Page 38 of Sophie’s Ruin (Crimson and Shadows #2)

My upper lip curled as I said, my voice dripping with disdain, “That light was extinguished when the clans captured you. And to be honest, I don’t mind.

It would be a hindrance to what I need to do.

I don’t need the light. I only need the darkness.

Perhaps you’re right, and it’s trying to consume me, but I won’t let it. I’m in control.”

Henry’s taut features softened just a fraction as a mix of horror and pity washed over his face. “But darling, you are not in control. Not anymore.”

Yvonne made a choking noise in front of me, snapping my attention back to her. Henry was wrong—I felt in control as I held her worthless life in my hand.

“Let her go,” Henry ordered, coming to stand by my side.

Reluctantly, I dragged my gaze to him.

“Or what? You’re going to make me?” I smirked.

He wouldn’t hurt me, I knew that without a doubt. I still expected him to try to take me down, though. I was prepared for that. I wasn’t prepared for what he did next. His touch was like a brand on my cold skin when he reached up and cupped my cheek.

“I love you,” he said softly but with resolve.

The quiet words rolled through the courtyard like thunder, loud and clear.

The darkness inside me shuddered…before it lashed out.

I threw a punch with my right arm, but Henry blocked it.

I wasn’t worried about losing my grip on Yvonne—my shadows still encircled her throat, much like the collar they’d put on Henry when they’d held him captive.

Pulling my arm back, I went to kick out, but Henry darted out of my reach.

We began a dance, moving like smoke and shadows through the courtyard—two supernatural creatures colliding, stirring the cool night air.

Henry was holding back, and it infuriated me, as I fought with everything I had, slashing my claws and snapping my fangs.

Frustration spiked. As a vampire, Henry was older and stronger than me, and it showed.

He kept caging me in, hauling me to his powerful body, or pinning me down to the ground, all in an attempt to get in my face and talk to me, to make me hear reason.

He was doing so right now, his face mere inches from mine.

I was pinned to the ground, and he was kneeling beside me, his broad hand on my neck to hold me in place as gently as he could.

His blue-black gaze flicked over me, taking in all the nicks and bruises from us exchanging blows.

His expression turned pained before his gaze returned to my face.

It was clear he hated hurting me. I hated being so weak that he could hurt me.

I needed my magic. I hadn’t used it until now because it was still preoccupied with Yvonne, holding her in its tight grip.

You also didn’t want to hurt him, the tiny voice was back inside my head.

I snarled, thrashing under Henry’s hold.

“Sophie, please,” he bit out, anguish in his voice. “You have to stop. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Hurt me?” I snarled. “I’m going to hurt you!”

I summoned my shadows. Like whips, they snapped from Yvonne and began hurling toward me. As soon as they let go, Yvonne crumpled to the ground, fighting for breath, blood dripping from the wounds she’d inflicted on herself.

The shadows wrapped around Henry, and I watched his eyes widen in shock a second before he was dragged to the side and slammed into the ground.

Once his hand had left my throat, I swiftly jumped to my feet.

Henry didn’t stay down for long, popping back up and rushing toward me.

He jerked to a stop inches away from me, his lips parting as a low, wheezing sound escaped.

Our eyes locked and held, and there was so much in his gaze.

Shock, dismay, longing, love…sorrow. Slowly, his gaze lowered, and I followed it down to his chest, to where my claws had sunk in so deep that my fingers were buried in his rib cage.

His heart beat against my palm as if my fingers were wrapped around the organ.

They weren’t, but I held his life in my hand, nonetheless.

Black magic slithered down my arm, pumping into Henry’s body, boiling the blood in his veins and shattering his bones.

Suddenly, the veil of darkness lifted, and I realized what I was doing.

I was hurting him. I was…killing him. With a sharp gasp, I pulled my hand back, my fingers leaving his chest with a sickening sound.

Henry gasped, too, and went to drop to the ground, but I held him up, bringing him flush with me, the blood from his wound soaking into my tunic.

His face was so close that we shared a breath.

“No, no, no,” I whispered over and over again, as if the word were a chant, an incantation to turn back time, to undo what I’d done.

My shadows swirled around me, but they were no help—they couldn’t take me back. Tears welled and spilled, burning as they rushed down my face. I wondered if they were black like tar. Black like my magic…like my soul.

“It will be okay,” Henry whispered, blood bubbling up and spilling from his mouth, painting his perfect lips crimson.

It felt like I was bleeding with him. I was drowning in blood, choking on it, as my heart ruptured into a million pieces. Terror seized me as I stared into his dulling blue eyes, seeing my own demise. Life was bleeding out of him, and without him, I would cease to exist.

“I love you,” Henry said, barely above a whisper, or maybe I only thought he did.

A keening, mournful sound tore from my throat as I slid to the ground with him a dead weight in my arms.

Darkness surrounded me. I was standing in the middle of it, completely and utterly alone. Only this time, it wasn’t a dream. It was my reality.