Page 85 of When Day Breaks

"Don't you dare fucking say it, Lucynda," I warn her through gritted teeth. This isn't final.

I take a few steps toward them when Zharus pulls his eyes away from me.

"I love yo-" she fades off and right as he presses one last time against her insides, gripping harshly with the intent to rip her heart out, Zharus suddenly falls to the floor and lets out a screeching shout of pain.

"Agghh!" He drops Lucynda, her body making a resounding thud as it hits the floor and I don't even blink before I'm at her side.

"Fuck, baby. Wake up." I pick up her enervated body and cradle her in my arms, looking out to see Zharus crumble in agony as he holds his head and sways back and forth to find relief for the pain that invades him.

That's when I see Kacian rush into the room and behind him is Nathairia.

I twitch with irritation; they were cutting it far too close for my liking. "It's about fucking time," I mumble as I watch the rest unfold.

The witch mumbles her conjurations; a hand twisting and directing as she points it to Zharus. Whatever she's doing is debilitating him.

Lucynda stirs in my arms, Troian rushes to Travois, while Nathairia focuses on Zhar.

I nod my head over to Ameliana, signaling Kacian to take her out. She's been standing eerily still unblinking; tunnel vision locked on Trav. The moment Kacian subdues her, Trav immediately awakens as if he was released from whatever holdhe'd been in, coughing and seemingly confused as to what just happened.

"Rivian?" I look down to see Lucynda's eyes blinking open, her heart trying to make up for lost time as it beats vigorously in her chest.

"It's okay, you're gonna be okay." I smooth my hand over her hair as I assure her but nothing stings worse than knowing that I had to let her suffer while we waited out the arrival of Kacian and his grandest enemy.

Nathairia looks over to where Kacian holds Ameliana with her hands behind her back and seems to lose her focus for a minor split second. "What is she doing here?" she asks no one specific, but her curious question causes her spell to break.

Zharus takes that moment to rush toward the witch but Troian beats him to it and instead, slams him up against a wall.

I want to be in her position. I want to be the one to rip out his fucking heart and serve it to him on a fucking platter. But I won't leave Lucynda's side.

"It's been so long." I watch as my sister throws her fist into Zhar's heart and doesn't hesitate, not even a second, before she rips it from his chest and watches his limp body slump to the floor. Troian looks at the deflating heart, its final beats coming to a rest before she pulls it to her lips and takes a bite of it as if it were a ripe apple, then tosses it to the fire.

The flames roar with a hungry crackle, swallowing the bloody organ as it burns with new life.

Troian licks her fingers eagerly, enjoying the quench of her thirst. "But I really do like killing boys."

I turn my attention back on Lucynda for a moment. "It's over," I tell her as I sink my teeth into my wrist to open up a vein for her. I lower it to her lips and she drinks generously, replenishing what was taken from her.

"Just like that," I encourage her as she closes her eyes to the taste of my blood. I can feel her body come back to life as she swallows me down.

My trance is interrupted when I hear a scuffle start to break out. I look up to see that Ameliana is now fighting against the hold that Kacian has on her, grunting and trying to free her arms.

"Let me go!" She fights against him and that's when I see Nathairia's interest regenerate.

"Where did she come from?" She turns to face me and my siblings—Travois finally standing in the center of the room and Troy wiping her bloodied hand over her pants.

"That's a good question," I remark. Lucynda lets go of her feed from me and I help her up to stand.

She sways a bit but after a solid beat, she's steady. "I was under the impression that she was dead," I add while staring right into the former queen's eyes.

Nathairia looks between all of us, a look of bewilderment caressing her features.

Travois dusts himself off and blinks hard. "What do we do with her?" He looks at me as he nods his head her way.

"You're gonna do with me what you monsters do best." The tone of Amy's voice as she responds is unconcerned and . . . different. I reach for Lucynda to make sure she's near. Something doesn't feel right.

"We saw the death certificate. You died ten years ago." Troian steps up, facing Kacian and her mother, yielding to not get too close.

Amy stares, watching all of us as we try to unravel the truth behind what just happened and what is happening. The uncertainty of her involvement hangs in the air and I know that I can't allow her any more time to participate in whatever role she was playing.

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