Page 73 of Darkest Heart

She inched closer. Everything about her drew me in. Her smell, the way she looked at me, the challenge in her tone. I moved closer, waiting for her to move, or push me away. But she gazed up at me with those doe-eyes, and I was ruined.

I grabbed the back of her neck, tugging her into me. I pressed my lips against hers, butterflies swarming when she kissed me back. A flash of something forced its way into my mind as I deepened the kiss.

My stomach was in knots, a strange, unnerving feeling, unlike anything I’d experienced before. Nausea crept over me before I could catch my next breath. Sweat beaded my forehead, and my heart stuttered as she curled tighter against me in her sleep.

I pulled away, feeling worse by the minute. Her eyes flung open, fear lacing those pretty browns. The feeling intensified, and my heart felt as if it might stop at any minute. “You poisoned me,” I accused, realizing it was the only thing that could cause this kind of reaction. We couldn’t get sick. “Was it on your lips? Tell me!”

Finally, she opened her mouth, spluttering, “No. I didn’t.”

This was Gwen all over again. The very thought sent my heart hammering against my chest, my hands shaking. I stilled as her hand touched my cheek, her eyes widening, pulling me in through her tear-soaked gaze. The touch was so gentle, that I moved back. “I didn’t do anything.”

The top of my lip twitched, as my mind raced. I wanted to believe her, that she wasn’t capable of it, but I’d been lied to too many times before. I wouldn’t let it happen again. I shouldn’t have let it go this far.

“This was a mistake. You need to go.” I pointed at the door, my breaths shallowing. I scrambled to the dressing table, glowering at my reflection in the mirror.

After a few minutes, the sickness fell away, but the ache in my chest remained. I wasn’t weak; I had no sores in my mouth from poison, so what the fuck was that?

“Should I do something?” She asked slowly.

Flashes of memories that weren’t mine flooded back into my mind. I could smell nettle on my breath, from all the tea Azia had given me. This wasn’t Elizabeth’s doing. It was Azia’s. I remembered something, but it slipped away before I could keep see it clearly.

I didn’t even hear the door open. An icy breeze hit me, and I turned slowly. Elizabeth hurried back as we faced my father and Gwen. Her venomous gaze latched onto Elizabeth. Then she finally looked at me. “Thought we might find you in here.”

“What’s going on?” I glanced at my father, but it was Gwen who announced the words I never wanted to hear. “Olivia’s dead. Olivia’s gone.”

TWENTY-FIVE

Olivia

My eyes fluttered open to the night sky. The stars sparkled like diamonds against an inky, black canvas. Sebastian’s hands held me up, keeping me half-submerged in the water. I glanced around at the mountains and forest surrounding us like a bowl. I breathed in the evocative smell of spring, in an elegant mix of citrus and pine, committing his scent to memory.

Sebastian’s blue eyes widened as I brushed my thumb gently over his cheek, unable to look away from him as if us being together might end at any moment. “I love you,” I spluttered. Life was too short, and I’d never take our time together for granted.

He grazed my waist, then pulled me tighter than he ever had before. I couldn’t believe I was here, with him. Missing him felt endless, like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from.

“I love you too.”

I rested my head on his chest, letting my worries tumble out with each breath. In a world where I had to be strong, he was my haven. I let everything go, all the emotions I’d been holding back, and tears flooded from my eyes. “I did terrible things,” I admitted, my chest growing heavier as I recalled each blood-soaked memory. “I killed someone. He’s dead. A mortal,” I sobbed as my victim’s fear pierced through me, the emotions returning as I recalled the memory. I would carry it with me, because feeling that pain was what I deserved.

He ran his fingers through my hair, then cradled my head as if I were a child. “It’s okay, sweetheart.” He kissed my forehead, his lips tight against my skin as his chest heaved. “It’s not your fault.”

“I didn’t have to kill him. I could have run.”

“I know you. You wouldn’t have done it unless you had no choice. You did what you had to, to survive. It’s okay.”

I knew he was trying to make me feel better, but it did nothing to ease the guilt eating away inside of me. I felt the same feeling of remorse purr against mine. He’d killed people, too. He tilted my chin with his thumb, lifting my eyes to meet his. Through my tear-blurred vision, I noticed the wrinkle between his brows, and the waver on his lips as he examined me. My lips parted as shock stole my next breath. Tears flowed from his own, his next words caught in his throat as he tried to speak.

I nodded, not needing to hear his words. Love poured through our bond, my heart skipping a beat as I looked at him, wanting to do anything to take his fear away. We’d almost lost each other, and I realized now that love was like wearing one’s heart on the outside of their chest. It was vulnerable, exposed, and terrifying. “I’ve missed you so much.”

He smiled through the tears and shook his head, pulling me into his chest again. His lips rested on my hair. “I will never let anyone take you from me again. I’m going to take you far away from all of this, okay? Where no one can find us. Zach and Erianna know, and they’re going to help us get away.”

“Where are they?” I asked, looking around.

“Erianna has Astor.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “I’d say poor guy, but he deserves whatever he gets.”

The moon reached its apex, reflecting off the black surface. It soaked in the silence. The screams of the mortals rattled in my ears for weeks. The absence of terror released a tenseness I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. Every muscle in my body relaxed as Sebastian’s biceps flexed, holding me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist, tugging him closer. “This was the first place you took me where I started to like you,” I admitted with a smile.

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