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“I will not share you like what we did was meaningless—evenifyou seem to think so.”

I want to throttle this man. “Who I have sex with is not your decision to make.”

“I will not share you!” he roars. “Even if that means chaining you to me, I will not!”

“And I will not marry your crazy ass!” I shout back at him. “Even if that means being hogtied and dragged behind your stupid horse for the rest of my life!”

His grip tightens. “Don’t tempt me, human.”

“And stop calling mehuman!” I add, heatedly. “I have a name!”

“One I only like to use when I’m overly-fond of you, which I’m not right now.”

“Big surprise, Captain Obvious. I’m not too fond of you either.”

He seethes behind me.

“Fine,” he says after several seconds. “I will not marry you today. But this discussion isn’t over.”

“The hell it’s not!” I need to hit something.

We ride in silence after that. Thank fuck.

Ugh. Stop with thatword.

Chapter 40

We’ve only traveleda kilometer or so past the church when I hear the gun blast.

I don’t have time to think about the fact that the horseman must’ve stopped riding ahead at night. I jolt just as the air stirs violently next to my left temple. In the next instant, Pestilence’s body whips back, his hold on me slackening even as his blood mists against my skin.

Someone shot my horseman.Oh God, someone shot him.

I swivel in the saddle. “Pestilence?”

His body sways, and I have to catch him to keep the horseman from sliding off his steed.

Pestilence’s head rocks forward, and I see the blood, the blood and—

Oh God, oh God, oh God. Where the left side of his face should be, now there’s only a mangled crater.

Going to sick myself …

His blood is dripping everywhere. So much blood.

People in gas masks begin circling us. Trixie rears up, pawing at the air. I scream when I feel the horseman slip through my clutches. He falls off the saddle behind me, hitting the ground with a dull, wet thump. At the sound, I nearly lose the breakfast Pestilence made for me.

I stare down at his prone,lifelessbody, unable to rip my eyes away.

“It’s alright, he’s gone.”

“He can’t harm you anymore.”

The townspeople’s words are faint and distorted behind their masks. They’re coming closer, looking strange and sinister.

Theyhurthim.

Coming to the side of Trixie, they forcibly remove me from the horse. I lunge for Pestilence, only to have them pull me away.