“L-lex,” she stutters, sucking in a wheezing breath.
No, no, “You don’t get to leave, remember,” I growl, “You belong to me, little bird. I say when you are allowed to leave.”
Her lips tip up into a small, pained smile, “I love you.”
Those three words end me.
I don’t deserve love, especially not from her.
I set out to kill her and I’ve just done that.
“No,” I rise up onto my knees, my body screaming out at me, “No, don’t sound like you’re saying goodbye.”
“It’s okay.”
“No!” I reach down, pushing her wild hair from her face, “you don’t leave!” I grit out.
“Kiss me.”
“Little bird,” I beg.
I’ve never begged for a single thing in my life.
“Please.”
With the world in chaos around me, I lean down and kiss her, tasting the metallic tinge of blood on my tongue.
When I pull away a sudden whack to my head has me falling away from Wren. My skull explodes with a pain so sharp my vision blackens.
Wren is flat on her back, staring at me as a single tear slips from the corner of her eye, running a clean path through the dust, dirt and blood that clings to her skin.
I try to get up but the fogginess in my head makes my limbs too heavy, too weak to move.
Who the fuck hit me!?
Two legs step up beside Wren’s body and through bleary eyes I follow them up to find Marcus Valentine standing over his daughter’s body.
“Who the fuck did this!?” He bellows, “What good will she be if she’s dead!?”
I hear people scurrying around, but I can’t see past him and her, somewhere close by a fire crackles wildly, the heat of the flames making my skin too hot.
“Get the fuck away from her!” I growl, finally able to push up onto my elbows, though it’s shaky and weak. When I’m there I roll, catching myself before I hit the ground.
A swift boot to the face has me crashing back down.
Get to Wren.I chant the words over and over as I try to push up again.
I keep my eyes on them, watching as I struggle as Valentine leans down and roughly pulls Wren from the rubble, throwing her around too hard. She ends up limp over his shoulder, blood dripping from her skin, mixing into the dirt that crunches under his feet.
“Burn it all to the ground,” Valentine meets my eyes, “let them all burn.”
His grin is nothing short of menacing.
There’s nothing in his eyes, no soul, only darkness and death.
He’s truly sold his soul to the devil.
“It’s time my daughter and I become reacquainted.”
And with those parting words he turns and leaves, taking Wren with him and I’m helpless to stop him.