“Bissi.”Hewas still whispering.
Lost, as in…dead.
The tears spilled over.
He pulled me into his arms.
“They were aiming at me?”Iasked his chest.
A hesitation and then, “Yes, darling.”
“She died for me.”
He held me tighter.
“She died for me,”Irepeated.
“She will be remembered for eternity, an honored hero ofNight’sFall,” he decreed.
I yanked away. “Idon’t want her to be an honored hero!”Iyelled. “Iwant her to live a full life and retire to a beach.”
He hauled me back into his arms.
The spurt of anger extinguished as fast as it came, the sound ofAntheme’sbody hitting the ground so close to me reverberating through my head.
I melted into him and sobbed.
“Son?”
I feltAlekseishake his head.
I peered out from his chest to see they were all there,Fillion,Calisa,Aleece, and evenTimotheeandErrol.
I was in no state, butTimotheeappeared sad and shocked, andErrol, shaken.
I couldn’t deal with them now.
I couldn’t deal with anything now.
I turned my face back intoAleksei.
“You’re moving to thePalace,” the king decreed.
“Yes, we are,”Alekseiagreed.
I just kept crying.
* * *
The curtains on the windows had been closed, andIwas lying in the dark in his bed that was dressed in aubergine velvet, feeling cold through to the bone, but so listless,Ididn’t bother dragging the bedclothes over me.
This is howIwas when he came to me.
My body was limp asAlekseiadjusted it into the bend of his while he rested against the headboard, his long legs in front of him.
“What do they know?”Imumbled into his shirt.
“Let me get some food in you first.”
