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Under the cover of night, I transport Tom’s body to a funeral home and compel them to call the family tomorrow to tell them there was a tragic accident and the body can’t be seen because of said accident. Suspicious? Yes, but they deserve a proper goodbye. No one should have to see their loved one like this. I’m used to this kind of carnage and even I’m upset by the sight of it. Thinking of how scared he must’ve been in his final moments fills me with rage all over again.

The last thing I compel them to do is to send all bills to me.

I leave the funeral home once I’m certain everything is taken care of, and I won’t be remembered, and return to the restaurant. I look over my work to make sure nothing is out of place. Our chess board catches my eye, and I gulp at the pieces we’ll never move against each other again. No more jokes cracked, no more shouting, and no more Tom.

My eyes narrow in, realizing a piece is missing. Weird.

I had known one day Tom would die and I’d go on living, but I never expected it to be like this.

A part of me crumbles and I get a peek into the human part of myself I thought I’d lost a long time ago.

CHAPTER 46

CELINE

I’m once again sitting, eyes closed, in the dank corner of my cell, wondering how long I’ve been down here. Without much food, water, and proper rest, weakness is setting in. A few times I’ve woken up to bits of old bread and a tiny dish of water in front of my cell but it’s not much at all. Valen sits in his typical spot shrouded in darkness. I still can’t figure him out and he doesn’t help with his one-word answers, but I feel bad for him.

We’ve tried to formulate a plan and different scenarios for escape, but I can tell he’s nervous to hope. How many times has he attempted to get out to no avail? I’ve been feeding him along and I can tell he’s getting stronger. His color is warmer, his cheeks a little pinker.

The familiar sound of a door slam echoes through the room and whoever is headed our way is on a war path. Aggressive footsteps thud and I don’t have to wait long before I know who it is.

“Miss me?” Genevieve sits crisscross applesauce in front of my cell and flicks something at me. It bounces off the floor and rolls to my feet.

Fumbling with my hand in front of me I locate the item and hold it up to see what it is. Genevieve watches with a sadistic gleam in her eye, such a stark contrast to her vampiric beauty.

“A chess piece?” I feel the ridges and bumps of the queen piece.

She smirks, eyes flashing with danger. “I told Zavier what would happen if he didn’t listen, and he’s defied me at every turn. Something had to give.” She shrugs like our conversation is trivial. “Maybe now he’ll take me seriously.”

My hand closes around the chess piece, my eyes narrowing in concentration.

Chess? Zav?

Tom!

Oh my God, Tom!

“Oh my God.” I realize exactly what she’s getting at. “What did you do?”

She purses her lips in a mocking form of a pout and makes a clucking sound like she’s trying to console me when I know that’s the furthest thing from the truth. “What I had to, Celine. I know your puny pathetic human brain can’t understand, but Zavier is just playing hard to get. I needed to return the favor in kind.” She smirks victoriously and brushes back an invisible strand of perfectly smooth hair.

“You hurt Tom?” I choke out in horror. A few flecks of dried blood flake off when I rub the chess piece and I fear she’s done much more than that.

“I killed him,” she confirms my fears. She giggles and it’s like a knife to my heart. The sound is shrill, pure evil.

No!

I press my lips in a firm line, trying to keep my face as neutral as possible because I know a reaction is exactly what she’s searching for, and I won’t dare give her the satisfaction of receiving one.

Poor Zav, though.

I can’t even imagine the pain he must be in losing his only friend. He must be falling apart between trying to find me and now this, that is if he’s not stuck here too. Rage coils in my belly and a spark ignites, my temper getting the best of me.

“Fucking monster!” I throw the piece at her even though it’s no real threat to an immortal like her. “Zav will never be with you. He lovesme,and I’d rather die than let you use me as a pawn over him.”

An animalistic sound comes out of Genevieve and before I can blink, she’s inside my cell forcing me onto my back with a hand around my throat. She snarls and bares her fangs dangerously close to my fluttering pulse.

Fear holds me hostage. I know deep down that she could snap me like a twig, and I’d be dead before I knew it.