Page 5 of Tempest’s Torment

He looks at her, his shoulders droop a little, and he starts to walk toward her. When he reaches Lucy, he crouches in front of her chair and his hands cradle her face, so gently it makes my stomach twist.

Lucy doesn't pull away, she can't.

His thumbs skim across her cheeks, but then his grip tightens and Lucy gasps. "You would have left with her," he snarls. "You would have chosen her over me."

"You gave me no choice. You've given me no choice for two years." Her voice shakes, but she doesn't look away from him. "This isn't love, Evan. Whatever this is, it isn't love."

Evan's eyes drop to my wrists, to where the rope hangs loose against the side of the chair. Slowly, almost casually, he slips his hand into his jacket pocket. My heart stops as he pulls out a bloody knife, the one he’s used on both of us, the one that has scarred our bodies repeatedly.

"No." I shake my head. "Evan, please."

He looks at me with so much hate. "You never could leave well enough alone."

I don't think; I move, throwing myself out of the chair and stumbling toward Lucy, but I don't make it two steps, as white-hot pain rips through my side.

The force knocks the breath out of me, and I hit the floor hard, my cheek slamming against the wooden boards. My ears ring, and for a second, I can't breathe.

I look down and all I see is blood, too much blood. Evan’s standing over me, bloody knife in hand, watching. "You should've stayed where I left you."

"You're a fucking monster!" Lucy screams, throwing herself toward him so hard the chair tips forward beneath her, the ropes straining around her wrists. "Look at me!" she cries. “You want someone to blame? Blame me, because Lilah didn’t make me leave you, Evan, I left because I finally saw you for what you are, and I stopped loving you.”

He turns, and just like that, his attention leaves me completely.

I press my hand against my side and feel warm blood seeping between my fingers.

"Lilah." Lucy's eyes lock onto mine. "Get up."

I try but my legs buckle beneath me.

"Run," she says.

"I'm not leaving you," I croak, my voice is weak, my entire body is weak.

"Run!"

I try to shake my head. "I won't leave you."

"You have to."

“She’s not going anywhere, Lucy. Lilah, stay there, we’ll finish what we started in a moment.” He takes one step toward Lucy, and then another but Lucy never looks away from me. Not once. Her eyes fill with tears, but she smiles anyway, a tiny, shaky smile that I've seen a thousand times. The one she always gives me when she's pretending everything's going to be okay.

"When you get out of here..." Her voice trembles. "...live enough for both of us."

"No." I drag myself across the floor, every movement sending agony through my side. "Lucy... please..."

She reaches for me; I reach back, our fingertips inches apart.

I see the flash of bloody silver, and then I hear Lucy gasp, my scream tears through the cabin. For one impossible second, she stays exactly where she is, her hand still reaching for mine, but then her arm goes limp, her fingers slip to the floor, and everything stops.

I can't hear Lucy, I can't hear myself, I can only hear the blood rushing in my ears.

“Shit. Look what you’ve done.” He stares down at her for a long moments, then he wipes the blade on his jeans and walks to the door, not looking at me again. Easily dismissed.

I crawl to Lucy on shaking hands.

"No." My voice is barely a whisper. I reach for her hand. "Lucy?"

I know she isn't going to answer, I know, but I can't stop myself. I take her still-warm hand anyway, holding it between both of mine like I can somehow stop this from being real.