Page 139 of Lady of Darkness

She stared straight ahead, not seeing anything. She could hear someone calling her name, but it was as if she was still underwater. The sound was muffled and far away. She couldn’t hear anything over that deafening roaring.

Veda stabbing Cassius. Nuri bleeding out. An old office. Plunging a dagger into Juliette’s heart.

She made to move her hands back to her ears, but Cassius caught her wrists once more. “No, Scarlett.”

“It’s so loud,” she rasped. “Make it stop, Cassius. Make it all stop.” She strained against his grip on her wrists. “Make it stop,” she cried, her voice rising, becoming shrill. Her chest ached as if when she had stabbed Juliette there, her own heart had been pierced, too.

“Scarlett.” Her name was a desperate plea on his lips.

“Make it stop!” she screamed. “Make it stop!” She lashed out, breaking Drake’s supportive hold on her and freeing her wrists. She slid to her knees, heard them slam to the floor of the bathing room. Tava gasped, her hand covering her mouth.

Scarlett brought her hands to her ears. “Make it stop, Cassius!” she cried, screamed. “Please make it stop!”

Sobs were racking her body as she rocked back and forth on the ground. She could hear Cassius calling her name. She felt him trying to pull her hands from her ears, but she thrust back with her elbow, catching him in the throat.

“Dammit!” he gasped as his head snapped back. “Scarlett! Stop!”

Maybe she was screaming again? From the color drained from Tava’s face, she guessed so. Drake took a step back unsure if he should aid Cassius or not. Unsure if he should touch her.

Cassius wrestled her onto her back as she fought against him, kicking and thrashing. Finally he managed to straddle her, trying to avoid her wrapped ribs,pinning her wrists above her head. “Stop, Scarlett,” he panted. “You’re going to injure yourself further.”

“Make it stop, Cassius,” she sobbed.

“I can make it stop, Scarlett. I can make it stop,” he managed around his labored breathing. “But I need you to stop screaming and stop fighting me. Please, Scarlett. Please.”

The desperation and pain in his voice made her pause a moment. She took in his face full of fear, his eyes wide with panic. “Can I let you go? Can you sit up?” he asked softly.

Her silence was good enough for him. Apparently anything that wasn’t her screaming was answer enough. He eased her into a sitting position, and a cup of hot tea was pressed into her hand. She blinked. Drake, Tava, and the healer were all staring at her, looking terrified.

“Drink,” Cassius said, gently touching her hands. She brought the cup to her lips and took a long sip. It tasted like licorice and ginger and orange. “Again,” Cassius ordered. She took another long sip. Her eyelids began to droop.

“She will sleep for several hours,” she heard the healer say.

A sedative. They’d drugged her.

Good.

She didn’t want to feel any more.

The roaring in her ears was lessening. She took another drink of the tea, soothing against her ravaged throat.

Someone, Drake, swept her into his arms again and carried her out to the bed. “Cassius,” she whispered.

“I’m here,” he said. She felt the bed shift as he lay down beside her. “I’m here. Sleep, Scarlett. You’re safe.”

Safe? She’d never known the meaning of that word, and she certainly wasn’tsafenow.

Veda stabbing Cassius. Nuri bleeding out. An old office. A prince sleeping peacefully before a fire. Plunging a dagger into Juliette’s heart. Hearing her say I love you.

She let the sweet drugs sweep her away, her head finally going utterly and blissfully as silent as the grave she wished she were in.

CHAPTER 36

SORIN

Sorin felt his flames gutter in his veins. If his blood could freeze, he was sure it would have as Scarlett told him of that night. Even the fire in the fireplace went out. Scarlett kept talking in the dark, as though if she were to stop, she would not be able to finish the story. Mikale had done atrocious things to her. Threats and promises still hung between them. No wonder she was terrified of being seen with Callan. If his fire had gone out while she spoke, it now roiled in his veins as he worked to control his rage.

“I did not leave the manor for nearly three months. I don’t really remember them to be honest. I didn’t get out of bed for the first one. They concocted some story to tell Lord Tyndell about me that he accepted and allowed me to stay.

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