Page 92 of Devil’s Reign

“Don’t.”

He subsides with a sound that’s not quite a word.

“I ought to tip you out of this chair just to prove a point.” I scowl down at the back of his head.

He glances back at me with a grin that hits me right in the sternum. “You wouldn’t. You love me.”

My vision narrows until it’s just the two of us. “Yes, I do,” I admit unashamedly.

I could have lost him. Like, really lost him. My heart pangs with an echo of the fear and terror I felt in that warehouse—the moment I understood that leaving him was never actually an option. Because I knew I would never be able to move on from him, from this. Better to go out together than to live on as a shell of myself.

His hand moves up to cover mine on the backrest of the wheelchair. “And I love you.”

Someone clears their throat, and the elevator returns to reality, filled with the rest of the people around us. They all studiously avoid looking at us, and the second the doors slide open on our floor, they practically rush out. I carefully push Vanya out towards the front door, which Luka is holding open, and don’t try to hide my smile.

Only after he’s settled in his bed and Belle has him sorted with medication and instructions he’ll probably ignore, do I remember: Mamma.

I sit up quickly, and he frowns at me. “What is it?”

“I need to call my mom.” I’m already halfway off the bed. “Can I use your phone?”

Dimitri steps forward, pulling his phone out of his breast pocket. I take it with a quiet, “Thank you,” then dial her number from memory. The line rings and rings, but she doesn't pick up. I dial her again, pacing the small strip of floor beside the bed, chewing the inside of my cheek. Come on, come on, come on. Answer the call, Mamma.

She finally picks up but says nothing—which is understandable. We never answer calls from unknown numbers. The fact that she picked up at all is a miracle.

“Mamma, it’s me.”

“Melani!” The relief in her voice is palpable. “Where are you? Are you alright? I saw the news about the fire. I’m on my way to the warehouse now⁠—”

“No, no—I’m fine,” I rush out. “I’m back at Korona with Vanya. Come here.”

She hesitates, and I don’t blame her. This is a complete 180 from my previous plan to run away with her. “Am I on speaker?”

I glance at Vanya and Dimitri, but they’re having their own murmured conversation and not paying attention to me at all. So I walk towards the ensuite and slip inside. “No, you’re not.”

“Is he making you stay with him again? He’s holding you hostage, isn’t he?”

“No, Mamma.” I close the door behind me and rest my back against it. “I almost lost him.” My voice breaks, and she inhales sharply but lets me continue. “In the fire… he got trapped, but I couldn’t leave him. I can’t leave him, Mamma. So no, he’s not making me.”

A long pause. “You love him.”

“Yes.”

She doesn’t argue. She just says, “I’m coming there now,” and the line ends.

I stand against the door for a moment after, then make my way to the sink. My hair is a mess, half my face black with soot, tear tracks cutting through the grime. And right in the middle of it all—a Disney princess bandage. I wash my face, careful around the bandage, and slip back into the bedroom.

“Everything okay?” Vanya asks. He’s alone in the room now. We’re finally alone.

My stomach clenches nervously as I slide into the bed next to him. “Everything’s fine. She’s on her way.” I hand him Dimitri’s phone, and he sets it on the nightstand.

“I got your letter.”

For a moment, I just blink at him. What letter? Then it clicks—oh… the one I wrote when I thought I was leaving him forever. What did I say in there again?

“Were you planning to leave me because I didn’t let you come with me, or because of something else? Like your brother?"

I chew my lip. “Both? I felt like I wasn’t on equal footing with you. Although I understand now what you meant about the danger and why you didn’t want me there.” I pause. “I understand, but it doesn’t mean I like it.”