[Violet]
My eyes shook as Hilary’s body collapsed, her arms falling slack at her sides, her dark brown hair billowing around her still face. Her eyes were wide—still open. Still looking. But she wasn’t there anymore. She was dead.
“No,” I whispered, but it came out cracked and dry. “No, no, no…” My heartbeat grew erratic, but I forced myself to stay upright. And no, it wasn’t because I’d seen my life flash before my eyes, it was because of the deal we made.
If Hilary died now and Alarich had been taken over—then who would wipe my memories? Who would free me from the unbearable knowledge of what Lucien had done? How could I ever move on when he continued to reemerge in my mind?
I couldn’t live like this. I couldn’t live every waking moment thinking about how I’d fallen in love with the
