Final Chapter: Alice’s Stigma
Final Chapter: Alice’s Stigma
THE Liddell family invites you to a midnight tea party hosted inside the Right Honorable Earl Knightley’s Hall of Mirrors.
Our whole family is eager to greet you, so we hope to see you there.
With love,
Alice Liddell
I had just written the first formal invitation of my life. Hisui was in charge of delivering the invites while I focused on putting together an outfit.
The guest room I was given had a calming atmosphere, complete with rose-pink curtains and matching carpet. A young maid who looked to be about my age was helping me get dressed.
“Your Ladyship, all these pieces are yours to choose from.”
“Oh my…!”
She showed me to the walk-in closet, where I was met with a breathtaking sight. The small room was lined with metal rods that held a surprising number of brightly colored dresses.
Each one had been procured by Dark just for me. He told me I would need an appropriate outfit if I was to take on the role of party host.
From beautiful turquoise tiered dresses to flared skirts lined with vivid green flowers, and even bustles speckled with pink flowers across the fabric. Each dress was made with finely tailored designs and gorgeous colors that caught the eye.
I couldn’t believe Dark had managed to gather so many dresses in such a short period of time. I scanned each piece with my eyes and stopped at the very back of the closet.
From behind a voluminous red dress, I caught a glimpse of dark tulle lace. I pulled it out to reveal a jet-black dress studded with pearls of varying size.
“It’s beautiful.”
I was taken with it at first sight, but the maid’s expression stiffened just a little.
“My lady, might I suggest a brighter color, more fitting for a young woman of your age?”
“This is the one I want. Will you help me put it on?”
“Of course, my lady.”
She tightened my corset and helped me into the dress. Once it was properly settled around my body, I could see that both the length and size were the perfect fit for me.
I sat down at the vanity and began to put on my gloves when I heard a quiet knock from the other end of the room. The maid rushed to the door and sounded surprised to see the person on the other side.
“Her Ladyship is not finished dressing yet!”
“Then I’ll come back later.”
I managed to overhear his familiar voice, so I leaned toward the door and called out to him. “All I’m missing is my choker. You can come in, Dark.”
He entered the room and broke out into a fond smile when he laid eyes on my outfit. “I see you’ve chosen a black dress. Somehow, I’m not surprised.”
“Is there a more fitting color for someone who works from the shadows?”
“It’s not just about your work. It suits you as a person too. You look beautiful.”
Dark placed a circular red box on my lap.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a present. Open it up and see.”
I untied the ribbon and lifted the lid to reveal a bow-shaped headdress tucked inside. The fabric had been folded over many times to form a beautiful array of hanging drapes.
It was a lovely shape, but I was particularly taken with the color. The fabric was the same shade of black as my dress.
“Dark, did you know I would choose a black dress?”
“You think I wouldn’t be well acquainted with the tastes of my favorite young lady? I’m still an English gentleman, after all.”
He lifted the headdress from the box, fastened it into my hair, and smoothed the strands down with his fingers. I stared at my reflection in the mirror.
The ribbons on my head, the low-cut dress around my body, my lacy gloves, and even the jeweled heels on my feet were all the same color of black. My red hair was as vivid as poison, and my crimson eyes burned with a thirst for revenge.
I was clad in the colors of blood and shadow. It was a fitting palette for the head of the Liddell family.
There was only one thing in the mirror that didn’t look right. It was the man standing behind me.
“…When we first met, I could tell how different the two of us are. I don’t think anything’s changed in that regard.”
“You’re feeling quite sentimental today, aren’t you?” he said with a laugh from behind me, despite my gloomy tone. “I’d agree that I’m not like you. I’m the crescent moon that hangs above us in the night sky, and you’re the queen of darkness. You would never be within reach of an ordinary man like myself.”
“You’re the moon, and I’m the darkness?”
Dark took my choker from the maid and brushed my hair over my right shoulder. I felt the black strip of fabric wrap around my slim neck.
“That’s right. The moon sinks out of the sky every night, and it’s constantly being erased by the light of the sun. Yet still, darkness can never coexist with light. By definition, it is an endless sea of black in all directions. Such darkness can only be bound by those limitations forever, or be erased by the light… Just thinking about it makes me shudder.”
“You don’t seem very scared to me.”
“Perhaps awe is the right word. It’s a fascination so strong, it inspires fear in the beholder.”
