I force down the lump that forms in my throat and look down at Marabella in my arms. She stirs, and I brush her hair from her face. Her nose wrinkles as she frowns. She looks like she is stuck in a nightmare, but a moment later, her eyes flutter open.
“Kyan?” she murmurs my name, still weak, and it is too much for me to handle.
I sniffle and look away from her. “You will be okay, Marabella,” I whisper to her as I scoop her body up in my arms. Fighting against the emotions that rush through my entire body. Before I take the risk and step out of the ruins, I need to make sure she is secure enough to be moved elsewhere.
I never thought my life would come to this, but I am terrified that Kaif might come back and finish the job he started. If the shadows try hard enough to push him again, if they escape her. History will not repeat, I won’t allow it.
It still makes no freaking sense to me. None at all. Those women, the very women who became the shadows – they tried to kill their sons, all of them did.
The shadows and the ghosts of Kaif’s past mates are unable to live with the shadows, while they know that what they became is nothing but their own fault, yet Luna has them convinced that Kaif is the reason for all this. The shadows have grown so strong over the time, those women who came next couldn’t take the pressure and gave in to their demands, became as insane as the curse placed. What truly freaks me out is that all this time, they tried to kill the children, but now, they are going after their vessel. It’s more than confusing.
I trudge through the forest back towards the manor. I can feel how the heaviness of his guilt is eating Kaif, and sorrow fills me. Getting closer, I mind-link Lucas to open the door as I walk across the lawns. On my way home, I hadn’t noticed how it started to rain, but the one thing I know is that I need to get out of here for a few hours. At least a few hours. I need to get away from everything so I can think.
Marabella already looks way better and actually manages to fall asleep, and she remains asleep until I put her in the bath with me. As soon as her body sinks into the water, it turns red, and I start to clean her, the color becoming darker along with my thoughts.
I can hear my phone going off somewhere in the background, but I don’t need to check it to know that Jonah, no doubt, has to be on his way home right about now. After what happened earlier, I know he has to be worried about us both.
The moment that thought crosses my mind, I block him out. It’s unfair. I know he will be pissed, but the last thing I need is to feel his worry. It is enough that I have mine and hers to deal with already. No need to add more to the pile.
“It doesn’t look that bad,” Marabella says as she glances down at her neck and her shoulder.
Although her skin is healed, I can’t look at it. We have permanently mutilated her. I look over her shoulder, block out the skin from my vision, and nod at her. I can’t force even a word from my lips, let alone think of anything I could say that might fix this situation.
What the fuck do people say after they almost kill their mate and leave them with scars as proof to live with till the end of their days? I will never forgive myself for what happened to Marabella. And I know, for a fact, that neither will Kaif.
We both know that this shouldn’t have happened. The attack, the marking, the near-death situation.
And yet, what baffles me the most is her reaction. Marabella seems unfazed by his savagery that is branding her skin now. She turns her face to look up at me over her shoulder and offers me a gentle, yet weak smile. Since I don’t return one, she leans up to kiss my lips, but I turn my face away from her. I can’t bring myself to look at her, to look at what we did to her.
“What’s wrong?” Marabella asks as her brows furrow and a frown slowly slides on her face.
Marabella watches me with wariness. I feel her worry. She’s scared I might actually be Kaif, not me. I feel the tug in the bond as she tries to mask how terrified she is of us. Both of us.
“Nothing,” I tell her as I lean closer to her face and kiss her softly.
All too soon, I pull away, and I can feel her confusion at my distance. Marabella wants to be as close as possible, despite how she fears us, she still loves us. And what is worse, she truly seems to believe that everything can go back to normal. But the issue is that I know fate will come for her. Sooner or later, it will, and unless I figure out how to break the fucking curse, there’s nothing I can do to stop it.
We made the mistake. We attacked her and brought her back, kept her alive, while the shadows of the past wanted to kill her. Marabella doesn’t know this, but mistakes like these come at high cost. We barely got her back. Maybe next time we won’t be able to, and that thought scares me most. Ultimately, she is the one that pays for our mistakes.
One I’m not willing to let her pay for. While her eyes still follow me, I grab the loofah and continue to wash the blood off her body. She squirms on my lap as she tries to reach out and touch me, but I am quick to maneuver her and stop her wandering hands. As soon as I finish and ensure there is no speck of blood on her skin, I help Marabella out of the bath and wrap her body in a towel.
“Have you heard from Jonah today?” Marabella asks me.
“He is fine. I think he found Rose. He should be back tomorrow, or maybe tonight,” I answer.
I feel like my body is operating on some autopilot system. Worst of all, I know she can sense my strange mood as her eyes watch me as I step into the room. Her eyes don’t seem to leave me even for a bit, and at one point, I have to raise an eyebrow at her when Marabella stops blinking. As if she thinks I might fade while she blinks.