Page 173 of Beast and Remedy
Air finally—mercifully—returns, and I muffle my choked gasps.
But Marian doesn’t respond, and I can’t fight against the mournful lament bearing down on my soul as grim expressions take over everyone’s features.
They know. They all know we’re running out of time.
I’m running out of time.
Marianis running out of time.
“I think it’s best if you retire to your rooms for the time being, Marian. Your body has been through a lot, and it’s going to get worse.” Beau hunches down, meeting her at eye level with the hope she will look up. But she doesn’t, and he tries for her attention again. “Do you know what happened?”
She shakes her head.
“You had a hallucination, and unfortunately, that’s another more serious symptom.”
Marian shudders, her hands covering her face. “I-I-I’m so sorry,” she chokes, her voice barely audible as she sobs.
Leo pulls her into his chest, and she buries herself into his tunic.
“You have nothing to apologize for,” he consoles her as he glances to his brother, me, Jean, and Pierre. “Let me take her to her room?”
Jean and Pierre nod, and Leo leads my sister away.
The pain of her absence, her defeat, her loss of her own self radiates and takes over every muscle, nerve, and bone in my body.
Leo’s footsteps no longer fill the room with sound. No. The dining hall now carries a silence so heavy it threatens to break me. Bury me.
“How much time does she have?” Pierre asks, his voice low and guttural.
Grim, Vi. His voice is grim and haunted and pained because Marian’s death approaches, and none of you are going to walk away as the same person.
I sniff. “Not long.”
“If what the healers told us is true,” Beau starts, “hallucinations are the last symptom people have before they—”
“Die.” I school my features and push the pain, fear, and grief down in a place so far from my mind, so far from my heart, that I can continue.
Because if I don’t press on, I might die beside her.
“You should write to your father, Vi,” Jean suggests. “Tell him what is really going on.”
My magic surges forth, irritation and failure clutching my throat, making my voice clipped and tight. “I will not drag him into this. Not when I can still fix this.”
“And what if you can’t fix this?” Pierre asks, and I bristle. “He deserves to be here. Don’t rob him of another goodbye.”
I slam my fist on the table, unbothered by everyone startling and rearing back.
I don’t fucking care because I’m not going to let her down.
Iwillsave her.
“NO ONE IS SAYING GOODBYE!” I growl, heat exploding across my skin as rage—protectiveness—determination—blazes through my veins.
Power ripples up my spine, and I lean into it, surrendering to the beast within as I face down Jean and Pierre with a lethal snarl seeping out. “I will not rob him ofanything.”
Claws scrape through my knuckles.
“Vi, your hands!” Jules gasps, drawing everyone’s attention to my shifting.
