Cyrus stepped aside, rubbing his neck as he leaned against the wall. “Fine. You’re welcome to her.”

Before Nathan or I could react, Cyrus lunged forward and grabbed me by the wrist, spinning me into his arms like a dance. “How many pieces would you like to carry her out in? Two?”

He twisted my arm until the long bones of my forearm snapped like dried twigs. I’d never actually broken a bone before. Man, did it hurt.

Screaming in pain and anger like a wounded animal, I flailed my free hand to break the vial I still clutched in my fist. If I had to, I’d spray us both with it.

“What’s this?” Cyrus hissed into my ear. “A token of affection from your knight protector?”

He pried my fingers loose and snatched the bottle. Ferocious fingers seized my chin and squeezed my face roughly, forcing my jaw down.

“All this time you let me think I’d created the perfect companion, and you were just waiting to sink the stake into my heart.” He popped the lid off the vial and tilted it. A single drop hung on the edge, poised to fall directly into my open mouth. “We’re more alike than I thought.”

“Don’t do it,” Nathan warned.

“Why? Because you’ll kill me? You’ve already proved you can’t. You’d enjoy it too much.” Cyrus tipped the vial a little more. The suspended drop trembled and I closed my eyes.

I wasn’t ready to die. I might not have anything to live for, but an empty life sounded a lot better than an uncertain afterlife.

“Please,” I whimpered as best I could with limited movement of my jaw.

“Oh, shut up, Carrie. What a useless specimen you’ve turned out to be. Did you think you could betray me with no consequence?” His fingers gripped my face tighter. “What were you planning to do? Beg for mercy? Tell me you love me?”

Though it burned my soul to do it, I nodded a little, terrified my movement would bring the liquid onto my flesh. “I do love you.” It wasn’t completely a lie, but he didn’t buy it. I couldn’t exactly blame him.

“Do you think I’m stupid? Do you think I didn’t sense your betrayal?” He licked my ear. “Every moment I was inside you, I felt your uncertainty. Your fear of me. You never made your choice.”

Nathan sucked in a sharp breath, and hot shame flooded my face.

“Oh, does that bother you, Nolen?” Cyrus bit my neck softly. “I bet you thought you were rescuing a pure damsel. Don’t let her fool you. She begged for it. She let me use her like a whore and she drank my blood as payment.”

“Gentlemen don’t kiss and tell,” Nathan quipped.

How can he joke at a time like this?

“I never claimed to be a gentleman. Unlike others in this room, I don’t deny my true nature.”

Cyrus let the drop of holy water fall. I twisted away and it landed on the bare shoulder of my injured arm. The liquid burrowed through my skin and the flesh underneath like a scorching bullet. I bit my lip to stifle my cries.