Chapter 343. Collateral Damage II

Chapter 343: 343. Collateral Damage II

Maisie

Fury lit my blood. "Tessa didn’t try to kill me. Tessa killed me. And our baby. And you didn’t put her in chains! No! You’re marrying her for it! You are a hypocrite! Phillip has done more for me than you ever have!"

It wasn’t fair. The words were venomous, cruel, and I hated them the second they tore past my lips.

Mercer froze. He stared at me in the dead, echoing silence that followed.

"I’m sorry," I breathed, my voice breaking. "I didn’t mean that."

Mercer’s head dropped, his shoulders slumping with an invisible weight. He ran his hand down his lapel, the bruised digits trembling slightly. "No. You are right. I am a hypocrite." His jaw clenched, and his eyes snagged the necklace I had around my neck. His. "I dug myself into that hole. This is my fault."

"Mercer—"

"I told her I couldn’t do it," he whispered, his fingers curling into tight fists.

I stilled. "W-what?"

His lifted his head and the fierceness in his eyes stole my breath away. "I thought about what you said. Giving up without seeing it through. I thought it would be the worst kind of death, knowing I could’ve had this, you, and I threw it all away because I was... frightened. But I should’ve known better."

He dragged both hands through his hair, messing the red strands. "I told her I wouldn’t do it. I broke it off. I thought whatever the consequence might be, we could brace it, if were together. I thought I could be... brave. I thought I could fight this with you." He laughed bitterly, humorlessly. "She tried to put me in a cage, wild cat."

Horror struck me, but he wasn’t done. His eyes were distant. "I’ve known her all my life. She always gets what she wants. Everything bends and succumbs to her will. She told me I would be back home soon. She told me I’d be back in time for dinner. She’d make my favorite. She doesn’t even know what I like. I thought she was rambling."

His eyes finally rose to mine. "Your attack wasn’t a coincidence. This was her response, her message to me. She doesn’t care what happens to the others anymore, if it means getting rid of you. Soren is... straight as an arrow, unable to be bent. Jericho doesn’t give his loyalty easily, and once he does, it is to death. Quinlan is his own man. She can no sooner make them cave to her demands than she can bend stone, and she knows this. Which is why she now considers them collateral damage. More ammunition against me."

"No," I whispered, fear sliding through me. This was headed somewhere. And I didn’t like where it was going. "Whatever it is you want to say, don’t."

He exhaled, gathering himself in a single inhale. "I came because I missed you. I came because I had to see you before..." His demeanor shifted to one of determination. "Lord and Lady Graham will be at the dinner tonight. To discuss moving up the mating rite. A fortnight."

I closed my eyes, holding back tears. "You’re leaving. Again."

"I won’t risk you."

I nodded in understanding, anger at the situation, hatred for Lysandra, exhaustion at everything clogging up my throat until I couldn’t breathe anymore. "Mercer?" I whispered, eyes still shut.

"Maisie."

"Get out."

I heard his sharp, ragged exhale. The heavy rustle of his jacket. The soft scrape of his boots turning toward the door. I refused to open my eyes to watch him walk away, but the tears escaped from somewhere, anyway.

I didn’t hear the door shut, but I heard the approaching footsteps, felt his warmth before his thumb brushed the tear away from the side of my face.

I choked on a silent sob I felt him lean over, and his lips brushed my forehead. "Know that I love you. And you’re the most precious thing to me in the world."

My eyes slid open, my hand reaching to touch him, but he was already across the room, footsteps silent as he pulled the door open and paused.

Regina and Juliette were holding Jenny’s wheel chair. They were staring at both of us, wide eyed. They’d probably heard the whole thing.

My eyes watered as Mercer ducked his head. "Braxton. Park. Julie," he said in manner of greeting, nodding at each of them. And then, he stepped out into the hallway, and he was gone.

The silence that followed was deafening. My chest hitched once, twice, and then the dam broke entirely.

A cry tore from my throat as I curled into myself, shaking violently as the grief swallowed me whole.

Warm arms were wrapping around me, Regina scrambling onto the bed, her face burying into my neck as she rocked me back and forth. Juliette was there too, sliding her arms around my waist, while Jenny squeezed my fingers tightly.

They held onto me as I tightly as I did them. They didn’t say a single word of empty comfort, and I was grateful for it. I didn’t think I could take it if one more person lied to me and told me it would be okay.

****

I slipped out of bed, pulling the covers over Juliette and Regina, who were fast asleep. I looked over Regina a little longer, worried at the bandage peeking out from under her shirt.

She had said it was nothing but a slight scrape, but I thought she smelled a little different. Like crackling embers. And when I’d tried to peek at it, she’d gotten pretty defensive and slapped my fingers off.

Jenny was lying on the couch, because the bed hadn’t been big enough to fit all four of us. The nurses had had a feat when they found us all huddled in my room, but upon hearing the name Black, they’d offered us blankets instead, and told Jenny was safe to take a nap now.

We’d spoke about... everything--well, except Gruer. Juliette wasn’t ready to speak on that yet, and that much was obvious when she kept whenever the topic of demons came up. Though, I didn’t doubt she was going to find me later and rip me a new one for hiding things from her.

Can’t wait.

Our conversation was long overdue and there had been a lot of yelling and crying and murderous screaming, but somehow, we’d gotten over it.

I flicked the switch, eyes lingering on Jenny for a moment. She had been trembling with rage when I told her about Lyon. She’d promised me she wouldn’t do anything stupid, but I didn’t know what to expect when next she got within five feet of Tessa.

Or what her parents would do when she informed them of the truth, too. They couldn’t do much, not against the Lycan Queen or a family as powerful as the Grahams, but at least, they deserved to know.

Sighing, I slipped out of the room in the soft flip-flops, going down the hallway to find Quinlan’s room.