Page 3 of Thorn of Sorrow

Five years of the same dream.

Five years of isolation and loneliness.

My stomach twisted as I sat up, hugging myself as I stared at the carpet, at the spot where I’d nearly died not even a full month ago when Osiris had possessed me.

Giovanni had been there, along with Malachi and Dane. It was Dane who’d kept telling me to fight back, but it wasn’t until I’d heard Giovanni’s voice that I had broken free.

I’d collapsed, but when I’d come to, Giovanni had been gone, leaving me to deal with the aftermath on my own.

A bitter laugh escaped. “Do you blame him? You’ve been pushing him away for years.”

Fuck, I needed a shower. That dream had felt so real, like I was actually back in my apartment, clinging to Giovanni like a lost goddamn puppy. Truthfully, it hadn’t been his fault Osiris had kidnapped and tortured me for weeks on end. Nobody could stop the demon once he decided on a victim.

The night he’d approached me in the club, my fate had already been sealed.

But my anger and pain needed someone to blame, someone to take the fall for what I’d gone through, and my emotions had chosen the man who’d rescued me the night before.

I pressed my hands over my eyes, rocking slightly, willing the memories to fade back into the darkness. I didn’t want to think about my past, about the horrors and even less about the strong arms that had held me like I’d mattered.

“Kyson?” Dane called through the door as he knocked. “Is it okay if I come in?”

Company was the last thing I wanted, but what I desperately needed.

“Come in,” I called out, my voice shaky. The dream still clung to me, causing a hollow ache in my chest. It refused to let go, leaving me stuck in the past even as I sat here in the present. It was a strange disconnect my mind was struggling to make sense of.

I would’ve given anything to go back to that night, to feel Giovanni’s strong arms around me once more, holding me close and making me feel the safest I’d ever felt. I longed to inhale his scent, rest my head on his shoulder, and hear his warm chuckle in my ear.

To return to a time before I’d known the cruel touch of a demon.

The door opened, and Dane walked in, carrying two plates. Behind him was Malachi, the vampire who’d rescued me from Osiris then proceeded to act like I didn’t exist.

I stood, moved around Dane, and slammed the door in the prince’s face. Fuck him. I wasn’t in the mood to joke with him like everything was okay.

Things couldn’t have been further from okay.

“That wasn’t very polite.” Dane set the plates on the table across the room, the dishes scraping as they touched the wooden surface.

The one good thing about living in a medieval castle was that my room was huge, larger than any apartment I’d ever lived in. I’d spent the past five years making it my own, ordering things online—on Malachi’s dime—to bring as much normalcy to my life as humanly possible.

While the interior of the castle was ruby-red-and-black marbling, polished to a shine, my bedroom was the complete opposite.

Posters of rock bands and cats hanging from tree limbs were taped to my beige walls. I had a ton of expensive sneakers tucked in their own cubby holes next to my walk-in closet, fake plants—because I was an expert at killing live ones—a stereo with surround sound, and discarded clothes were strewn around the floor.

My bedroom looked exactly how I wanted it to. Like a messy human lived in it.

“Richard made fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, steamed vegetables, and some killer dinner rolls.” Dane pulled out one of the chairs and sat.

His demeanor was a far cry from the night I’d kidnapped him and forced him to Winterhaven. Instead of complaining and demanding to leave like he’d done at first, he now seemed right at home.

“Who said I was hungry?” Damn it. I hadn’t meant to snarl at him, but I still wasn’t okay. Twice in a single week Osiris had possessed me, forcing my mind to relive all the horrible things he’d done to me when I’d been on his table. Things that had left me scarred inside and out.

Food wasn’t what I needed. I was desperate for a change of scenery, to feel the sun on my face and the breeze in my hair.

“Do you miss the sun yet?” I got up and joined him, the scrape of my chair loud on the marble floor. The food smelled delicious, causing my stomach to rumble. Okay, so maybe I would eat before I took off. There was no use letting Dick’s amazing food go to waste.

“Of course I do.” Dane dug into his food, his eyes rolling back as he chewed. “Swear to god.” He slapped his palm on the table. “I would rather miss the sun than one of his meals. I don’t know what spices he uses, but my mouth is having a full-blown orgasm right now.”

I knew how he felt. Dick had already been at Winterhaven when I’d arrived. For years I’d been enjoying his culinary skills. It was a miracle I hadn’t gained a hundred pounds by now.

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