Page 44 of Symphony for Lies (Tangled Truths #2)

I slammed my fist against the window frame, my world cracking apart.

How the fuck do I get her out of there? How the fuck do I help her?

I collapsed to my knees, my pulse wild and erratic.

All I wanted, all I needed, was to tear into that labyrinth and rip it apart with my bare hands.

But I’d only make everything worse.

“I don’t see him. He has to be somewhere. Maybe in the trees?”

None of that mattered.

None of that fucking mattered.

We needed to get Amelia out of there. But if I called out, Watson would know exactly where she was. He’d catch her before I could even get close.

If only there was a way to send her a message… something only she would understand.

Something—

My violin.

Our secret language. I had taught her. Showed her my way of speaking through music.

“Stay here, Spencer!”

He grabbed my arm. “What the hell are you doing?! You know you can’t go in there!”

I wrenched free and met his eyes with unyielding determination.“I won’t go in. But I’m going to lead her out.”

His brow furrowed.

I pulled out my phone and dialed his number.“You’ll watch her and tell me where she needs to go. And I’ll guide her with my music.”

His eyes widened.

“Please,” I begged. “This is all I can do.”

He released me.“Okay. But be careful.”

I ran.There was no time to waste.

Blood roared in my ears, my heart a war drum pounding against my chest.

My violin was always in my car. That fucking instrument.

I threw the trunk open, and my fingers trembled as I grabbed the case.

“Hold on, Amelia. I’m coming.”

I sprinted toward the labyrinth’s entrance.

Everything was still. Too still.

Not even the wind moved. Only the sound of my own erratic breathing filled the air.

I switched my phone to speaker.“Ready.”

“She needs to go right,” Spencer said.

I took a deep breath.

Lifted my violin.“Amelia. My love, please, please hear me. Please understand.”

I began.

The soft, haunting melody sliced through the silence, weaving through the towering hedges, wrapping around the night like a whispered secret.

I played the note again, praying she could hear me. Praying she would understand.

An eternity passed.

Spencer was quiet.

And then.

“She’s moving … She got it!”

My heart slammed.

Of course, she did. Of course, she fucking did. That’s my Amelia, my brilliant, beautiful woman.

“ She needs to go right again.”

I let the notes flow louder and clearer. My fingers burned against the strings, but I didn’t stop.

“ Straight, then left.”

I sharpened the rhythm and poured everything into it— desperation, urgency, love.

“ Shit!” Spencer hissed. “ I think Watson understands, too.”

Blood dripped from my fingers.

No.

Not now. Please.

“ She ’ s ahead of him. She just needs to run faster. Now left.”

I played faster. Harder. A string snapped.

It whipped against my face, slicing through my skin. I didn’t stop.

“She just needs to make one more turn left and then go straight! She’ll see the exit … Fuck! He got her.”

The world collapsed.

My chest caved in.

“ But she ’ s fighting—”

Static. The call dropped.

“Spencer?”

No answer.

My battery wasn’t dead. He had hung up. Or… Fuck!

Panic overrode me, and my legs moved on their own.

No.

I couldn’t go in there.

I wasn’t allowed to.

FUCK!

I lifted the violin again.

I had to keep playing.

She just needed one more turn. One more step.

“Please, Amelia.”

Fight back. Hear me. Find the way.

“Break free and run to me.”

I played, each note trembling with agony, echoing through the cold night.

“Please.” I hissed. “Please.’’

It felt like my heart was bleeding out with every second that passed. My vision was blurry. The sounds of the violin vibrated through my body just as loud as my pounding heart.

But then I saw movement, and a figure staggered out of the labyrinth’s entrance.

For a brief moment, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, but then I saw her.

Amelia.

My body reacted before my mind could catch up.

The violin slipped from my hands and crashed onto the pavement, shattering into two broken halves.

I didn’t care.I ran to her.

My vision tunneled until all I could see was her.

She could barely walk.

Her steps were weak and unsteady, and her body swayed as if she would collapse at any moment.

But I was there to catch her before she hit the ground, dropping to my knees with her in my arms, holding her tight while moving away from the damn labyrinth.

“Amelia. Amelia.”

My voice was broken.

She is here.

She is here.

But she was barely holding on.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. Her voice was fragile, like shattered glass.

“Shh.” I pressed my lips to her temple and cheek, my arms tightening around her as if I could stop the pieces from falling apart.“Don’t you dare apologize.”

I smoothed my hands down her trembling arms. Her skin was like ice.

There was something warm. Wet.

My breath caught in my throat as I lifted my hand.

Bright red blood.

No…

I barely had time to register the horror slamming into me before my eyes dropped to her stomach andthe deep, gaping wound in it.

Blood poured out, staining her dress. Bleeding out.

The world ceased to exist.

“No…” My voice was hoarse, barely more than a broken br eath.“No, no, no. Fuck! No!”

I pressed my palm to the wound, desperate to stop the bleeding, but the warmth only spread.

More blood.

Too much.

Too fucking much.

“Hold on, baby. Please, hold on.”

Tears burned in my eyes, hot and blinding, as I kissed her forehead, cheeks, and lips. I dropped more frantic, trembling kisses as if I could breathe life back into her.

She was so cold.

“Stay with me,” I pleaded.“Stay-’’

There was a deafening explosion, and the earth shook.

A shockwave ripped through the night, knocking us off balance and hitting me like a sucker punch.

Smoke.

Flames.

Suffocating heat.

I wrapped myself around Amelia, shielding her and holding her so tight I could barely breathe, as everything behind us went up in fire.