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Tessa was glued to my side, already cutting her wrist as I eased Marie to the cement floor.
“My qu—een?”
“I’m here. I’m here. Shh, don’t talk. Just open your mouth for me. I’m going to make you better.”
Soft sounds of pain followed Marie as she slowly shook her head. “I’m … gone.”
“Nonsense,” Tessa snapped. “What did I tell you about that? You are not weak. You will fight. You will not leave me.”
Blood was soaked through Marie’s dress. The large gash in the material across her chest told me someone had used a blade. The skin had begun to heal, but not nearly fast enough from whatever had been used on her. Her heart … I took in where the cut had been. Fuck, her heart was damaged.
“Here. Open.” The order had Marie obeying, but the coughing at Tessa’s blood was automatic. Crimson sprayed from her lips and she heaved, crying out as she gasped for breath.
“Look,” she whispered, trying to pull Tessa closer. “You have…to see.”
An aggravated sound left the queen, but she wrapped her hands around Marie’s face leaning in to peer into her eyes. Seconds went by while Marie’s pained features only grew tighter. When her body jolted and went limp, Tessa’s fingers tightened.
“No. No! Marie. Marie!”
My throat constricted at the words that had to come. “She’s gone, Tessa.”
“No.” The fast flicker of Tessa’s eyes told me that her mind was racing, trying to sort through this new tragedy and whatever she’d just seen.
“Tessa?”
“No.” She leaned over, placing her lips against Marie’s. French poured from her mouth and a good minute went by while Tessa held and talked to the vampire’s lifeless body. Tears stained her cheeks when she finally took a deep breath and looked up to me.
“I’m sorry. I know it makes no difference, but Marie loved you. I could tell that when she came to see you.”
“See me?”
“Yes, the night of Aetas’ death. She felt your distress. She was worried about you.”
A sniffle had her wiping more tears. “I loved her, too.” Tessa stood, turning her sight on the human who was already cowering. The men he had accompanied were dead, laying sprawled across the floor where the enforcers had left them.
“You killed my friend.”
“I …”
The man’s words died off and he scanned the room in panic.
“I could return the gesture, right this second, if I wanted. You would be dead so fast you wouldn’t even know it until your body hit the floor. But I don’t want it to be that easy. I want you to suffer like I do.” Her claws extended just the smallest amount. “And I suffer, human. So great your measly, little heart and mind wouldn’t be able to bear or comprehend it. Do you know what it is to lose someone you love?”
Pause had him shaking his head.
“Lucky you. Let me show you.”
Tessa hand locked on his chin and his eyes shot up to hers. Trembling immediately began to shake his limbs.
“Do you feel my pain? Do you feel what it is to suffer? See what I have seen. Feel the anguish and physical agony I have had to undergo. Live it with me, if only for this moment.”
Saliva foamed at the man’s mouth while his face turned red.
“The pain of my change was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. But that was only the beginning. Raped, raped, raped. How about that. Can you feel the burning? The way my body was ripped and torn at the intrusions? How about the knife piercing my heart? Can you feel that? Now lose your best friend as he kills himself in front of you. Almost die, yourself.” Her fingers inched up as she held more secure. “Now lose someone you love. Who do you love? Can you see them? How shall we end their life so you will understand my pain?”
“Pl..ease. Please, no. Don’t kill her.”
“Can you not bear it anymore?” Her hand came back, slapping him across the face and breaking their eye contact. “Neither can I.” She glanced up at Colin. “Let him go. He’s going to fight me. No gifts, no weapons. Nothing fancy.” At Colin’s pause, she growled. “That’s an order! Let him go and don’t interfere no matter what.”
