. “Kiss me.”

She cried harder. “You wish to kiss me? That’s all you have to offer me after everything you’ve already taken?”