Page 45 of Chess

“I know better than anyone what he’s done, some of it right in my own garden, but I believe he can be trusted now or he wouldn’t be alive.” Ever took in a breath, flexing her fingers. “He didn’t kill his mother.” She wouldn’t tell him it was Maddie who’d done the deed because that was irrelevant.

“It doesn’t matter.” March paused, his eyes pleading for something she couldn’t return. “I love you.”

Ever sighed, her heart lodging in her throat. “And I love you, you know this, but as a dear friend. Even when we pleasured each other, you knew this.” She couldn’t give him more now, just as she couldn’t then.

“But thisbastard?” March’s fists clenched at his sides. “I’ve seen you with others, and I would be content if you were with anyone else. Forgive me if I can’t get past him trying to murder you.”

“It isn’t something for you to get past or to forgive.” She placed a hand on his chest, his heart beating rapidly against her palm. “It’s for me.Mydecision. If he’d been the one to betray me before I got to know him, I wouldn’t have been surprised, but it was you who did. The one male who was supposed to be on my side. You knew what I faced with my past guards, and yet—and yet—” she stuttered, fighting the emotion brewing in her chest. “You may not have physically tried to rip out my heart, but it was just the same.”

“Rav doesn’t know yet,” he whispered. “I never would’ve risked him knowing you were here, alive. I only collected the few vampires who I could trust to bring Chess back to Scarlet.”

“And what if Chess hadn’t followed me outside?” She threw up her hands. “Then what? Would you have tried to play another game to see if he would listen?”

He hung his head. “No, they would’ve taken him from inside the palace.”

“Damn it, March!” she snapped. “I wouldn’t even give Chess a second chance if he’d done this tonight instead of you. How can I trust you won’t do this again?”

“You can’t. I trust you with my entire heart, but I won’t ever accept him,” March said softly, placing his hand against her cheek. “You made me a vampire because I wanted it. And I had asked because I loved you, even then. I left Wonderland to stop these feelings, yet in the mortal world, all those years away from you, I couldn’t end the yearning. So kill me. Kill me before I make another mistake.”

Her stomach sank, her eyes widening at his words, even though she’d been prepared to kill him if he’d forced her hand. “March, no…”

“Your mission is to let humans choose what they want. Do the same for me, and be the one to end my life. That’s all I want.”

“Is … is this what you really want?” Ever’s heart pounded wildly, the blood rushing in her ears.

“It is.” His voice was resigned, his shoulders falling. This was what he wanted,needed.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to steady her shaky hand on her friend’s chest, his gaze fastened to hers. She didn’t want him to suffer any longer, and perhaps it would’ve been better if she’d never met him, if she’d never turned him, yet she didn’t want to take their friendship back. Because she did love him.

Tears slid down her cheeks, as he lowered his mouth to hers, a goodbye kiss that held everything they’d shared. Him dancing with her inside the palace, her walking with him outside in her garden, them laughing, sharing blood at the tea parties with Maddie and Mouse. So many blending together like a fading rainbow.

Then she thrust her hand into his chest, shattering his rib cage to get to his beating heart. A relieved gasp ripped from his throat as she tore the organ from his chest. She caught his body before it fell to the floor, then carefully lowered him to the mattress while she cradled his heart.

Ever didn’t want to release it, and she held the organ until the warmth was gone, untilhewas gone. She wouldn’t toss his heart down as though it meant nothing, so she tucked it back into his broken rib cage and kissed his forehead. Pressing her clean fingers into the pocket of her skirt, she fished out her lucky chess piece and placed it into his hand before leaving the cell.

Maddie stood outside the door, her expression solemn. “I’m sorry,” the Hatter said.

“March wanted it this way.” Ever wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Have Noah take his body to the mortal world. He would want the sun to turn it to ash instead of being buried here.”

“We’ll take care of everything. Go rest. You can’t go to Scarlet like this.”

Maddie was right. As much as Ever hated it, as much as she wanted more than anything to tear her brother apart, if she went like this, she wouldn’t be able to save her kingdom or Chess’s.

She nodded and headed toward her bedroom. When she opened the door, she found no sign of Chess, who was most likely still drinking blood.

Blood.

March’s blood was still on her damn hands.

Stripping out from her clothing, she filled the bath and washed the blood from her body. Washed and washed until her skin was raw, until blood was no longer there. Tucking her knees into her chest, she sobbed, remaining in the water until it turned cold, just like March’s heart had. She didn’t even have an instrument to play her friend a goodbye song and that made her sob again, breaking her apart on the inside.

The door to her room opened and she didn’t peer out into her space to see that it was Chess—she knew it was by his familiar scent, his movements.

“Are you all right?” he asked, stepping to the open door of the bathroom.

“No.” Ever stared down at the swirling scarlet water.

Being Chess, he didn’t leave her alone, yet stepped inside, their gazes locking. He was no longer covered in blood and ripped clothing but clean, his hair wet, his shirt off. The prince’s wounds were still healing, pink lines decorating his skin.

---