As he tied the strings into a bow, I caught a glimpse of his pained expression in the mirror.
“The moon is inseparable from the darkness. Don’t forget that no matter what happens, I will be by your side.”
Dark gently kissed the choker against my neck. I closed my eyes as I felt the faint warmth of his lips.
I still didn’t know if I was making the right choice.
All I could hope was that our relationship remained unchanged by the time the morning arrived.
♥♥♥
IT was eleven-thirty in the evening when Dark escorted me into the Hall of Mirrors.
A long table was set out in the room, draped in a white cloth and surrounded by eight chairs.
The serving trays were packed with golden scones and chocolate treats cut into the shape of diamonds. Bright, vivid-colored cakes sat atop a three-tiered display.
Chains made of colorful paper lined the walls of mirrors, with bouquets of roses placed under each chain. Shiny ropes adorned the backs of the chairs.
The twins were seated on the ground. When they spotted me, they held up their scissors and glue.
“Alice! Isn’t it cute in here?!” they cried together.
“Yes, it looks lovely.”
The solemn room had been given a steep upgrade of charm thanks to their decorations. Even Dark didn’t hesitate to sing their praises.
“This is just wonderful! Why, the best architects in all of Great Britain couldn’t create such a fine room!”
“They like it!” “They like it!”
Despite the late hour, the two boys were full of energy thanks to an afternoon nap.
Hisui had returned from delivering the invitations. He was curled up with a garbage bin for a pillow, trying to fall asleep.
Jack, with his butler’s uniform askew as always, sat at the table. He was clearly nervous, drawing his sword in and out of the sheath repeatedly. Leeds remained on his feet and chose to focus on fixing the decorations that were starting to come undone.
“Can you all come here for a moment?”
Leeds and the Tweedles approached me in response.
“Alice, we were wondering…” “Alice, we were wondering…”
“Who’s this big guest tonight?” Leeds finished their sentence.
“A very special person. I don’t know what’s going to happen, so let’s not forget our Liddell family customs.”
I patted the twins’ heads. They were unconsciously reaching for the weapons under their jackets. Their deeply ingrained combat instincts would surely be of use to them.
“I don’t want you to forget—no matter who we may face, and no matter what truth comes out tonight, we’re still a family.”
“Of course, our dear Alice.” “Of course, our dear Alice.”
I stuck my pinkie out and the Tweedles wrapped their fingers around mine.
Leeds placed his hand on top of ours. He was looking at me meekly.
“No matter what comes our way, I’ll never leave your side, my lady.”
But one hand wasn’t joining ours, no matter how long we waited.
“Jack?”
I turned to see that Jack was side-eyeing us gloomily from his seat.
“…I still don’t believe it, my lady. To think that the Rose Demon who resurrected us killed all those people…”
“You don’t have to agree with me. I’ll let you decide who ends up on the other end of your blade.”
That was enough to convince him. He rose sluggishly from the chair and placed his hand on top of ours.
Feeling the weight of the four of them, I decided to do something shameless for a girl who owed her life to a demon. I began to pray.
Please, God. Just for tonight, let us receive your blessings.
They pressed their hands down together and let out the same cheer.
“Anything for Alice!”
With that, the party was ready to begin.
♥♥♥
THE clock struck midnight with a loud chime. When the last tone finished ringing, we heard the doors to the hallway open up.
“Well, isn’t this a sight!”
The man led inside by the butler was none other than Bear.
He wore a stylish Italian suit and an ascot instead of the chef’s outfit we were used to seeing him in. As always, his hair was twisted into what resembled a pair of bear’s ears on his head.
“Bear!” “Bear!”
The twins ran in his direction as soon as they spotted our guest.
I held up my dress and curtsied in greeting.
“We’ve been expecting you, Uncle Bear.”
He stepped toward me with a grin spread across his face.
“Alice, I almost didn’t recognize the beautiful woman in front of me. I was so worried when I heard that Leeds and the Tweedles wouldn’t be coming home, but now I see they were busy puttin’ all this together!”
“Indeed. It was our first time organizing a party on our own, so it took up quite a bit of time. Allow me to show you in.”
I accepted the bouquet he carried and glanced at Leeds.
“Bear, please have a seat. We’ve set out a chair just for you.”
Leeds led him to the table where the twins had scrawled out a name tag that read Guest of Honor! Bear lowered his large body into his seat, which positioned him directly opposite from the head chair normally used by Dark.
