The sorceress did.
With a nod at the now empty bottle, Cadeon said, "You've finished it-something I never thought I'd see-so are you ready to divvy what happened?"
Rydstrom exhaled. Then he told Cadeon almost everything, leaving out his false vow, ending with, ". . . I'm not making progress with her as I'd hoped. And I've only got another two days."
"Look, I know I'm the last person you want to take advice from, but you can't force this. You can't make her love you."
"Then what would you do?"
"You know, do nice shite for her. Buy her things. Really think about what she likes and what makes her happy and make it happen. She'll come around. And if
she doesn't, you can cut off your horns for her. Chicks
dig that."
Rydstrom's gaze shot up. Sure enough, Cadeon's had been shorn. "What the hell did you do that for?"
"Holly wanted a normal life, so I was trying to give her normal. She's since berated me, and forbidden me from ever touching my 'rock-hard, sexy horns' again. Then she outlined what she was going to do to me when they grew back. Gods, brother, that woman quicks my wick." Then he frowned. "Wait a minute. Did you say Sabine was going to be my queen? What the hell is she now?"
Deceived.
A storm was coming, outside the house and within it as
well.
Rydstrom was going to confess to Sabine about his sham vow. With a heavy heart, he made his way upstairs to their room, leaving Cadeon to finish his drink.
Though he'd been working to earn her trust, Ryd-strom was about to destroy it with one blow. But he had no choice. Every time she called him her husband was like a knife to the chest.
He sat beside her in the bed. "Sabine, there's some­thing I must confess to you."
She didn't answer, didn't turn to him, but her slim shoulders tensed, letting him know she'd awakened.
"All I ask is that you try to understand the circum­stances. Can you do that?"
No response. He laid his hand on her shoulder and tugged her over to face him. She opened her eyes.
They were filled with blood.
"What is this? Sabine, what's happening?"
"It's . . . here" Her words were slurred, her skin waxen.
He gathered her up in his arms. Her heartbeat was racing.
When a line of blood tracked from her nose and another from her ear, the sharpest fear he'd ever felt came over him. "Ah, gods, what is happening to you? Tell me, cwenal"
"Poison," she gasped.
"What are you saying? How? Who did this to you?"
Her back arched sharply, her hands fisting in Ryd­strom's shirt. When she coughed, blood misted from her mouth.
Have to get her help . . .
"Cadeon!" Rydstrom bellowed.
His brother came bounding up the stairs, barreling into the room with his sword drawn. "What the hell?"
"Sabine's sick-where is Nïx?"
"I can go get her."
"Do it, and then meet us at the witch's coven-"
"Nooo!" Sabine screamed, thrashing in his arms. "No .. . coven."
"Easy, baby, we'll stay. Easy . . ." To Cadeon, he snapped, "Bring Nïx here. If you can't find her, then hunt for Mariketa the Awaited. Or even Tera the Fey. She knows poisons."
Without a word, Cadeon bolted from the room. Rydstrom heard the side door slam shut, then Cadeon's truck peeling away.
Rydstrom laid his palm on her cheek, wincing in confusion as pain suddenly shot through him, as if he'd laid his hand on a flame. But then her nightgown and the bedclothes were cold.
"Hold on for me, Sabine. Help's coming."
Pain razored through her body, making her muscles knot. The coppery tang of blood flooded her mouth. Feels like blades are slicing through my veins, and pumping into my heart.
Rydstrom kept demanding to know what was wrong, staring down at the blood in horror, rocking her in his arms.
She panted in anguish, her eyes squeezed shut. She'd been wrong. There was no way she could withstand this. So stupid, so arrogant to think she could live through this.
And now she'd pay for it. Unless Rydstrom can bring himself to do what needs to be done.
Her body twisted as the excruciating waves built, her mind overrun with visions of drinking her poison. Yes, downing glass after glass of it. .. just dripping the sear­ing black granules straight onto her tongue, then swal-lowing them dry.
Ah, gods, she could accidentally poison Rydstrom with her skin, her blood. Must warn him. "Can't . . . touch me."
"Sabine, I have to get you to someone who can help!"
She shook her head violently. "No one here . . . can."
Another wave hit. Unthinkable ... unearthly agony. Her eyes flashed open when the manic pounding of her heart stopped.
Their gazes met. "Cwena?" he rasped, "your . . . heart?"
Over. Her mind went blank. Her lids eased shut. His unholy roar shook the room.
44
Her f**king heart had stopped . . .she'd almost died. He'd never forget how he'd felt when he'd heard that first dogged beat as her heart struggled on.
He sat with his back against the headboard, squeez­ing her in his arms, rocking her as they both sweated from pain. When she moaned, he murmured, "I'm with you, baby. I'm with you."
Whenever he touched her skin, he felt eviscerating pain, so he continually smoothed his palm over her forehead and face, hoping to draw it from her.
Her bloody coughing had subsided, but he sensed this was in no way over. He was grappling to keep the rage reined in so he could take care of her.
A storm had descended on them, with lightning streaking all around the house, thunder rattling the glass doors. With each lightning bolt, Sabine's face looked even more deathly pale.
When Cadeon squired Nïx into the bedroom half an hour later, the Valkyrie's gaze flickered over Rydstrom's
face, as if gauging his sanity. His horns were straight, and he knew his eyes were black, but he was holding on.
"What is going on here?" she asked. "All Cadeon would say is, 'Have you ever wanted to see a scene from The Exorcist in real life?'"
"She's sick," Rydstrom said. "She told me it was a poison. You know poisons. Tell me what to do."
In the darkened room, figments of Sabine's illusions began flashing in a delirious procession, like words babbled.
Chapter 20
Nïx approached the bed, tilting her head. "There's a blue tinge to her lips." She turned Sabine's arm over.
Streaking down the pale skin was a jagged red injury, like a burn. It ran all the way to her palm, where it made an X.