She woke when I reentered the cell, and it clearly hadn’t gone well.
Because it wasn’t Poppy who awakened. But I hadn’t caught on to that at first. She hadn’t tried to attack or run, she’d said she was cold. Lonely. That her head hurt. So, when she rose, made her way to where I sat, and climbed into my lap, I hadn’t stopped her.
It wasn’t like I believed Poppy had returned to me. I knew better. I’d just wanted to hold her. And I had. I’d held her, desperately wishing her skin was warm and full of life instead of cold as death itself. Still, holding her felt like a dream—one that didn’t last when she tried to get me to take her from the room. First, she begged. And when that hadn’t worked, she’d tried seduction.
That technique hadn’t worked either, but the fact that Kolis had usedherto try that? Bile clogged my throat, and I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to expel the meager contents of my stomach.
The moment Kolis realized he wasn’t getting anywhere, he’d cursed me with her mouth and voice. I’d sat through it, not moving an inch, not speaking. The simmering anger grew into a rage asheused her hands to claw at herself. When she drew blood on her cheeks, I couldn’t take it anymore. Could no longer bear witness to it.
I snatched one of the blankets she had kicked aside, and the sound of stitches ripping rent the air as I tore a narrow strip off with my bare hands.
“Is someone mad?” she taunted with a dry, cackling laugh.
Turning, I wrapped one end around my fist and moved fast. Grabbing her hand, I yanked it from her face.
“What are you—?”
“Stop speaking.”
“Make me. You can use your co—”
“Shut up.” I caught her other hand and rolled her onto her stomach.
That thin, reedy laugh scraped against my skin. “I wasn’t suggesting this, but if that’s what you want…”
“Shut the fuck up.” I dropped to my knees, using them to pin her legs together. I yanked both arms behind her—
“Why?” she whimpered, causing my gaze to shoot to the side of her face. The slithery coldness was gone from her voice. “Why are you doing this to me?”
Teeth grinding, I pressed her wrists together.
“You’re hurting me!” she shouted, bucking her hips to dislodge me. “Why are you hurting me? Why?”
My chest felt as if the claws of a Craven had dug into it, ripping open the cavity. I faltered—
Poppy reared with a burst of strength, nearly throwing me off as she broke my hold on her wrists.
Cursing, I clamped my knees against her hips and grabbed her upper arms, pulling them back once more as gently as I could—it was still her body.
“Please, don’t!” she screamed. “Please!”
The scratching on the door started again. I shut myself down when Delano whimpered. I felt absolutely fucking nothing as I quickly wrapped the strip of blanket around her wrists, keeping it as loose as I could but tight enough that she wouldn’t be able to tear her way free. Once I was finished, I rolled her onto her side and rose, backing up.
“Please don’t do this,” she begged. “Please.”
Breathing heavily, I dropped into the chair.
She yelled. Screamed. She screeched and thrashed about until her voice gave out. Lying on her side, she panted as she glared at me with icy hate, Delano pawing and digging at the iron door the whole time, whining.
I ignored it.
All of it.
Until she finally quieted—either him giving up or her body giving out. Her eyes closed, and her breathing became shallow and quick but steady.
Delano’s whimpers faded but never truly went silent as I stared at the thin rivulets of blood coursing over her scars.
In that moment, I knew three things.