Jack poured his cup full of hot black tea. I placed the bouquet on the side of the table, approached the head of the table, and gestured toward Dark, who was standing against the wall.
“Uncle Bear, before we begin the party, there’s something I’d like to tell you.”
“Oh? What surprise is it this time?”
Bear looked at me excitedly. I intentionally placed my hand on Dark’s arm for him to see.
“As of yesterday, I am engaged to be married. This is my fiancé, the earl Dark Arland Knightley.”
The mood in the room turned cold as soon as the words were out of my mouth. Bear’s eyes went so wide, I thought they might fall out of his head.
“You’re…engaged…?”
Dark tipped his hat. It was tall and white like a shortcake.
“Please accept my apologies for the sudden announcement. As you are a member of her family, we wanted you to be first to—”
“I won’t allow this!”
Bear slammed his fist on the table, cutting off Dark.
The impact sent the cutlery Jack had laid out scattering all over the table.
“The girl… Alice is the head of the Liddell family! I’ll never let her end up a Knightley!”
“If the family name is so important to you, perhaps you could take over the title of baron? I give you my word that Alice will be happy as my wife. I care about her more than anyone in the world.”
“More than anyone? That’s not possible. No one cares about Alice more than I do!”
Bear leaped out of his chair and sent it tumbling down behind him.
His body began to blur as if I were staring at him through an unfocused lens—but it wasn’t that he was actually blurring. His body was bulging and expanding to make him bigger and bigger.
It was surely an unbelievable sight to anyone who thought Bear was human, but I remained calm.
I knew he’d reveal his true self if I told him this—that I’m marrying and moving to a new home.
I was standing before the demon who had branded the Liddell estate with his stigma in order to protect “Alice.” It took the shock of a lifetime for him to finally let the human façade slip.
Dark and I agreed on a fictional engagement to produce just that shock.
The twins stared up at Bear in amazement. They were still clinging to his sides.
“Bear…?” “Bear…?”
“Get over here, boys!”
Jack clicked his tongue and snatched Dum away. Hisui picked up Dee, and the two of them leaped to the other side of the room. By that point, Bear had finished transforming into a frightening sight.
His body was three times larger than before. His skin was dark red like blood, and the surface of his brow and chin had started to jut out.
Bear’s knuckles were bony, his claws sharp and pointed, and his large horns curled around his head, just like a sheep’s.
He looked just as he did on the night of the tragedy, but this time, he couldn’t keep his horns hidden.
It was the true form of Bear—the Rose Demon.
“I see you were a demon this whole time, Uncle Bear. What was the purpose of posing as a human?”
“I was protecting you, Alice.”
“That’s quite a stunning excuse. I don’t recall asking you to put any girls into eternal slumbers.”
I glanced around at the colorfully decorated Hall of Mirrors.
“I heard you attended the same ball I did, right here in this room. Dark remembered sending an invitation to the famous philanthropist ‘Bernard Liddell.’ Did you decide to put Madeline to sleep when you heard the things she said about me?”
“That’s right. That arrogant little girl thought she could make a fool of my Alice. They all deserve the same fate! I could have just killed them right then and there, but instead I put them into a painless sleep, where they’ll die little by little, slowly but surely! You should be thanking me!”
Bear didn’t show an ounce of remorse over what he’d done.
I approached him with my gun drawn and hidden behind my back.
“You sent those shadows out to the archives to prevent me from finding out you were adopted. The Liddells took you in sixteen years ago, immediately after my birth, and you branded our home with your stigma to protect me, didn’t you? Thank you, Uncle Bear.”
“So you know about that, Alice?!”
He threw his arms up in joy. At his feet, the rose crest of his stigma began to form on the ground.
“I served the Liddells for so many years. I had to make sure the mansion was protected so that no other demons came after you. They even taught me how to hide my horns. I did it all for my beloved family!”
“Your beloved family? But they’re all gone because of you!”
I knew I needed to stay calm, but my demeanor changed in an instant.
“The demon who protected the Liddells wouldn’t allow such a bloodbath to go unanswered. You couldn’t save me from the intruder that night either, but then again, how could you? The one who circled the mansion and killed off my entire family was you. Uncle Bear, you were the culprit behind that tragedy from three years ago!”
“You’ve figured it all out… You’re such a wonderful girl, Alice.”
“Answer me. Why did you kill my family?”
