Torrent of Tears (Scourge Survivor Series Book 3)(29)

Terran shook his head. “May I speak frankly without incurring your wrath again?”

I stopped outside the carved door of my suite and turned to face him. Attalosean men would be short in other realms, but even so they stood a solid foot taller than the females. At my four-foot-six I had to look up to meet his cautious gaze. “Yes. You can. I’m sorry I snapped at you earlier. It’s been a mind-fuck of a day.” My words still hung in the air when I thought of Coal and my tendency to follow Reign’s vernacular. “Sorry, hon. I’ll work on the swearing. My bad.”

Coal’s smile grew wider. I doubted anything would have bothered him at that moment. Gods he was adorable. I kissed his little hand and turned back to Terran. “Let me have it.”

He leaned down to whisper directly in my ear. “I realize you are far more experienced in these matters than I, but I think you’re grossly oversimplifying. The Queen gets what she wants . . . at any cost. Always.”

With Coal looking at me like I’d just hung the moon, I had to disagree. Whatever the reason for her giving me custody of the boy, I had come out on top on this one. “Try not to worry, Terran. We’ll all keep our eyes open. We won’t get cocky and we’ll see what the winds blow our way. Okay?”

Terran sighed and offered me a reluctant nod. “Okay.”

“Now,” I said, wrapping my arm around Coal’s fragile little shoulder and continuing to the door. “Let’s celebrate.”

As Terran opened the door for us and I hit the lights, my moment of happiness transformed into slow-motion horror.

I couldn’t grasp it. The blood was unreal. It spattered the alabaster cream of my entrance wall. Pooled thick over the perfectly polished floor. Like a disjointed sound bite, I heard Terran curse and the hiss of my breath.

“THAM! Oh gods, Tham!”

My mind fritzed. I knelt next to the bloody heap on the floor. The metallic tang of blood slammed me. I gagged. Shards of icy sliced through my muscles, tore through my sinew and bones and shredded my insides.

Unfolding his mangled body, I pressed slick fingers against his throat and wrist. Too much blood. I couldn’t tell if there was a pulse. I smeared my hand across my dress and tried again. Tears stung my eyes. His body was twisted and broken. He can’t possibly be alive.

“She killed you . . . because of me.”

Terran said something and vanished into the hall.

My mind fritzed again. Without feeling my limbs, I tore away Tham’s shirt. There was so much blood. He was shredded, leaking life from a hundred holes . . . impossible to stop. “Jade. I need Jade.”

I stumbled to my feet, slipped on the floor and cracked down on my knee. I ripped my shoes off and scrambled for the sofa. “My phone . . . where . . .” The bag with my clothes had been rifled. My battle vest was there, but my weapons were gone. I grabbed it and searched the pockets as I sank back to Tham.

“It’s gone.” Tears spilled like hot rivers down my icy skin. “They took my phone.” The scream that pealed from deep in my chest was inhuman. I fell across Tham’s chest sobbing, the grief closing my lungs.

With my cheek on Tham’s chest, I stared down his mutilated body. I laced his icy, trembling fingers with mine. Trembling? I reared up.

“Tham? Are you with me? Come on, Hotness, show me you’re alive.”

I searched his sallow expression. There was the slightest movement of his eyes behind his purple, swollen lids. My heart pumped triple time and the thrum of blood thundered in my ears. “Tham, baby, wake up.” I gathered his cheeks in my hands and leaned close. “Tham.”

His eyes flickered, opening behind the swelling in contorted angles. I cried out, brushing back his beautiful flaxen hair, matted and soaked with blood. “Thank the gods.”

Rowan dropped to Tham’s other side.

“What? How are you . . .”

Tham didn’t even glance at Rowan, his clear blue stare stuck on me.

“You’ll be fine now,” I choked. “Rowan’s a fabulous surgeon. Just hold on.”

Tham tightened his fingers and clenched his teeth. “Liar.”

His face blurred before me. “No. You will be fine. You’re way too important to die like this. Rowan, tell him.”

Rowan pressed Tham’s neck for his pulse again, his hands dripping scarlet. Why wasn’t he sewing him up or wrapping the cuts . . . or something. I searched Rowan’s face, waiting to catch some glint of hope shining in his eyes. There was none.

He pursed his lips tight and caught Tham’s gaze. His voice was soothing and steady. “Is there anything I can do for you . . . to make this easier for you?”

Tham blinked fast but his tears brimmed and flowed. “Take care of her. She seems tough . . . but . . . she’s far too tenderhearted.” Tham’s voice cracked and his eyes shut.

Rowan stepped away.

I caught the warmth of Tham’s tears on my finger and eased down beside him. “Tham, don’t go. Don’t leave me. Please. There’s so much happening here. I need you. You’re the only one who loves me unconditionally.”

Tham fought to swallow and coughed blood. “Promise me, neelan.”

“Anything.” I raised our joined hands and kissed his knuckles. “Anything you want.”

He choked again and I wiped the bloody spittle from his mouth. “Treat life as an occasion. Rise to it . . . no matter what anyone thinks.”