“Briar.” I let my dark power seep into my voice, urging her to calm. “Briar, it’s Kane. You’re safe, you’re alright.”
She quiets as my shadows slip over her skin and curl around her soothingly. When she calms, her chin quivers. My eyes go wide, and she bursts into sobs, so intense her entire body heaves with the effort. I hold her, unsure of how to respond as she cries. She blabbers incomprehensibly, cheeks soaking with tears. Slowly, she reaches for me, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling herself into my chest. Her slight body is warm, and the pressure is surprisingly pleasant. Hesitantly, I bring my arms around her in a gentle embrace.
“I want to take you back to the castle, are you okay with that?” I ask. She nods against my shoulder and I feel my collar start to grow damp from her tears. “Hang on tight.”
Briar’s world tips upside down as I teleport us back into the castle, into my room. She stiffens and I feel her heart start to beat wildly again with fear. Concern and anger lance through my chest, directly through my black heart. I’ve never seen her so frightened before; not even when I made the mistake of trying to overpower her in the garden. This is different; this is raw, primal fear that will sit like a constant reminder in the back of her mind for the rest of her life. And I hate that. The only one Briar should be afraid of is me.
“What happened?” I ease Briar out of my arms and onto my bed.
She’s been in this room once before, when she first arrived. She looks around now, blinking her swollen eyes slowly as she takes in the space. I see her check that the balcony door is closed and that the lock is in place. She crumples onto my black duvet, bloodied and dirtied feet hanging over the side of the bed. I send a tendril of darkness into the castle to find Willem. Briar’s shoulders shake and she takes deep breaths. Suddenly, she reaches for me, wrapping her hand around mine and clinging to it tightly. I stiffen with surprise. Briar has never touched me of her own accord, not that I ever wanted her to. But with her fear so palpable, I understand it doesn’t mean anything. She’s simply a lost mortal looking for comfort.
“Briar, I need to know what happened,” I murmur, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
“I woke up in a small room,” she whispers. Her voice is small, tinny, and trembling. “I was strapped down. This man—Nephilim—came in. And he said he wanted to have a mortal soul and that he would take his time leeching it out of me.”
My body courses with heat as I narrow my eyes angrily. The fucking Nephilim from the interviews revealed Briar to the rogue. They lied to me. And I put her in danger. I feel my fangs elongate and nails stretch into claws, pricking at the velvet fabric. “Did he hurt you?” I growl.
Briar freezes, and then her eyes pool with tears again. “Yes.”
“How?” I close my eyes to hide the black pooling out of my irises.
“He hit me,” she whispers. “And then he tasted my soul.”
My eyes fly open, darkness be damned. “How much did he take?”
“I don’t know.” She shudders. “I think only a little. I felt cold—so cold. He left after that, saying he would come back for another taste later. So, I ran. And I know he was chasing me.”
I tear my hand out of her grip and dig my claws into the wooden bedpost. Fury thrums in my veins. I want to tear through the city until I find this Nephilim. And then I want to level him with my darkness and flay him. I'll hang his corpse from the castle walls and drain his blood. I'll make an example of him. Suddenly, the door flies open and Willem strides into the room. I snarl at him, baring my fangs. He halts mid-step, eyes darting from me to Briar. I ease in front of her, blocking my bride from view.
“Call off the search for Briar,” I growl, voice rough. “But I want every guard in this city hunting down the rogue Nephilim. Whatever it takes.”
“What happened?” Willem’s lips pinch together at the sight of me so consumed by my darker nature.
“Get out,” I murmur as his eyes fall on Briar. He doesn’t move. “Go!”
Willem is gone in an instant, the door clicking shut softly behind him. I take a deep, shuddering breath, trying to calm myself. I don’t want to frighten Briar. Slowly, I regain control of myself. My fangs and claws recede and I feel my eyes return to normal. My shoulders sag and I turn towards her. She doesn’t shrink away from me and I can’t sense her fear. She stares morosely, brows furrowed.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur. The words taste like bile.
“It’s okay,” she says quietly.
“It’s not.” I rub my hand over my jaw and sigh. Why is it that I’m only now developing a conscious?
Briar moves towards me slowly, crawling across the bed. She pauses a foot away, eyes locked on me. “Thank you for saving me.” Her voice cracks. “If you hadn’t…”
“Don’t,” I say quietly, brushing her tangled hair back. “Don’t think about it.”
She nods, biting her bottom lip. I know the words are useless. I can't stop her from reliving the frightening experience and I know it will plague her dreams tonight and for many nights to come. My fingers trail down her cheek, and she leans into my touch. She sighs, shoulders relaxing, as I caress her cheek. Our eyes meet and I hear her heart flutter. The sound makes my own heart stumble and I tug my hand back, frowning.
“I have to go,” I say, rising. “Stay
