Page 16 of Thorn of Sorrow

“An innocent casualty,” he murmured, his voice soft and filled with a blend of sorrow and reverence. His thumb stroked over the bird’s head in a gesture so tender it seemed a sharp contrast to the carnage surrounding him.

Sinking to the ground, he pressed his back against the tree, one leg bent as he cradled the fragile creature to his chest.

Through the material, his sorrow poured into me, a crushing heartache born from taking so many lives. Yet, among the destruction, there was a fragile, fighting spirit—wounded but refusing to give up.

It was a glimmer of defiance in a world shattered by violence, and somehow, it brought him solace. He remained there for hours, his gaze lifting, not to the carnage but to the horizon beyond, his eyes heavy with something that lingered between grief and regret.

All the while, he cradled the bird in his hands, his fingers brushing over its feathers in an attempt to comfort it, as if easing its pain might somehow lessen his own.

Feeling as if I was intruding on a private moment, I pulled my hand away, and I was instantly back in the room. Only, Giovanni stood right behind me, so close I could feel the warmth of his body.

“Do I frighten you, petit oiseau?” he murmured in my ear.

It suddenly struck me that he saw me as that bird. Broken, but refusing to give up. If only he knew how many times I had.

“Yes,” I replied honestly as I trembled.

Chapter Four

Giovanni

I didn’t want Kyson to fear me. Admittedly, I could be intense at times. It was part of who I was, etched into my very being. But as I stood there, his scent calling to the darkest part of me, I felt like a desperate fool who didn’t know when to let go. How many times had he pushed me away over the years? How many times had I let him?

It shouldn’t matter that I’d seen raw pain in his eyes at the station, the kind that had left me aching to pull him into my arms like I had the night we met.

And yet it did.

Even now, finding him against the wall, I couldn’t bring myself to walk away.

No matter how much I should have.

For five years, the weight of my failure had eaten away at the edges of my soul. I’d known Osiris had targeted the male in the club. I should have made sure he was safe after putting him to bed that night. Kyson had asked me to stay, and I’d agreed, but slipped out after he’d fallen asleep.

The following evening, Kyson had been dragged into a nightmare no one should endure.

Malachi had been the right one to save him. Leaving the male vulnerable to the demon and then try to be his hero? That would’ve been its own form of cruelty not even my dark heart could inflict.

“Why do you fear me, little bird?” My gaze lowered to his neck, listening to the rush of blood flowing through his veins. My fangs threatened to lengthen, my darkness begging me to bite, but I fought the urge, unwilling to scare him even more than he already was.

“First, tell me how you can stand so close to me.” His breath came out in a silent shudder. “I’m repulsive to your kind.”

I spun him, causing him to gasp, then pulled him into an embrace. I’d yearned for this moment for so long. The reality of it finally happening left me breathless. Kyson stared up at me, his expression mirroring the same shock.

“You don’t…” I chose my words carefully, knowing how skittish he was in my presence. “You don’t repulse me.”

“I don’t need your pity or your lies.” Hurt flashed in his eyes, but he didn’t try to pull away.

Leaning in, I brushed my cheek over his, reveling in the warmth of his skin against mine. “Your scent”—I inhaled deeply, savoring every second of this moment with him—“is the most alluring fragrance I have ever encountered.” My arms tightened around him when he began to tremble. “Now, tell me why I frighten you, little bird.”

His gaze darted over my chest, and I heard the sound of his heart racing faster. His expression betrayed the inner turmoil he was experiencing, and I wondered if he would actually answer me.

“Because you make me want what I can’t have,” he finally admitted in a hushed tone.

The confession caught me off guard, and for a moment, I was rendered speechless. “What is it that you can’t have?”

But he remained silent, avoiding my gaze as if afraid to admit the truth.

“Tell me, Kyson,” I gently urged him, tucking my fingers under his chin and coaxing him to look at me. But still, he refused to meet my eyes. “Please,” I added softly, hoping to break through the barriers he had built around himself.

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