Page 71 of Bound By Crimson

Chapter Seventy-One

Legacy and Lineage

Darkness swallowed her whole.

The last thing Lyric remembered was screaming—screaming so loud her own voice cracked—then the world slipped sideways, and the pain dragged her under.

She came to slowly.

The pain was still there—sharp, low, but no longer pulsing. Just a dull reminder. Her limbs felt heavy. Her throat was raw. She was clean. Her nightgown was different. The sheets beneath her were fresh.

Someone had tended to her.

She turned her head, vision blurry.

Tessa sat beside the bed, eyes closed, hands folded in her lap like she was praying.

“Tessa…” Lyric’s voice was barely a whisper.

The maid startled upright, her eyes wide. “Oh—oh, you’re awake! That’s… good. You’re awake.” She stood too fast, backing toward the door. “I’ll—I’ll get you something to eat.”

Lyric reached out weakly. “No—wait—Tessa. Where’s my baby?”

Tessa froze.

A flicker of panic. Of guilt .

“I’ll bring you some soup,” she said softly. “You need your strength.”

“Tessa. Please. Just tell me if he’s okay. Let me see him—”

Tessa’s eyes brimmed.

“I’m sorry.”

Then she stepped out and locked the door behind her.

Lyric passed out again.

---

The second time she woke, Tessa had returned.

She placed a tray on the table—soup, dry toast, a glass of water—and carefully sat beside her again.

“You need to eat,” she said gently. “Please.”

Lyric was starving. Her whole body trembled with hunger.

She let Tessa help her sit up and slowly brought the spoon to her lips.

It burned.

It was the best thing she’d ever tasted.

But the ache in her chest didn’t fade.

She was only eating because she had to.

Because she had to be strong.

Because she had to get to him.

The door opened.

Editha.

She swept in like royalty—black blouse, pearl earrings, calm as ever.

“I heard you finally woke up,” she said with a smile.

Lyric stiffened.

Editha stepped to the end of the bed and clasped her hands like she was admiring a painting.

“You gave birth to a beautiful baby boy,” she said sweetly. “Strong Thornwick genes. You should be proud.”

Lyric’s voice was fragile. “Where is he?”

Editha tilted her head. “He’s being well cared for. Edwin is resting peacefully.”

Lyric’s lips parted. “His name is Noah. ”

“No,” Editha corrected, “his name is Edwin. A proper Thornwick name. He’ll carry the legacy now.”

Lyric’s jaw tightened. “Let me see him.”

Editha’s smile widened. “You’re still so weak. Look at you. Barely sitting up. Can’t even feed yourself. And you think you’re in a state to raise a child?”

Lyric’s hand clenched the blanket.

“I said I want to see him.”

Editha laughed. “You poor thing. I warned you. You weren’t ready for motherhood. You’re not strong. Not like the Thornwick women. You’re just a carrier. A womb.”

Lyric’s body shook. “You’re sick.”

Editha raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“I know what you did,” Lyric snapped. Her voice shredded as it rose. “I know who I am. I know who you are.”

Tessa froze.

Editha didn’t move.

“I know about my mother—Eden. I know you’re my grandmother.”

Tessa gasped, her eyes wide—not with surprise, but something closer to fear.

“And Malachai…” Lyric’s voice cracked, tears spilling down her cheeks. “He’s… my uncle .”

The words burned on her tongue.

She tasted salt, shame and fury.

Tessa turned and slipped silently through the door.

It clicked shut behind her.

Editha smirked. “Are you done?”

Lyric opened her mouth but couldn’t form words. Her throat felt thick. Her pulse thundered.

Editha sighed, brushing imaginary lint from her sleeve. Then she straightened, as if preparing a speech.

“Your mother was a vile girl,” she said calmly. “My own daughter. And still—she had no respect for this family, or what we were trying to preserve. She turned on us. Tried to poison Malachai against his duty.”

Lyric’s voice trembled. “Malachai’s duty?”

Editha’s eyes brightened. “Yes. Preserving the bloodline. ”

She turned toward the window, speaking as if reciting scripture.

“For centuries—since before we arrived from Europe—our family has kept itself intact. Clean. Strong. We don’t marry out. We don’t bring in weakness. We don’t dilute.”

She turned back, smiling like it was something beautiful.

“I searched for you for years. I overturned cities. I clawed through records and ledgers and orphan files. When I finally found you…”

Her smile deepened.

“I gave Malachai one task. To bring you back. You belong to us. Your mother tried to hide you.”

Lyric recoiled. “ You made him seduce me ?”

Editha scoffed. “He didn’t have to. You welcomed him with open arms. Like a good little girl with no sense of who she is.”

Lyric’s mouth parted. “You… You planned this.”

“You planned this,” Editha repeated mockingly. “You chose this. Your weakness led you here.”

She stepped closer.

“You should be grateful. You were given a place in something sacred. You should have complied. And now? Now you’ve proven you can’t be trusted.”

Lyric’s stomach dropped.

“I won’t let you raise Edwin.”

Lyric’s voice fractured. “His name is Noah—”

“His name is Edwin,” Editha snapped. “He will be raised like a Thornwick. Strong. Controlled. Without your hand.”

She turned, one hand resting lightly on the doorknob.

“You had your chance. You could’ve had everything. But now you’ll have nothing.”

The door shut.

The lock clicked into place.

Lyric sat frozen in the silence, her body still weak, but her rage rising like fire in her blood .

They took her baby.

They stole her name.

They rewrote her life.

They can do what they want to me. But they will never take my son!