Prologue
Her knees were ripped open when they his the rough stone underfoot. Scarlet painted the floor. Her hands went to the deep slit along her stomach. She let out a whimper as the hot blood trickled through her fingers. Slowly, she raised her eyes. They glowed like blue fire in the moonlight that seeped through the maroon plastered window.
The man knelt before her, setting his sword beside him. Its clatter echoed down the shadowed corridor. He placed his finger tips under her chin and lifted her head up to face him. His dark hair hung in his face, damp from sweat.
"You know I love you." he murmured.
She narrowed her eyes to watery slits. "Love me?" she echoed, "You... you just..." her voice faltered as she began to sob, clutching tighter to her wounded belly.
"I did it for us..." the man whispered in her ear. His breath wafted over her skin. She shuddered.
"How could this... possibly be... for us...?" she gasped.
The man pressed his lips to her forehead. They were moist and soft upon her flesh. She swallowed, trying to wet her mouth.
"You know how." he muttered.
He sat up, collecting his bloodied blade, and walked down the corridor. She listened as his footsteps faded. Slowly, she fell over to lay on her side, shaking with pain and tears. Her hands stroked her belly, smearing the blood across her shirt.
She thought she could feel it when the thing that lay inside go still. She could have sworn she felt it die.