Page 103 of Their Blood Queen

A shiver runs up my spine, and I suppress it by hugging my arms. “Do you regret it?” I ask. For some reason, this confession from him makes it feel like it’s all my fault.

I was the one who nearly drowned myself in a tub for no reason.

I was the one who was naked.

I was the one who was wet.

A voice inside my head seems to chide my line of thought. I have nothing to be sorry for. Edward is the one who crossed a line, and even if I let him, I had been vulnerable. And when I had fallen into a coma, he’d gone about his business without a care of what happened to me.

Remembering him placing bets in the bar on Monsters Night has me stiffening my lower lip in defiance.

“No, I don’t regret it,” he says with a low voice. “But I should. And that makes me even worse, doesn’t it?”

“Hmm,” I agree. “And my condition? What have the doctors said?” I ask. He stares at me, so I narrow my eyes. “You did have doctors check me, didn’t you?”

His jaw clenches before he replies. “You’re under a blood contract, as am I, Scarlett. I can’t have anyone touch you for an examination, not until the courtship is completed. We don’t know how what happened impacted it.”

“By ‘what happened’ you mean fucking me with your tongue?” I snap.

He flinches at my crude choice of words, but doesn’t chide me for it. “I shouldn’t have done that, Scarlett. For all we know, the premature bond between us caused your coma. For that, I apologize. But I had hoped that the flux of Monsters Night would bring you out of it. I’m glad to see that I was right.”

“Is that why you didn’t check on me, not even once?” I ask, unable to help myself. I know it makes me sound whiny and needy, but I need to know why he didn’t care enough to stay by my side.

He narrows his eyes, and I realize my mistake.

I shouldn’t know that.

“I’ll be back to talk more in a few days’ time, Lady Scarlett,” he says, rising and keeping his fists clenched. He doesn’t answer my question, and I notice he’s gone formal on me. “Now that you are awake, I will send for your mother. We haven’t informed her of your condition due to her fragile state. But I know she’ll be delighted to see you.” He dips his fingers into his pocket and produces an anti-aging vial, making my eyes widen. He quietly places it on my bedside table. “I’m sure she’ll be needing this. Give her my regards.”

While I stare after him, Edward moves to exit the room, then pauses. He marches to my vanity and pulls out a tray of standard tonics. He plucks one up and brings it to me.

He lets the vial drop into my palm. “I think you should use this for a little while, too. Just as a precaution.”

I stare down at it, knowing he’s right.

It’s the tonic that prevents me from sleeping.

Prevents me from dreaming.

I won’t see my figments again, not even the new ones who fascinate me in every way.

They’re not real.

They can’t be.

Slowly plucking the cork off the vial, I tip the contents into my mouth and shiver.

“Good girl,” Edward says and turns on his heel and exits the room, leaving me alone with my spinning thoughts and a knot in my stomach I can’t explain.

CHAPTER 29

SCARLETT

Four days later…

Julie’s reflection blinks at me as she holds up a tray of tonics. She can’t believe that I want to make amends with Edward.

I can’t either, but after yesterday, I feel like an idiot.

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