“Sister, I am sorry… I am so, so sorry…” she cried.
I could not speak. Too numb to even move my lips.
“They wanted me,” Mae cried. “They were ordered to take me… Rider—Prophet Cain—”
“Wants us all back,” a quiet voice from my left said, and I felt small fingers wrap around mine. “That is true, is it not, sister? They want all three of us back with our people.”
Maddie. My Maddie was with me in this room. I wanted to feel gladness, but I lacked emotion. Something had happened to me. Something had left me detached. Maddie took my silence for my answering ‘yes’ to her question. And she should. It was true.
Ky sat down on the bed and pushed the long strands of hair back from my forehead. “Baby…” He trailed off, and I saw a wash of pain ghost across his face. “Those perverts… what they did to you…”
Lifting my hand to meet his, I brought it down to his lips. Ky stared at me for the longest time. Then his hands fisted and pulled from mine as he jumped to his feet. “FUCK! I can’t deal!”
Maddie leapt from the chair beside me. Shaking, she fled for the door. I watched him pace, his face contort with anger, and tried to sit up. White-hot pain sliced down my back, and I gritted my teeth.
“They fuckin’ beat you, lashed you… THEY FUCKIN’ RAPED MY BITCH! My bitch, and I weren’t there to do fuck all about it!”
Expelling a whimper, I winced at Ky’s anger. Hearing my dismay, he stopped mid-step and his face fell. “Baby, it’s fuckin’ ruined me! Look at you, your beautiful body… They’ve fuckin’ scarred your perfect skin to shit!”
He took three quick steps to the side of my bed, and I watched him breaking but could not rid myself of his words. Look at you, your beautiful body… They’ve fuckin’ scarred your perfect skin…
“I love you,” I managed to whisper, needing to say those words out loud.
Ky pressed a firm kiss to my lips and said, “Fuck, baby. I love you too.”
I watched his face for any sign of untruth. “I fuckin’ do, baby. Shit, you’re everywhere, in my mind, in my fuckin’ heart.” Leaning forward, he pressed kiss after kiss to my face.
Butterflies circled in my stomach with each feather-soft caress, but it all turned to ice when he said, “This fuckin’ face, Lilah, this fuckin’ beautiful face. I couldn’t stand it when you were gone. All I kept thinking about was those fuckin’ blue eyes, what it was like kissing those lips, that stunning blond hair, the feel of your pussy choking my cock. It was driving me insane not having you around, being with me… my woman.”
My bottom lip trembled, and Ky ran his thumb across my lips. “Don’t cry, sweet cheeks. I can’t fuckin’ stand it.”
“I… I am tired,” I croaked out, my voice sore and dry from the heat of the fire. I dropped my eyes for fear of him sensing my deception.
“Okay, baby,” he replied and stood. “I gotta go talk to Styx anyhow. I’ll be back to check on you later. Just sleep.”
I allowed myself to watch his broad muscled back bunch under his cut, his messy tied-back long blond hair hang down his back, and his thick legs beneath his denim pants. He was truly perfect, but I was not for him.
I was never meant to fall for him.
As the door closed, I tucked my head into the pillow and let the tears fall. It was all a ruse. He missed my eyes, my lips… Lord, I hated this face! A man as strong and beautiful as Ky could never like me for just me.
At this moment, I wished I had perished in the pyre, for this feeling right now was worse than any burn on my skin… any scar on my back.
Devastation swept through me and the last shred of hope I had flickered out like a candle. All I had ever been was a temptress.
Do as I say, my little Rapunzel. Lift that head so I can gaze upon your beautiful face, those sparkling eyes…
No! No, no, no, I thought as cold tears came thick and fast.
You have seen the pictures in my coloring book. Prophet David wants us to be closer to each other. And you are so beautiful, Rebekah… so tempting. I want to touch you like the boy touches the girl in the picture.
And my father, my own father…
She has tempted me. I have… I have sinned with her, Brother Luke. I have done things in moments of weakness…
And Ky, my Ky…
Babe, from the minute you crawled outta that cell all those weeks ago, I was gone. Gone for your beautiful fuckin’ face, your killer fuckin’ frame, those eyes, those lips… Shit, I remember seeing you next to Mae all scared and shit, and like a fuckin’ bolt of lightning, I was struck.
It was false… our love, all false…
Fuck, Li, what the hell are you doing to me?
What the hell are you doing to me?
I kept my eyes focused on the ceiling, breathing… just breathing. But it was no good. I must cleanse. My skin was crawling with impurity and sin. I must cleanse… I MUST CLEANSE…
Lifting back the linen that covered me, I placed my feet on the wooden floor, clenching my jaw as I bent. Using the bedside table for balance, I slowly walked to the washroom, flicking on the dull light as I entered.
Wincing as I walked to the shower, I reached the stall and turned the knob for the water, making sure the temperature was scalding… I was so cold…
Stepping into the shower, I relished the feel of the water stinging my stitched lashes, the red, raw cross burned on my stomach. Pain was the only feeling I had left.