Chapter 4 - A Declaration of War

152 25 8
                                    

"Quinn?"

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

"Quinn?"

I wasn't sure I heard him. Islo. Was it in a dream? Was I dreaming? I wasn't sure anymore. It was so dark. It was just so dark here.

Quinn.

That wasn't Islo. It was another voice. One I didn't know. Or did I?

"Hello?" I tried. No answer.

Was I going mad? Was this madness? Had I finally crossed that line? I didn't wanna believe that.

Quinn.

Oh fuck off already!

"Sweetness," Islo murmured in my ear.

I opened my eyes and met Islo's green ones.

"You had another nightmare."

I nodded and turned to lie on my back. I just didn't want to do this anymore. I was so tired. Islo moved closer and put his cheek on my chest. He put his hand on my stomach and slowly stroked his thumb over my skin.

"It's gonna be alright, Quinn. Just relax now."

"I'm so tired," I whispered.

"I know, but-"

"Don't tell me it's gonna better," I snapped and sat up. Islo arched a brow at me.

"What do you want me to tell you instead?"

"Just fucking stop." I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and ran my hand through my hair.

I could feel Islo's gaze burning in my back and I just needed him to stop. I just needed everything to stop. I balled my fist in my hair, my head pounding harder and harder. A high-pitched tone blared in my ears and my heart was clawing its way out of my chest.

"Quinn?"

Gods, shut up, shut up, "shut up!" I roared and the big mirror on the wall cracked. Islo's arms circled around my body, pressing my back to his chest.

"It's alright. It's alright." He kept repeating over and over but it fucking wasn't. I looked up at the mirror, seeing multiple broken reflections of us. Islo behind me, whispering in my ear, and me. Blue blood running out of my ears and down my throat. Islo clinging onto me. The mirror cracked even more, long veins ruining the perfect surface. I couldn't tear my eyes off myself. My skin looked darker in the mirror, but when I looked down at my arms it looked normal.

"Islo," I murmured. "Look. I'm a monster."

Islo looked up in the mirror. "It's just broken. You're not a monster."

So he couldn't see it? He couldn't see what I truly was. That I was corrupted and dirty. That I was broken.

The mirror cracked even more, the sound horrific. I hated the sound.

"Sweetness, you're bleeding. Come on." Islo hauled me out of bed and into the washroom. I pushed him up against the wall and tipped my head up, meeting his gaze.

Bastards and Thorns (The Shadow Series, Book 2)Where stories live. Discover now