Free lily harper 04.5 - the bladesmith by h p mallory Page A

the door, even as I felt my body mending the wound she’d inflicted upon me. In another few seconds, it would be completely healed. I could still hear her sputtering behind me, but I did not care. I was free of her and that was all that mattered to me.
    I took a deep breath as the memory left me. I blinked a few times as I focused on my surroundings, taking in the cold stone walls of my prison cell that matched the bleakness of the stone floor. Even though I had left Persephone to choke on her own blood, thinking her dead, it was now apparent that she had not gone quite so willingly. I closed my eyes as I sought that side of me that channeled my Druid magic. I extended my feelers until the magic thrummed through my entire body.
    Show meh, I thought to myself. Show meh whit happened after Ah left her, I demanded of my ancient magic.
    The image of Persephone’s drawing room began to fall back into place behind my eyelids. I could see her on the bed and I could see myself standing in the doorway, just before I left the room. Persephone lay there dying, her eyes fully focused on the doorway. Her blood soaked everything beneath her, coloring her platinum hair bright red.
    As I watched from afar, the door to her bureau suddenly opened and Alaire stepped out. He immediately focused on her still form but there was no sign of panic nor concern on his face. Instead, he approached her vanity table and retrieved her crystal and diamond crown. He then walked toward the bed, his stride long and purposeful. He placed the crown on her bloodied head and then leaned down onto his knees so he was at eye level with her. He placed one hand over her severed throat and cupped the other into a fist that he held in front of her mouth.
    “Breathe into my hand, my love,” he instructed her. “And I will ensure you do not meet your fate this night.”
    Apparently happy with her attempt, he brought his fist up to the crown and then released his fingers. At the same moment, Persephone’s eyelids fluttered as her eyes rolled back and her head fell to the side lifelessly. Alaire stood up and reached for the crown, the diamonds of which were now sparkling in a way they had not before. He brought the crown to his mouth and kissed it delicately.
    “We will be united, my love, someday when we are both ready,” he whispered to the crown as he started for the door. “In the meantime, I will place you in the custody and protection of the harpies, for they will always ensure your security. Sleep well, my queen, sleep well.”

 
    NINE
    “Tallis,” the angel rasped from his cell. “I dunno how much more I can take of this,” he finished, his voice breaking. “My whole body hurts so bad, I can’t even fuckin’ move, an’ I’m so hungry, I’m gettin’ skinny.”
    He was far from skinny. “Dinnae git ahead o’ yerself,” I started, but once the sound of him sobbing reached me, I figured he needed my encouragement more than my ridicule. “Ye moost be strong,” I said as I reminded myself of exactly the same thing. “They are tryin’ tae break ye, ye moost nae allow them tae soocceed.”
    “Dude, they’ve already succeeded,” he said as his voice caught and seconds later, he continued weeping. “I never thought I’d say it, Tido, but I’ve never hated my immortality so much! I just can’t deal with any more of this pain. It’s killin’ me without killin’ me!” The sound of his sobbing echoed through my cell and the feebleness of it suddenly made me angry.
    “Pull yerself together, man!” I insisted, my tone of voice sharp. If he expected sympathy from me, he would not get it. He had to toughen up, otherwise he would break. “Ye are allowin’ them tae win! Yer givin’ them whit they want!”
    “I don’t care! They’ve won an’ I give the fuck up!” he wailed back.
    “Are ye ah man or are ye ah mouse?” I insisted, my tone of voice as icy as the inside of my cell. “Ye moost learn tae tough it oot or ye are nae better