Page 13 of A Trial By Blood
“It’s fine, Roe. Mags and Bram will be here with you—”
“No. Whatever this is, it sounds important.” I turned to Ronan. “Will you stay with me tomorrow night? That way, Mags and Bram can go as well.” And it was also kind of perfect for another reason.
“Of course,” he said, then turned to my sister. “I’ll take care of Rose.”
“Thanks, Ronan. That’s very kind of you,” she said.
He inclined his head but said nothing more.
Iris came to me and kissed my cheek. Her eyes dipped to my dry, cracked lips, and she took a piece of melting ice in a cotton ball and gently ran it over my lips. “I’ll tell Mom Ronan will be with you tomorrow night.” She wouldn’t meet my gaze, but I could see hers growing glossy with unshed tears. “Right, I better get going. Love you,” she said.
“Love you too.”
Then she left and it was just Ronan and me once again.
“So, would you like me to read to you?” he asked again.
“Yes, please. I’d like that.” Once everyone was settled for the night—Mags with Bram, if he was here, Mom and Arthur in front of the TV, Else in her workroom, and Iris and Willow at their homes with their mates—then I’d tell Ronan why I’d asked him to come here tonight.
* * *
I waited an hour.
The TV went up, which meant Else had decided to watch TV instead and commandeered the remote, and I could hear music in the distance, coming from Bram’s treehouse, which meant he was home, thank goodness, and Mags was with him.
I waited until Ronan finished the chapter of the fantasy he was reading to me. I preferred romance novels, but I hadn’t had the courage to get him to read some of my steamier ones. I kind of regretted that now.
“Ronan?” I said when he turned the page.
His beautiful, emotionless eyes lifted to me. “Yes?”
“We’ve read enough for tonight. I think it’s time we talked.” My nerves shot through the roof. But nothing would deter me. This couldn’t wait any longer.
He closed the book and placed it on the bedside table, and waited.
“I have something I need to ask you.”
“Yes.”
“I’m going to explain how I’m feeling, my reasons for my request, and then I’m…going to ask you, and I’d appreciate it if you’d…wait until I f-finish before you answer,” I said, weakness making my speech break and stumble. Ronan didn’t usually interrupt, but if he suddenly decided to now, I didn’t think I’d find the courage to ask again. “Will you do that for me?”
He sat back in the chair, his penetrating stare not leaving me. “Of course.”
“I’m going to die, Ronan,” I said, licking my dry lips.
His brows lowered, but he said nothing.
I quickly pushed on. “I know t-this, you know it, my family knows it.” I swallowed, trying to get some moisture in my mouth and failing. “Right now, I’m in pain…all the time,” I rasped past my dry throat. “Else came to talk to me today…about trying IV fluids again since I c-can’t hold even water down anymore.” I swallowed reflexively again. “The last time she tried it, I had a seizure. It w-won’t work, nothing will work. I’m slowly starving to death, Ronan. And my slow drawn-out death is hurting everyone around me. I can’t take it anymore.”
I paused, and Ronan said nothing. His violet eyes were steady on me, waiting for me to continue.
“B-but there’s another reason…for the request I’m about to ask you. The mother will be calling for me soon. There is no chance of me passing her task, and definitely not the magical trial that follows. She won’t care that I’m sick, it would still be seen as a fail, and my family, my coven, will suffer for it. They’ll…they’ll lose so much.” I reached out, using the last of my strength to cover his cool hand with mine. He didn’t need comfort, but I did, because what I was about to ask was huge.
Ronan waited for me to say what I wanted, and I met his steady gaze. “Will you help me die, Ronan?” It wasn’t hard, the words came easy, the relief at finally speaking them immeasurable.
He didn’t move, not a millimeter. He didn’t blink. He just stared at me. If I thought he was capable of it, I’d think he was in shock. “Ronan?”
He blinked. “You want to die?”
