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Why would he care what happens to Eli?

The Centress cocks her head stiffly to the side as she watches their interaction. She prowls toward Kelter and wipes away an escaped tear, lost among the raindrops. “You have a second chance at life, young man. All you have to do to save yours is take his.” She rolls her head to Eli.

“No!” This wasn’t the plan…I had no plan. I wanted to delay. I needed their throats released.

“I-I can’t.” Kelter blinks rapidly, wet lashes fluttering up and down.

“I’ll make it easy for you. The guard will hold him, and all you have to do is take his life.” She gently takes Kelter’s hand in hers and turns it palm up. “I know you well now. You’re stronger than you think.” She traces a crease to his wrist and sets the knife in his hand. “Be smart with this and do what I asked. You wouldn’t want anything to happen to Everielle, would you?”

Chapter

Fifty-Five

Kelter closes his trembling hand around the wet handle. Those green-and-gold eyes flick up to me.

“You can’t ask him to do that, you twisted bitch.” I can barely find the breath to speak. He didn’t grow up like the children here. He’s not likethem.

“Oh…” Sugar coats the Centress’ tongue. “So sorry, love. Did you want to do it?”

I try to tear myself from Jace’s grasp again, pointlessly charging toward them, but I’m locked in place. “No,please. Don’t make him do this. I’ll do anything. Don’t hurt them.”

She smiles. She actually smiles at me, breaking her porcelain face in the process. “That’s right. You will. I’ll have your essenceby taking all your memories, and after, you’ll love me as your mother. You’ll have the family you always wanted.”

Each person in the courtyard tenses, disbelief all around, but Kelter’s frantic eyes, fixed on me, must be the widest of them all.

“But first,” the Centress continues, “I’ll make it clear that I don’t allow anyone to disobey me—and live.”

Rayde shoves Eli a step closer to Kelter, wrenching his arms behind his back. Kelter looks my way, desperation carved into his drenched face, his body weak and overcome with shallow breaths.

“Don’t do it, Kelter,” I say.

“Go ahead. You know you failed to protect her. Now is your chance.” She can hardly contain herself, her soft words settling over Kelter as she massages the rain into her anxious hands.

Kelter’s eyes drift shut. He bites his lower lip. His shoulders rise and fall, the white shirt now stuck to his body, every rib showing, every breath forcing him to face reality.

Talk to me, Kelter. Tell me you’re in there.

He opens his eyes and looks at me again, as if he heard me. I swear he begs me to go back in time and fix all of this. I know salty tears must be finding their way out those hazel eyes and down his cheeks with the rain, even if I can’t see them anymore. The wind hits my face as hard as the panic and pain.

“Don’t let her make you like one of them,” I say.You’re different. You’re gentle.I don’t know what I expect him to do, how to get out of it, but he can’t do this. He won’t.

Eli blinks at Kelter, his face hard but almost relaxed. If he’s scared, if he’s silently begging him to throw the knife aside like I am, it doesn’t show.

Kelter swallows, slow and forced, as though the blade were lodged in his own throat. The look on his face says the same. “I don’t have a choice, Ever. She’ll hurt you if I don’t do it, thenshe’ll take me from you—and you need me.” Arm shaking, he raises the knife.

I need both of you.

Another vision takes me, my exhausted mind barely holding on, falling further into itself.

The Centress has Eli frozen on his back as she licks down his neck with the long, slender tongue of a reptile, making figure eights across his chest and pausing at his nipple. Her tongue becomes a dagger, and she drives it into his heart. It fades to soft pink again, and she slurps and laps the oozing black blood from his chest until he’s clean.

Dizzy, my head imploding and my senses on fire, I’m unable to push the bloody scene from my mind even after it ends.

Eli’s jaw shifts back and forth. I feel him looking at me, but I don’t let my gaze meet the dark caves of his eyes—I might fall in. I lock my stare onto Kelter, but from the edges of my vision I see Eli tilt his head back, exposing his neck in defiant acceptance of his fate.

No. This can’t be happening.

“Please Kelt, no, no…”