Page 52 of The Duke’s Bloody Bargain

I leapt back from her, shaking with horror. “I release you.”

The moment I gave the order to release her, she slouched and cried harder, gazing at the floor.

“Irene…”

“How could you?” She avoided gazing up at me as she seized her cross from the floor.

“Please look at me.”

She didn’t oblige.

“I’m so⁠—”

The door burst open, and Darius strode inside, holding a chain with several religious symbols from the cross to the nine-pointed star and the aum. They were so painful to watch that I shouted. Pangs hit my body like stabs. My knees gave in. I dropped to the floor, clutching my stomach.

“Irene, leave.” Darius waved her out, but she didn’t move.

She shook, sobs coming out of her. “He ordered me…”

“Bloody hell, I’m ordering you to leave! Do as I say.” Darius grabbed her arm and dragged her out, showing me the symbols.

When she was out of the room, he emptied the contents of a large bottle onto the carpet, forming a semicircle. “I’m sorry, mate. I promise I’m going to help you, but for now, I must keep you away from us.”

He shut the door with a thud.

I flinched. When the pain passed, I staggered to my feet towards the door, only to be assaulted by excruciating pain.

Darius must have spread blessed water everywhere; it caused my skin to burn when I tried to step over the line he’d drawn with the water on the carpet. I couldn’t reach the door.

I deserved the treatment, but I wanted to apologise to Irene.

I faced the mirror, and a new chill gripped my heart. The day I’d always feared had come. My soul had been shattered. I’d killed one person, who hadn’t even been innocent, and my soul was gone. The deal with Carabosse must have worsened the situation because the degradation of a soul wasn’t that fast.

Tanner’s blood stirred in my churning stomach and poisoned my veins. I was a true monster. I didn’t regret having killed Tanner, but I regretted how I’d behaved with Irene. I’d forced her to obey me, and she’d told me she loved me. How despicable of me.

I had to see Carabosse.

I pulled the curtains open and leapt back as the sunlight flowed in. The brief contact with the light had drilled a hole in my hand. A fresh pang tore a groan out of me.

The window was my only chance to leave the room. Darius was likely planning to seal the window as well. Or he counted on the sun to keep me inside.

From my armoire, I took out a thick coat, a hat, a scarf, and a pair of leather gloves. After I mummified myself with clothes, making sure only a narrow slit over my eyes was left uncovered, I faced the damn sunlight.

I opened the window and jumped through it without thinking too much.

I landed without a sound on the paved path. My powers had increased since I’d drained Tanner, and his blood should give me strength, but the sunlight weakened me. Blood trickled from my injured hand. I pulled up the scarf and kept to the shadows.

The sun was working its way through the layers of fabric. It was only a matter of time before it reached my skin and burnt me.

Under the shadows of the hedges, I rounded the corner and headed for the front door.

I exhaled in relief when I stepped into the entrance hall. The cool temperature and the darkness were exactly what I needed. “Lowe?”

The butler came out of a door, but the moment he saw me, he ran away yelling bloody murder. Instinct pushed me to chase him, but I remained still. Carabosse was my priority.

I went up the stairs, hoping not to meet Darius. The sunlight was growing stronger, killing me, even though I was indoors. Each step required a ridiculous amount of energy. My legs seemed to weigh a tonne each.

Fiona was walking in my direction, humming a tune.