Page 64 of Beast and Remedy
Marian groans, stealing our attention.
I lean in, touching her forehead. “You’re burning up.”
“I-I-I feel fine. Just—just tired.”
But her words don’t comfort me. Rather, they worry me.
I lift my gaze to the men once more, my heart getting the better of me as I grab Beau’s forearm.
He studies where I touch him, stirring my foolish heart with longing. But I push past it, needing him to tell me what he is poorly hiding.
“Beau?” I squeeze his arm gently. “What are you not saying?”
He licks his lips, then bites the lower one in contemplation before blurting out, “Marian is infected.”
14
We Are Family
Arippling shudder steals my breath, the hollow gasp audible.
“N-N-N-No,” I stammer.
Coldness seeps into my chest, carving andscratching. It burrows deeper, pairing with fear, making my mouth run dry. The dryness churns into bitterness, clogging my throat, and snuffing away any warmth—any hope—any sense of my future.
An apology lines Beau’s features after the devastating admission, and I feel no sense of reassurance.
Was this what he had hoped to tell me tonight? Did he not want to share the news with the others?
Marian closes her eyes, a steady rise and fall of her chest indicating she is still here.
I twirl a short red curl of hers, hating how the phantom pain of grief from losing Mama creeps its way to the forefront of my thoughts, readying to wreck my mind, my heart, and my soul all over again.
Ican’tlose her.
But dread is already clawing into my skin, piercing through every nerve, tendon, and muscle, reveling in the horror rattling through my bones.
“Sh-She can’t be.” I fight to disprove Beau’s words, my instincts rooting deep to protect her from all of this.
Beau’s hushed voice lingers near my ear. “When I treated her this morning, my magic sensed something off. I wasn’t sure at first, but I remembered your letter and…”
My sister’s life and every creature and person infected are lives on my shoulders.
I shake my head. “It’s all my fault,” I choke out.
“Vi, you couldn’t have known about the infected animals harming humans,” Leo says, his voice low and comforting.
“But Idid. We both did.” I gesture to Marian.
Christine’s brows knit as Jules presses gently. “H-How?”
I debate what to say, what to share, while trying to calm the well of sadness threatening to drown me. But I look at Marian, soaking up her flushed cheeks, the freckles along her nose—those perfect freckles I will never see again.
I can’t hide from this anymore.
“Because I’m pretty sure Marian and I were the ones who created the virus.”
Everyone’s expressions turn grim, and I take a long breath before explaining.
