Page 121 of Eternal Craving

“That’s tighter,” I said, trying not to sound annoyed. “You’ve pulled it the wrong way.”

Benjamin glanced at my neck.

“Get those thoughts out of your head.” I stared up at him.

He licked his lips.

“You’ll regret it,” I said.

With shocking speed, he flung himself at me and I felt the sharp sting of his fangs in my neck and his full weight on me. He let out a muffled groan, gulping loudly.

Slipping away, I released a silent scream into the darkness.

When I awoke, Delacroix loomed over me.

My tongue cleaved to the roof of my mouth, and I tried to hold my head up, looking for Benjamin. Delacroix held his wrist over me. He’d made a small incision there and blood promised to drip. My tongue gratefully received the red droplets. They stung my taste buds. I wanted more, needed more.

“What do you want from me?” I rasped.

The wrist straps were painfully tight, and I felt a surge of panic when I saw two men holding Lilly. She looked terrified. Guttural sounds escaped through my clenched jaw.

Delacroix waved the saw in my face and then rested the blades against my right wrist, sending blinding pain into my hand and back up my arm, as the blades ran back and forth, biting into my flesh. The warmth and stickiness of spurting blood caused my head to spin.

Lilly’s screams were deafening.

“Shut your eyes, Lilly,” I yelled.

Delacroix stopped and ran his fingertips over the bloody blades. Lilly was close to fainting, her eyelids flickering.

The pain receded. “Let her go.”

Delacroix studied the blades.

My left arm broke free but was quickly restrained. They shoved Lilly forward, leaning her over so close to me that herneck came within reach, her scent a mixture of fear and sweat. The blade came down upon my right wrist again and pressed into my flesh.

Delacroix pointed at Lilly.

“This is not who I am.” Terror washed over me. “This is barbaric.” I turned my head away.

Agony slashed through me as the serrated edge gnawed and scraped through muscle. I screamed again and again, sucking in air as the blades reached the bone and continued to cut through.

Any sense of morality I had was dissipating.

There was numbness now where my hand had been, and a phantom pain reached my fingertips. I dared not look. The blade now rested against my left wrist, a cruel tease, and then it sliced into me.

I sprang forward and buried my fangs into Lilly’s neck.Forgive me…

She didn’t even flinch, too terrified to move as I absorbed her fears and unfolding memories stolen by the unworthy. This perfect child with her dimpled cheeks and button nose, her trust betrayed. I shared her thoughts as they faded.

My lips trembled as I felt her go.Don’t forgive me.

They carried her body out.

“No!” I sobbed.

Grasping onto thoughts of her, I buried them deep within, refusing to let her fade. I clutched at the remnants of her memory. Something inside me snapped, bringing a realization of the monstrosity I had become. My excuses had no foundation and denial was impossible. Thrashing, unable to suppress my rage, I felt the right strap give.

Groping hands held me down and, with a shove, Delacroix pressed my severed hand back against my blood-soaked stump. I surrendered to the vertigo caused by the excruciating sensation of nerve endings realigning.