Page 35 of Darkest Heart

“Where is she?” I shouted, forcing him up against the same wall he’d pushed me into. “Tell me where the fuck she is now or so fucking help me…”

He pushed back, but anger rooted me. I felt the resistance of his skin against my nails as I dug my fingers into his arms. A sharp pain rippled down my arm as his elbow knocked against mine, loosening my grip.

He let out a long, shaky exhale while I watched him carefully, trying to calculate his next move. “She’s in the main room,” he said, throwing up his arms. “You’re blinded by love! She’s trying to ruin us again.”

“She has no reason this time,” I snapped, although she didn’t the last time either. “And I don’t love her.”

“Whatever it is, this obsession is going to cost us everything we’ve rebuilt. Again,” he enunciated. “She had a key, and the only person who has a key to my room is you.”

Shit.She must’ve got it when she came to my room. I scratched the side of my nose, puffing out my cheeks as I blew out a tense breath. I let go of him entirely, stepping back. “I’ll find out what she was doing.”

“You better, because those letters are secret. Our members expect absolute discretion. You know what happens if their names get out? We look unreliable, and I will not be seen like that. Get her under control or the next time, I’ll rip out her heart. Even if it means you coming after me.” He turned, speeding away before I could say another word.

Running my fingers over my face, heat crept through my cheeks as I wondered how I let this happen again, right under my nose.

My fist connected with the wall, stone cracking, cutting my knuckles.Fuck.No. Not this time. I wasn’t going to let her ruin me again, or the Blood Brothers. I moved through the castle, my worry about what he’d done to her evaporating the more I thought about the shit she’d put me through. Why was she so intent on destroying me?

Unless it was never really about me, I realized. Adrian was right. I really had been blind.

TWELVE

Olivia

I wanted to scream at the mortal to run, but it wouldn’t save him. If I didn’t rip his heart out, the aniccipere would do far worse.

My fingers trembled as the door opened, but I maintained a calm composure despite the whirlwind in my mind. I could feel Astor and the aniccipere’s beady stares boring into my back as I came face to face with the boy’s blue eyes. They weren’t like Sebastian’s, as dark and deep as night, but like the sky after the clouds cleared in the middle of the afternoon.

“Please,” he begged, his accent Baldorian. He could have been a neighbor or friend in another life, a boy from school, or even a crush. The bulb in his throat bobbed, shaky breaths leaving his dried, cracked lips. “Don’t kill me.”

His heartbeat thudded into my ears, sweat beading on his grimy forehead. I swallowed hard as the thick, permeating stench of his body odor hit the back of my nostrils. His bottom lip wobbled as he looked into my eyes, thinking I was his way out. He saw it; I wasn’t like them. I had been mortal not that long ago, and the crease of my brow and pain in my eyes gave it away. I didn’t want to kill him.

He didn’t bother to run, or look at them. He’d been here a while then. Running was futile, against them, against me… I sucked in a deep breath, dragging the smells of sweat, urine and feces with it. Barely moving, slumped against the bottom of the cage, I realized he wouldn’t try to escape even if he could. He was weak, his skin paler than even mine under the moonlight.

My heart raced alongside his own as I touched his hand, listening to the aniccipere’s snarls behind us. I couldn’t say what I wanted to him, not without being found out. This was the only way to gain their trust, and save him from a far worse death. I had to tell myself that, over and over, as I felt myself darken.

Tears glossed his eyes, seeping into the wrinkles under his eyes. My barrier lowered while I suppressed the urge to save him, go against every part of who I was, I kept my emotions in check. The monsters were watching us both.

I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.I said in my head, over and over, feeling the terror, dejection and exhaustion in his soul leak into mine. Closing my eyes, I used my abilities, thankful for once for them being heightened by my immortality, as my magic was no longer accessible.

Stealing his fear and taking it on as my own was all I could do.

“Get on with it,” one of the aniccipere ordered from behind us. I watched the boy's eyes closed, then clamped my eyes shut so my tears wouldn’t come. I splayed my fingers over his chest, but hesitation kept me from digging in. In my grip, he was putty. I was strong, immortal?a predator.

He wasn’t feeling any pain or worry now. For a few minutes, those were my burdens to bear. Clenching my teeth so hard I feared they’d break, I dug my nails in, stealing his anguish before he could feel it. I flinched as my fingers cut through flesh, and I ran cold. This was harder than I thought. Vampires made it look so easy, tearing out another’s heart. But there was so much to get through. I should have snapped his neck instead.

Pressing my lips tight, I pushed harder, feeling bone fracture and break around my hand, muscle tear from my nails, reaching past the rib cage protecting his most vital organ. He let out a scream. My abilities were wearing off.

Just do it. Do it. You have no choice. He’ll suffer if you don’t.

Bile bit up my throat as I touched his heart. Feeling it throb around my fingers, as if it were panicking, knowing what was coming next.

One tug. That’s all it took. One tug and this would be over. He screamed louder, and my eyes widened as his gaze found mine. His lips fell open as I closed my eyes and pulled back, feeling the blood slipping through my fingers and down my hand and wrist.

His head fell back, his body sliding against the bars as blood poured out, spatters of it everywhere, warm, and revolting.

I watched him die. My jaw slacked in disbelief that I’d done it. I couldn’t focus on the sound of Astor’s gasp, or the aniccipere’s sadistic laughs and cheers. Nothing but the absence of the boy’s heartbeat stayed with me as a part of me also died under the starry sky.

A part of me died. The heart tumbled from my grasp, rolling onto the ground. Everything suddenly felt mechanical. Tearing my eyes from his body, I slowly got to my feet.

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