, my brother dro

shop than attending rotations. Most hospitals didn't like dealing with families rumored to handle cursed artifacts and occult

s incident. The one where a man had

y-or may not

of the officers was a friend of my b

ring wheel, "your undead husband did nothing wrong. If

u have a wife?" I

are naturally attuned to death, and we've been neck-deep in necrotic crap since bi

id softly. "When I do, promi

ur night-stalker wanted you dead, Clara, he would've buried you two years ago

to belie

mself. I belonged t

g to lighten the mood. "What does you

ve never seen his fa

his voice h

es that

voices are trolls in real life. I'm just saying-brace yourself. He'

lin

d-world lilt-had always seemed... intoxi

probably w

ing artifacts, he made jokes, rolled his eyes at omens, and carried on like we weren't curse

cy near campus, I suddenl

ow but didn't

and bought emerge

e campus. The cashier barely looked up, sliding th

guess,

days since he f

mergency contraception

ith a tight throat and tossing the box into t

e, dumbfounded. "Wait-d

e flus

r in silence. My brother f

ncy pills like that, Clara. T

a pebble-tight, cold, lodged somewhere behind my sternum.

nser near the restrooms and told my brother I n

the side room where the qu

hit my hand, a shadow fell over mine-followed

iar voice murmured behi

fr

as h

ned s

he glint of fury in his eyes. The air around him shimmered with restr

led me toward a secluded

ing?!" I gasped, t

wed space. His hand came up, and before I could

n-u

ressure blo

half-dissolved pill flew

ith dark amusement. "Good thing I followed you.

u claim me every night and now

al parts rage a

igue and strange marks that lingered after his visits

owing. "The bond is a fact, Clara. It is written in your

he stepped closer, his presenc

e?

No n

y. This wasn't the private shadows of n

ing. "Not here. I won't take the pill

ring everything until all I could see was the white tile,

gainst my ear. But the

n't co

of me, fingers curling beneath my

son Rite. That makes you mine. My bonded wife. That

sed m

no

greed. Not beca

as too tired to