Page 129 of When Night Falls

"I- I-" she sputters as air escapes her. I watch her struggle for far longer than I intend before I let go of my hold on her neck and watch as she falls to the floor. The chains above rattle as they pull tightly and the chains below clash with her.

I step away, trying to decide exactly how I want to enact this new plan of mine. Previously, I knew just how I was going to make her suffer. Death would be too easy. I planned to lock her in a coffin, toss her into the waters of Cliff Island and let her drown over and over again all while starvation plagued her. Dark. Cold. Hungry. And alone. Just like I was all that time. Just like her daughter was. Ameliana would know the same fate.

My demise would soon follow, draining myself of my Nocturne blood as I bleed out in the height of daylight. I'd burn and feel satisfaction replacing the general rebuke of villainous acts, the erasure of who I am and all that I've done would allow me peace and solitude.

But then there's my Cyn. The very girl I’ve denied love to, promising her a life of freedom and royalty only to use her for this exact moment. But I am gone for her; I can't risk losing her. She sees me for who I am when she looks into the darkest parts of my soul and she has never left my side.

And the rumor that Ameliana promises to be true. If what Ameliana is saying is of accuracy, then this all might be pointless. Regardless, my anger toward her was always driven by the fact that she could have done something to free me from my torment, but she only thought about herself.

This all can’t be for nothing.

"It's not fair for you to hold this big of a grudge against me." Ameliana's hoarse voice creaks in a harsh echo against the cold walls. "You had no idea what I was going through." She's trying to plead her case, but she has no ground to stand on because my word will never go unanswered.

"Tell that to the eight-year-old boy who cried himself to sleep every night, and no one came to check if he was okay.Youhave no idea what that did tome."

"So what?" She sighs in defeat. "What is your endgame exactly?"

"I promised my mother I would avenge her."

"So, you're going to kill me?"

I rush to her feet, dropping to my haunches and plunging my hand into her heart for merely a second. "I plan to drain you of every last ounce of blood in your body until you shrivel up like a prune and then I'm going to enjoy watching all the ways I can make your human body suffer the most painstakingly slow death one can endure." I release the grip on her heart, her breath hitches in agony as she gasps for air.

"I know that's what you think is going to happen, Rivian,” she chokes out, “but surely you'll know that you won't get away with that."

I laugh at her attempt to make me feel guilty for the way I take pleasure in how I'll destroy her.

"You fail to recognize that I don't care what happens to me in the end. I never wanted any of this either."

This can’t be all for nothing,I tell myself again, starting to wonder if any of this is justifiable now. My revenge is the closest it’s ever been and here I stand, contemplating my reasons.

"Don't tell me you're going to kill yourself after you kill me? Now who's being immature?"

Ameliana switches her position as she scoots across the floor to back up into the wall, allowing her something to lean on. I don't have time to respond back or force her to stand in her pain when a small, familiar voice chimes in from behind me and all of my thoughts run haywire.

"You want to kill yourself?" My wife stands bewildered at the door of my dungeon.

Her icy hair cascades down over her shoulders as her beguiling eyes look beyond me at the person chained up and then back to me as concern swirls in them.

Fuck. She wasn't supposed to see me like this, andIwasn't supposed to seeherlike this.

"Lucynda." I let my familiar tone ghost through the space between us. She reacts to the way I say her name as a tiny gasp leaves her puffy pink lips. Her freckles dance on her skin against the flickers of candlelight and the sound of her heart beating does nothing to quell the ache I feel for my wife.

"You are beautiful." The scratchy voice from behind me speaks up, her chains rattling as she bends to get a better look.

"Who is she?" Lucynda takes a step forward. Her white flowy gown dances in the small breeze as curiosity licks at her.

"This is Ameliana," I say as I turn to look at the poor excuse of a woman chained up near my feet.

"Ameliana. The twins' mom? But why?" I wonder if Lucynda will put it together. I wonder what her initial reaction will be when she figures it out.

"Wait." Cyn takes another gracious step forward, almost closing the space between her and I.

“I remember now where I’d heard that name from. The police officer told me about a girl who trespassed Hollows Trace years ago and was never seen again." That piece of information is of no use to anyone. That was simply the Outsiders believing theyhad a missing person when really, I know why Ameliana was trespassing and why she never returned.

I turn to my wife and force her attention onto me.

"Lucynda, you shouldn't be here right now." I try to tread gently, not quite sure how this could play out. But having her here is only clouding my thoughts; I can't seem to think about anything other than her when she is near. My heart craves hers desperately, but I need to figure this out.

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