Page 52 of Guarded By the Reaper

Millie’s eyes flashed with anger. She jerked forward, trying to break free from my hold. I pulled her back gently, wrapping an arm around her waist.

“Elysia is clearly in a lot of discomfort. She’s shivering. It’s freezing in here.”

Ma-Vasha shrugged, unbothered. Her long, spindly fingers tapped against the table.

“There’s nothing I can do about that. I can see what you think of me,” she continued, her gaze sweeping over Millie and me. “You believe I should live like a queen, not in this poverty.” She gestured around the dismal room with a sweeping motion. “But there’s a pesky little prophecy that prevents me from living the life I want. No matter. It’s a small price to pay to be alive.” Her eyes narrowed as she focused on Millie. “You should understand. After all, you’d do anything to keep yourself and your sister alive, wouldn’t you?”

I watched Millie’s face, saw the conflict and desperation in her eyes. She was trapped, her body tense against mine.

“Let Elysia go,” Millie pleaded, her voice breaking. She tried to step forward again, but I held her firmly. “I’ll drink what’s in the glass. It was always meant for me, anyway. You didn’t have to kidnap her.”

My entire being rebelled at the idea. I couldn’t let Millie sacrifice herself. Not after everything we’d been through. Not after I’d finally found someone who made me feel... human again.

Before I knew what I was doing, I stepped forward, gently pushing Millie behind me.

“I have a better offer,” I said, my voice steady.

Ma-Vasha’s eyes locked onto me, curiosity gleaming in their depths. She tilted her head, waiting.

“Let them both go. You can have my soul instead.”

I felt Millie’s hand grasp my arm, but I didn’t look back. I couldn’t bear to see the pain in her eyes.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Millie

I clung to Grim’s arm, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst from my chest. The cold stone floor under my feet seemed to mirror the chill spreading through my body.

“No!”

Grim turned to me, the dark pits he had for eyes impossible to read. His skeletal face was inches from mine, and I could feel the magic holding him together pulsing under my fingers.

“Millie, the Breathless told me this is the only way to save you and Elysia.”

I shook my head, tears filling my eyes. The room spun around me, the flickering shadows from the weak fire making everything seem unreal. Grim looked back at Ma-Vasha, who watched us with interest. She hadn’t moved from where she was sitting at the head of the table.

“Even if you’re a despicable monster,” Grim told her, his voice echoing off the damp stone walls, “A deal is a deal.” She made an offended sound, like a disgusted hmpf, her face twisting into a scowl. “There’s nothing illegal about it. After all, it’s not your fault you were born to eat souls.”

“Thank you,” Ma-Vasha said, sounding somewhat appeased.

I couldn’t believe this was happening. My legs felt weak, and I pulled Grim close, burying my face in his chest. His familiar scent surrounded me as I started to full-on cry, my tears soaking into the fabric of his cloak.

“Please, don’t do this,” I begged, my voice muffled against him. My hands clutched at his back, desperately trying to hold onto him. “It’s all my fault. I’m the one who messed up. I should be the one to pay.”

Grim’s arms wrapped around me, holding me tight. I felt so safe with him, even in this nightmare of a castle. He tilted mychin up, and I met his gaze through my tears, wanting the dark voids of his eyes to swallow me up.

“It’s okay,” he said softly. He kissed me, his lips cool against mine, and I savored the feeling, knowing it might be our last kiss. “I’m doing this because I love you. I want you and Elysia to live a great life together.”

My heart swelled and broke at the same time. “I love you too,” I whispered, my voice cracking.

As I looked at Grim, my chest ached with a deep, gnawing pain. He was the best thing that had happened to me in so long. Losing him felt like losing a part of myself. I thought of all the moments we’d shared, all the times he’d made me laugh or feel safe. How could I let him go?

But then I thought of Elysia, my little girl who thought she was my sister. She’d already lost so much. If I died, she’d be a complete orphan. I was torn between the two people I loved most in the world. How could I choose? How could I let either of them suffer?

“There has to be another way,” I said. I turned to Ma-Vasha, desperate for any other option. The ancient being’s eyes glittered with hunger, making my skin crawl. “Please, isn’t there anything else we can do?”

Ma-Vasha tilted her head, considering. For a moment, I dared to hope. But then she grinned, her teeth sharp in the dim light, and my heart sank like a stone.

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