Page 60 of Broken Souls

His eyes dart to my lap. His nostrils flare as he breathes in, and for a moment, I pray that he has the ability to smell blood, to smell that I am with child just like Antonio can, even if that makes him a hybrid.

An abomination.

I will love him still as long as he saves our child.

“Please.”

He walks towards me.

“Please.”

He bends down and picks up the knife.

My heart jumps into my throat.

“Spread your legs,” he says as he approaches, and I start to, only to instantly stop. I can’t do that. Can’t risk that being the final act needed to kill our child.

“I can’t,” I rasp. “Please just check.”

He stops in front of me. My blood drips off the knife. My hands are so damn painful, and every nerve in my body is erupting with the urge to flee, to get away from the monster who’s been hurting me.

But I lock my thighs together and lift my chin. He bends down in front of me, hikes up my dress rather than going down through the hole Antonio made in the middle of it. My legs tremble at the feel of his touch on them. His eyes give nothing away as he traces his fingers along my skin. He pushes up to the V of my thighs before pulling back. He lifts his hand to his face. There’s blood there, a lot of it, and I cry out, terrified that that is all I’ll ever see of our child.

“Get Sau,” I cry. “Please get Sau.”

He stares at his fingers, his face going pale. “Micha…”

“Go!”

He jerks away from me.

“Go!” I scream, throwing every last part of me into that word. All my prayers. All my hopes. My fears. My trust that he will do this for me. That he won’t just leave me here to bleed out with our child even if he thinks I’m the traitor.

My head sagging forward as he leaves, I close my eyes.

Please…I beg as I squeeze my thighs together.

Please don’t let me lose him.

Twenty-Three

HIM

She’s a fucking whore.

She kissed Antonio.

The child probably isn’t mine.

It might not even exist at all.

I stop, only three steps from Mother’s room, my thoughts whirling, my jaw tightening. Micha could simply be on her period and is using it to get me out of the room so she can make her escape. When was the last time she bled?

Sixteen days ago. Periods can occur that close together, but you can’t bleed while pregnant.

My lips tight, I spin on my heels and stride back to the room before she can make her escape. Her sobs aren’t as loud now, aren’t as dramatic, and I curse myself for falling for her –

“Varius!” I turn at the sound of Mother’s voice behind me.