Page 199 of Claimed By Fangs and Darkness
Vesper held a look of pure death, glaring sharply at Blade and Harmony.
“I thought you were following us!” Harmony squeaked. “I’m sorry!”
But as soon as Vesper’s gaze landed on the girl in my arms, she melted. “Thank Helia.”
I peeled Evie off my chest to stare into her wide gray eyes. “You’re a miracle. I’m going to take care of you now, okay?”
She smiled, taking me by surprise. She’d endured the unspeakable. She was captured, tortured, brutalized…
I scanned her, finally noting how untouched she appeared. My brows drew together, but the sound of her voice washed my questions away.
“Thank you, Kylo,” she whispered sweetly.
Everything else fell away, for this brief reprieve. Our audience, the war, the born men I yearned to tear limb from limb. It was just me and my angel against the world.
Her eyes softened as if mesmerized. “You’re so beautiful.”
I grinned at the strangeness of such a declaration. The poor thing must’ve been as disoriented as I was. Even more reason to do everything in my power to help her feel safe.
“You’re surrounded by people who love you. Everything is going to be okay. One step closer to The Sun.”
Evie looked confused for a moment before understanding washed over her. “Don’t forget The Star.”
I traced her upper back, where her tattoo was.
Her face crumpled suddenly. “They stole my tattoos.”
“What?” I hissed. “They fucking didwhat?”
Evie sobbed, burying her head in my chest. “I begged for them to stop. They burned them away.”
63
EVIE
After Aster finished mending what he’d broken, I quickly asked for clothing. At the sight of my features stricken with shame and discomfort, he feigned sympathy that didn’t match the churning darkness in his amber irises.
He fetched me a far-too-translucent white nightgown. I reached for it, but he shook his head. He guided me to stand and raise my arms, and he proceeded to dress me.
My throat tightened. Repressed violence rotted away at my insides.
Whatwasthat mirror vision? Some grand truth was poking me with its sharp edge, but every time I reached for it, the revelation melted into water and slipped through my grasp.
“When we make it to Prospyrus, you’re going live like a princess,” Aster said, tentatively closing a hand around my waist.
I wobbled, woozy and lightheaded.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, pretty girl?”
A princessanda secret weapon.
“Why Prospyrus?” I asked, capitalizing off my half-delirious state to play dumb.
“I’m going to fill an opening in King Earle’s council,” Aster said, eyes alight as his voice dropped.
Wait,what?
I steadied. Something brave and strong took over my body—sneaking past the grief and the fear and the trauma, rooting itself in my weary form until it had eclipsed my shame.