“Because…they broke my heart.”
It was a surprisingly human response. Bear’s eyes looked dark and empty as he spoke.
“When you turned thirteen, I went to my brother—your father—and asked for permission to marry you. But he told me he would never allow his beloved daughter to become the bride of a demon. I lost all hope and was filled with regret over protecting your home with my stigma for so long. I hated your family, but in the end, I couldn’t stop loving you. It nearly drove me mad. And after all the suffering I endured, I finally came up with a fantastic idea!”
Bear’s mouth drew upward into a smirk. It was a maniacal expression formed by his bulging face.
“‘I care about the Liddell family, but the current members are in my way, so I’ll destroy them and build a new family with Alice!’”
“That was why you…?”
I didn’t understand his logic. Perhaps my human heart was getting in the way.
“If you wanted the two of us to make a family, then why did you resurrect Jack?”
If I was the only one who came back to life, then Bear and I would be the only members of the Liddell family, just like he wanted. Yet he saved four other lives aside from my own.
“You resurrected Dum, Dee, and Leeds as well. Then you introduced them to me, and even cooked us all those wonderful meals. You were kind to all of them—not just me. Why did you do all that?”
Even knowing he was a demon now, my memories of the days I spent with him were still happy ones.
It was a scrap of hope for me to cling to, but Bear just looked at me with confusion in his eyes.
“Jack’s a hard worker. We needed someone like that to serve our family. Leeds is a kind boy who will take care of our family and never expect anything in return. Dum and Dee are tough kids. They have what it takes to protect us. I kept them all close to you because they would benefit the Liddell family. That’s all it was.”
It was almost like hearing a list of love interests being added to an otome game.
“…We’re not just characters put here to satisfy your desires…”
I held up the gun in front of me and aimed it straight at Bear.
“I’ll never forgive you for killing Mother, Father, and all our servants. It’s time for your repentance!”
I pulled the trigger. The gun let out a roar, and in the same instant, a large hole opened up in Bear’s head.
Despite the impact, he didn’t appear to be in any pain. Bear pressed his hand to his forehead with a look of shock on his face and dug out the bullet with his sharp claws.
“Alice… Why did you shoot me?”
“You’re our current target, Uncle Bear.”
I reached into my bag and removed an envelope sealed with red wax—his obituary.
I tossed it in Bear’s direction. The envelope fluttered through the air and landed at his feet.
“The Liddells work among the shadows to preserve the peace of this kingdom. Each generation before me has eliminated sinners from this world, and it’s my job to follow in their footsteps.”
Bear opened the obituary and shuddered when he laid eyes upon his own name. He crushed the bullet between his fingers, covered his eyes, and quietly began shedding tears.
“I thought I’d finally, finally created the perfect family! This is all your fault, you damned demon! You got in Alice’s way!”
He lifted up his chair like it weighed nothing and sent it flying at Dark, who was watching us from the side.
The chair approached him at such speed, all he could do was watch, his blue eyes wide open, as it drew near.
“Dark, move!”
It was too late. The chair struck Dark and splintered into a thousand pieces.
“Dark!”
“…You needn’t worry.”
With those words, the wooden pieces went scattering back in the opposite direction. They’d met with a hovering barrier that bore the shape of a crescent moon. Dark was using his stigma as a shield to protect his body.
Two long horns sprouted up from his head, forming the shape of rabbit ears.
“You call me ‘demon’ as an insult, and yet, you yourself are the most wicked demon of them all. Thank you for telling such an amusing joke, Uncle Bear.”
Bear heaved ragged, angry breaths in response to Dark’s provocations.
“Knightley… I know all about your father, you know. He was a foolish human who sought an heir to his title by any means necessary, even if it meant summoning a demon to be his ‘son.’ He would’ve been better off stealing someone else’s kid.”
“…I’ve grown tired of listening to your thoughtless drivel. Alice, finish this up before I lose my patience.”
Dark crossed his arms. I took that as a sign that he would keep his promise to me.
“Step back, my lady.”
Jack moved in front of me with an intense glare on his face.
He thrust the tip of his sword at Bear. It was exactly how I remembered him on the night of the tragedy.
“You lied to me. Your kindness was all just a trick!”
“Such a fool you are, Jack. If I hadn’t said what I did, you wouldn’t have joined our new family, would you?”
