VERA
My hands trembled violently as I lifted them to my face. Dry blood clung to my skin like it belonged there.
My breath hitched, a ragged gasp tearing from my throat. My heart slammed against my ribcage, pounding so hard it hurt.
"No," I whispered, the word cracked in the silent as I stared at the dark dagger still clenched in my fist, then at the lifeless body sprawled before me.
"No. No. No, no, no!"
With a cry, I flung the blade aside. It hit the stone floor with a dull clang. I frantically scrubbed my hands against my dress, then against the broad green leaves in the greenhouse. Nothing worked. The blood just smeared, spreading wider, soaking deeper into the fabric, the plants and my skin.
I staggered backward, horrified, as Kane's blood pooled and crept toward my feet. My heart seized with panic. I turned and bolted.
The greenhouse door stretched impossibly far away, each step slower than the last. Just as I reached it—
SLAM!
It slammed shut in my face.
