The Blood Ruby (The Arcane Artifacts #2)

Chapter 14 - Demon Blood

Lily slept for two days. Laurent kept watch beside her bed, only leaving when necessary. She dreamed, but her dreams were not entirely her own. She muttered in her sleep, words, names, not from people in her life, but his. He'd given her a lot of blood, and with it, memories, but he couldn't be certain which.

Then, her eyes opened and she sucked in a breath.

He immediately tensed, using his senses to take her vitals. Seconds passed. She appeared calm. Her lids blinked, then her breathing began to increase. She jerked upright and her head whipped towards him, those blue eyes falling upon him like a hammer upon an anvil.

"Little flower," he murmured, keeping his voice low, calm.

Her eyes widened at the sight of him...and her heart! Her heart went from steady to racing in a single blink. Like a rabbit's. It was a wonder it didn't simply give out.

He lifted his hands, keeping his words soft, softer than he'd used on anyone. Ever. "It's all right. You're safe."

She whimpered, gaze darting over him, growing more agitated. What he witnessed within the depths of her eyes made his hands tighten into fists. There was nothing of the usual way she regarded him. There was recognition, yes, but it was paired with something that made his stomach twist with guilt.

She scrambled across the bed, like a terrified animal, scooting clumsily beneath the sheets, trying to put more distance between them. He opened his mouth, only to close it. Her abject panic turned her rich vanilla floral scent rancid. "Lily," he breathed, pleading with her to be calm. "Please, little flower. It's all right. I won't hurt you."

The doubt in her expression made him falter. Her chest rose and fell in bursts, heart straining at the limits of its exertion. "I brought you something to eat," he tried. "You must be hungry?" His head tilted towards the soup and bread, sitting under under its silver cover.

Her lips pressed tight. She made a squeaking nosie, shaking her head back and forth.

"Fuck," he breathed. Then, as softly as he could, he called for Zola. It took only a handful of seconds for her to arrive.

"What's—?" Zola's words cut off sharply, then she swore.

Laurent stood, keeping his movements calm, unhurried.

"Get out," Zola snapped. Only Zola. Only she could say something like that to him.

He fled the room. His back plastered to the hallway wall just outside Lily's door. He glanced down, only to find his own chest rising and falling. He growled, beating the back of his head against the wall. His fists were clenched, jaw tight.

He forced himself to listen to the sounds within Lily's room, through her open door.

"There you are, darling. It's all right. You're safe."

"Zola," she whimpered. "You...you...they...you gave me away!" Her words were broken.

"Not me, darling. Never me. Laurent."

Laurent's eyes closed, a breath exploding from his chest. Zola had no fucking problem throwing him under the bus. But her words were true; he deserved it.

"I don't want to go back. Please, they...they did things to me. They..." There was a rustling, like Lily was checking herself over. "But...it was here. My fingers..."

His stomach dropped to his feet. He could picture her cradling her beloved fingers, looking at them, expecting them to be crooked, broken. A low growl built in his throat.

"Was it...was it all a dream?"

"No, darling. But it's all over. It's all right," Zola cooed again. "No one will hurt you ever again."