“Of course not. I’d rather have died that night than spend these three years playing house with the demon who destroyed the Liddell family. I hate how blind I was. I hate you, and I hate myself for accepting your stigma. I should just burn it all away!”
Fire shot out of Jack’s hands. The flames engulfed his entire body; even the iron of his sword turned bright red.
Hisui began to provide enough water to prevent the fire from spreading, but it was too late for the tablecloth. The flames rose higher and even caught the chains of colored paper that decorated the walls. I gulped at the unexpected sight.
His flames are only supposed to destroy the object of his hatred!
The fire was even burning Jack’s clothes. The seal on his powers had been broken.
“Jack, you mustn’t let yourself burn too!”
“Quiet! I’ll take him down with me!”
Jack charged at Bear before I could stop him. He slashed his sword at Bear, but just as the blade was about to reach his stomach, Bear swiftly grabbed it with his hands.
“How dare you turn your sword on your parent…! I don’t need you anymore.”
Bear squeezed the blade with all his might, and it began to curl like a leaf in the wind under his fingers. Jack dropped his sword in shock, and then Bear lifted him up by the neck.
“Argh!”
Jack groaned as Bear’s grip tightened. Finally accepting that Bear was the enemy, the Tweedle brothers took hold of their daggers and crossbow. The pair sprang into action.
“Let go of Jack!” “Let go of Jack!”
The impact of the arrow and the plunge of the daggers were nothing to Bear. He brushed them off as if they were pesky insects, then leaped up onto the table, still with Jack’s neck in his grip. He fought off the attempted attacks with his free hand.
“Hahaha. It’s too late, my adorable little boys! Demon children can never defeat the one who gave them life!”
“May I interject?”
Leeds swapped places with the twins and whipped his chain belt around Bear’s neck. He jumped from the table, using his whole body to weigh down the chain.
It was enough power to sever the head of any normal human, but Bear withstood it. He let go of Jack, grabbed hold of the chain, and swung it as hard as he could.
“Ngh!”
Leeds would have crashed into the ceiling, but he let go of the chain and grabbed hold of Jack, and the four boys tumbled below the table at the same time.
We were outdone, and all I could do was grit my teeth.
Our attacks were nothing more than child’s play to Bear.
But…there’s no other way…
On the night of our dinner, I had asked Dark how to kill a demon.
“I’ve never heard of a way. Even the Church of England can only exorcise demons—not kill them.”
“I don’t care by what means. I only want to know if it’s possible.”
I persisted anyway. Dark had set his champagne glass on the table and folded his hands together.
“If the demon becomes too weak to fight back, I can brand him with my stigma and seal him away in hell… But you’re a compassionate bunch. Are you sure you can go through with this?”
There’s no question about it. This is the only choice we have!
I knew we never stood a chance of defeating Bear.
But we had to be the ones to take him down. If we didn’t, we would never escape the curse of the rose and reclaim our lives.
I need a way to overpower him.
I was looking all over the room for something I could use when I spotted Dark pointing toward the ceiling.
Above me?
I lifted my head and noticed a large crystal chandelier.
It was suspended by a chain slick with rust-preventing oil that had caught fire from Jack’s flames.
The chain was already red and partially melted. As soon as I saw it, I shouted as quickly as I could. “Everyone, head for the mirrors!”
The four boys scattered toward the mirrored walls at my command.
“Are we done fooling around now, children?”
Bear’s laughter echoed in my ears as I aimed my gun at the chandelier and fired.
The bullet let out a loud clang as it bounced off the melting chain.
With that, the golden wire snapped, sending the heavy chandelier tumbling down…
Exactly where Bear stood.
“Ah…?”
Just as he lifted his head to catch a glimpse of what I’d done, the massive structure crushed him into the ground.
“AHHHHHHH!”
Bear’s scream pierced the room. I could hear the horrible cracking of his bones as the chandelier hit the ground.
Loose crystals scattered across the floor around him.
It’s just like how Jack and I died.
The emotional memory flooded my mind as I watched Bear writhe in agony.
Demons cannot die. They can only suffer. But as I looked at the dreadful sight before me, I realized that death was an escape he didn’t deserve.
“I think it’s my turn now.”
At the snap of his fingers, Dark produced his crescent moon seal on the floor beneath the chandelier. He stood over the white light and smirked down at Bear victoriously.
“I had a lovely time at the party, Bernard the Demon. Think of this chandelier as your parting gift for the evening. I hope you have fun playing house in hell…because you’ll never have another soul to play with again.”
