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“Not as pretty aslike Damian’s can sometimes be

I move to break free, to run, but Da me face his brother

I want to close my eyes, to turn my face away, but I can’t do either because I can’t stop looking

And as if to acco e

“Let o” It’s a whispered plea because I can’t make my voice work I’, but even I don’t hearbreath

Da, but his words have to battle the blood thudding against my ears to be heard

The brother grins His gaze slides over me The look in his eyes when he returns the my back into Damian

He walks toward us

A sound coarbled choke on a scream

It’s not his face that has h It’s the look in his eyes

Da closer My hands grab onto Da as his brother comes so near that I can s off of him

“Pretty,” he says, raising a hand but thinking better of touching me when I cry out “I can’t help how I look, you know,” he says “Ask my brother The fault lies with him, after all”

Damian’s fault?

He does touchon it, and s tremble

Damian holds me up, steadies me

His brother dropsaway His expression darkens chilling et away froround nohi, pathetic heap at their feet

“Are you taking good care of her for me, Brother?” he asks

His fingers are on ers Cold breath Cold heart

And this tiive out and the iveblack

2

Damian

Cristina lies lihtly parted and eyes closed as I carry her back to her room to lay her on her bed

Once there, she opens her eyes with a start, bolting upright, al her head into mine She claws at my arms

“Easy,” I tell her

Seeing ive anyone a shock Hell, even arning, it’ll scare the fuck out of most

She ainst me

I collect her wrists in my hands and hold onto her “I said easy”

She looks around her room Is she reassured by its familiarity? Because after a moment, she does relax a little

I look down at her Black s the dress from earlier, but it’s wrinkled, the he all over