That day, I’d left him alone to perish or survive, choosing myself over him.
Today, I choose him.
With fear lodged in my throat and my heart racing, I closed the distance between us. Kas continued to attack the ground, throwing dirt left and right.
A small hole had formed, giving way under his onslaught, digging into the grave where he’d thrown the monsters of this place.
Why was he trying to dig them up? What sort of horrors did he see?
“Kas?” I touched his shoulder, making him flinch. “Kas, please...it’s me.”
He didn’t respond.
Fury glowed on his face, etching into his skin as he glowered at the graves. “Gem—”
The way he said my name broke my love-sick heart.
I knew I should keep my distance. I knew it wasn’t safe to be near him when he was so entrenched in a nightmare, but I couldn’t let him stay there. I couldn’t leave him trapped.
Dropping to my knees beside him, I reached forward and cupped his hands with mine, stilling his digging. “Stop. It’s okay. Everything is alright.”
His head snapped up. His black, dilated gaze caught mine. I sucked in a breath, hoping against hope that he recognized me and didn’t see someone else.
My hopes went unanswered as he bared his teeth and narrowed his eyes to slits. “You.” He rose on his knees, towering over me. “So you want a piece of her too?”
Who? Who did he think I was?
“It’s me, Kas. No one else. Gemma. Wake up. Please, please wake up.”
He threw himself at me, his speed inhuman in the shadows. Pinning me onto my back with my legs splayed in front of me, he looped his fingers around my neck.
“Don’t!” Terror shot through my blood as he wedged his hips into mine, grinding me into the earth.
“You’ve taken them all. You’ve taken me, but you’ll never have her. I’ll kill you all over again if I have to.” He nuzzled his nose against mine, full of threats and warnings. “I’ll kill all of you.”
I bucked up with my hips, making him rock above me. “Stop!”
But it wasn’t any use.
His hands latched tighter around my neck, his thumbs wedging against my voice box. “There’s no way out of this. No way you don’t die tonight for trying to hurt her. You. Can’t. Have. Her.”
I fought.
I kicked and scratched.
I tried to speak, but his hands cut off my oxygen.
Black spots appeared in my vision.
Blinding panic drenched me.
I fought harder.
I gasped.
I thrashed.
My lungs burned for air.
Kas, please!
I was choking.
Dying.
All his promises about not hurting me again. All the newness of togetherness and hope.
It meant nothing.
We were back to repeating the past.
A shape collided into Kas, knocking him sideways, unlocking his hands from around my throat.
I rolled onto my side, gulping forest-thick air.
A grunt sounded beside me as the two men grappled. Two furious blurs pouring toxic pain and lethal hatred into the grave they fought upon.
With black spots still dancing in my vision, I scooted backward until I sat on the edge where grass dared to grow. An obvious ring around the monsters Kas had buried here. I gulped and rubbed my bruised neck, never looking away from the savage fight.
The second one in a few short hours.
A fight where Jareth seemed to be winning.
I cried out as his fist swung true, striking Kas’s temple with a sickening crunch.
“No!” I fell forward onto my hands and knees, doing my best to command heavy limbs to crawl to them. “His c-concussion—” I coughed around the swelling Kas had given me. “Don’t hit h-his...head!”
Too late.
Jareth struck again and sprang to his feet, acting as if the beating Kas had given him had miraculously healed. Backing away, he flexed his hands, looking down at Kas who didn’t get up.
Panic replaced my racing pulse. “No.” Crawling toward Kas, I felt arms hook around my waist, stopping me. I fought as Jareth pulled me back, putting distance between us and Kas who lay on his back, his arms spread, legs splayed, lips parted, and eyes closed. His long hair was crowned with leaves, his beard covered in pieces of bracken.
He didn’t open his eyes.
“What did you d-do?” I coughed, shoving Jareth off me with a burst of fury. “Let me go!”
He released me, towering over me while his blue and brown eyes stayed locked on Kas. He didn’t answer, just kept staring with a blank, harsh expression on his feral face.
Tears flowed down my cheeks as trembling hijacked my body.
How had all of this happened?
Last night had felt like a turning point. Kas had meant what he’d said. He’d been ready to step into the light and allow me to help guide him toward happiness. Yet now...now he lay in the dirt, and I sat at the feet of the man who’d knocked him out.
He saved your life.
I flinched as my gaze flickered to Jareth.