He raised his arms like the conductor of an orchestra, and the floor under Bear began to ripple as if it were a pool of water. A dark blue galaxy unfolded beneath him.
The table and the remnants of the chandelier drained into the floor, one by one.
Bear, covered in dust and glass, shook his arms and legs in an attempt to resist.
“No! Don’t leave me all alone! Alice, save me!”
“May we meet again in the depths of hell. Farewell, Uncle Bear.”
I picked up the obituary and held it out to him. Bear’s face twisted as he clasped the envelope in his hand.
“In your other life…”
“Huh?”
“I was so happy…when you saved me from that car…”
The floor swallowed up Bear’s body and face. The final trace of the man, the tip of his twisted braid, sank into the ground with a quiet splash.
Dark clenched his fist, and the galaxy was shut away.
The light disappeared after it finished consuming everything.
“The car… That means that Uncle Bear…”
He had to be the kitten I saved in my previous life. Maybe he even saw me reading about Evil Alice’s Fiancé with a smile on my face and caused me to be reborn into my beloved otome game world.
Could it have been his way of thanking me?
I slumped to the floor.
“…It’s over…”
“Alice, it’s Jack!” “Alice, it’s Jack!”
The twins’ voices snapped me back to reality. Jack was burning up against the mirrored wall.
Hisui attempted to douse him with water, but it was no use.
“Your guard dog’s intense hatred appears to be setting off his stigma.”
Dark watched the scene unfold with his hand against his chin in consideration. Flustered, I pressed him for answers.
“The stigmas don’t disappear, even after defeating the demon they belonged to?”
“No, they don’t. A sin can never be erased.”
“Then how do we stop his power…?”
“If anyone can help him, it’s you.”
Dark’s sapphire eyes gleamed in a strange way. He placed his fingers against my chin.
“Fortunately, you never received a stigma from Bernard. That means I can give you mine. Tell me, right now, what is it you most desire?”
“I need to erase his powers!”
I answered without the slightest hesitation. Dark’s face lit up in delight.
“This is a spell I’ve been waiting to cast.”
Dark wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a kiss.
“!”
His lips lit my heart on fire the moment they fell upon mine.
Heat rose up inside my body and flung open the door in my chest that had always been closed. I felt myself filled with a love that was warm and sweet, like hot milk and honey.
My lungs ached from the lack of air, but I felt so complete at that moment, I nearly cried.
Is this what it feels like to be captured by a demon?
I would never be alone, not so long as I was bound to Dark. He was going to watch over me until my next death—the day I descended into hell.
I had no idea a demon’s stigma could be such a beautiful curse…
“Look, Alice.”
Once he broke the kiss, I felt an intense heat ripple through the center of my chest. I clutched at the source of the pain.
“It burns…!”
“You mustn’t look away. This is your ‘stigma.’”
I let my hand fall away to reveal the crescent moon seal hovering over my skin.
Now that I was a stigmata, there was only one desire in my heart.
“Jack!”
I dashed toward him, holding my dress up with both hands. My shoes slipped off along the way, and I felt the crystals on the ground cut my bare feet. The floor turned red with my blood, but I never slowed for a second.
Reaching the wall of mirrors, I stretched my arms beyond Jack and the flames to embrace them both.
“Please, make it stop!”
My stigma cast out white rays of light as I made my wish. Its beams folded and weaved over each other to form a protective cocoon around Jack, then suddenly burst all at once like a supernova.
When the light subsided enough for me to open my eyes, I could see no traces of the flames that had just been burning.
“They’re gone…”
I peered down at Jack, who was slumped in my arms.
“Jack?”
His face was smeared with soot, but I could hear the gentle sound of him inhaling and exhaling. His face was innocent and childlike as he slept. His limbs showed no signs of burns, despite the singed state of his clothes.
“Is he alive?” “Is he alive?”
Dum and Dee crept toward us nervously. Leeds pressed his fingers against Jack’s wrist.
“His pulse is a bit fast, but he’s alive. Are you all right, my lady?”
“I’m fine. Jack really went too far this time. I’ll have to scold him when he wakes up.”
Those weren’t the only words he would hear from me.
I’m strong enough to protect you now, just as you’ve always protected me.
Even with a stigma branded on my soul and hell now awaiting my arrival, there was nothing to fear, so long as I had my family.