Page 349 of Evil Hearts

you’ll heal,

you’ll taste the cure,

but you’ll be mine,

of that be sure.”

I tried to step back, but her claws tightened slightly around my wrist, holding me in place. “And if I say no?” I asked, my voice quieter now.

Her song darkened, the melody dipping into something colder.

“Then leave, my lamb,

and carry guilt,

for what you lose,

for what you’ve built.

But if you stay,

if you consent,

your mortal thread will be well spent.”

My chest tightened, the weight of her words pressing down on me. I couldn’t decide what terrified me more—the binding itself or the fact that I was actually considering it.

I swallowed hard, my voice barely steady as I said, “If this bond means my mother will live, then... then I’ll do it.”

Her lips curved into a smile that seemed almost... pleased.

“Good,” she said, her claws releasing me slowly. “But words are not enough, little lamb. The bond must be sealed.”

I hesitated. “How?”

Her song softened, growing quieter, more intimate.

“With blood,

with touch,

with soul combined,

with shadow’s mark,

your life entwined.

Do you consent,

with breath you take,

to bind yourself and what’s at stake?”

I met her gaze, my heart pounding as her claws brushed lightly against my skin. For a moment, I thought I saw something behind the glow of her eyes—something softer, something human. And then I nodded.

“Yes,” I said, my voice barely more than a whisper.

Her smile widened, and her wings stretched behind her, casting a shadow over us both. “Then let us begin,” she sang, her voice a low, haunting melody that wrapped around me like a shroud.

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