"What a beautiful sight."


    Cossio''s voice was cool and measured. "Sellers, have you ever heard the tale of the petal murder?"


    Standing quietly behind him was a blond, blue-eyed man. Had M been there, she would have recognized him instantly—the very man who had cornered her with a gun on her first, harrowing day at the castle, forcing the wolves back and driving her down to the ground floor.


    Sellers replied, "I''m not familiar with it, sir. Would you enlighten me?"


    "Do you remember the painting I bought once-*The Roses of Heliogabalus*? It depicts a massacre, a madman''s act of cruelty."


    Cossio''s green eyes grew darker, haunted by some inner shadow.


    "History tells of a tyrant who, for sport, threw avish banquet and rigged the ceiling with a deadly surprise-nearly four hundred thousand roses poured down upon his guests, suffocating them beneath a sea of petals. Thus was born the legend of the deadly rose."


    "Sellers, do you think petals can really kill?"


    "I wouldn''t know, sir."


    Cossio''s lips curled into a sly smile. "Well, I''m curious to find out. Go on, let''s send our guests a little present."


    Sellers nodded and slipped away.


    Downstairs, as the music swelled to its fevered peak, a sudden explosion erupted overhead. A torrent of crimson roses rained down from the domed ceiling,


    drenching the crowd in a downpour of petals.


    Guests screamed at first-then broke into delighted cheers, spinning andughing as they danced in the floral storm.


    M looked up, stunned. The endless cascade of roses bursting from the spire above made her eyes widen in shock. But as she gazed at the scarlet rain, she noticed ck roses spinning among the red, arcing toward her like dark omens.


    Cossio.


    He''s here.


    Suddenly, someone seized her wrist and yanked her aside. She saw Lysander throw himself in front of her, his tall frame shuddering violently before he crashed to the floor amid the swirling petals.


    What just happened?


    At the top of the tower, Cossio drew a small silver pistol from his cane, his gaze calm and unwavering as he looked down through the storm of flowers at the fallen man below. A smile flickered across his lips.


    "Sellers," he murmured, "I never bought into that story."


    "Soft, beautiful flowers can''t kill. They only intoxicate and distract... You young people are too arrogant."


    He slid the pistol back into his cane.


    Looking down at the man below, at the blood soaking his shirt and the life draining from his eyes, Cossio felt a rare thrill of satisfaction as he spoke, savoring every word:


    "Lysander, you''ve lost."


    M had never been his target.


    The moment Lysander set foot on this ind-no, the moment he decided to risk everything to save her he had already lost.


    He''d been defeated by a beautiful flower.


    Now, atst, the greatest obstacle between himself and Felicity-Lysander-was gone.


    Atst,


    he could be reunited with his angel.


    Are you kidding me?


    Screams echoed through the chaos. Guests rushed for the exits, trampling rose petals underfoot. M knelt on the floor, clutching Lysander''s bleeding body, her mind frozen, unable toprehend what had just urred.


    What happened?


    She stared at the spreading blood on his chest, her hands trembling as she tried to stem the flow. Her voice shook so badly it was barely recognizable. “What''s going on? Lysander, are you joking? Wasn''t I supposed to be the target? Why did you take the bullet for me?"


    Why?


    Wasn''t she supposed to be the mark?


    "Aren''t you going to deal with Cossio? Didn''t you say you were ready for


    everything? Why are you the one lying here?"


    "Why?!"


    She couldn''t understand.


    "Somebody! Please, someone help!"


    She screamed, but the frightened crowd surged past, trailing petals in their wake. No one answered.


    Leonard.


    Yes-Leonard!


    She let go of Lysander''s wound, her bloody hands scrabbling to get up and call for help, but the man''s grip tightened around her fingers. Lysander managed a thin, strained smile as blood bubbled at his lips.


    "Darling... it''s toote."


    "I promised I''d protect you."


    "I never asked for your protection!" Something inside M snapped. She


    screamed, her voice raw. "I don''t need you! I never needed you!"


    "What gives you the right to protect me?"


    "I-I


    Tears streamed down her face-hot, blinding, relentless. Her words tumbled out, broken. “I—I don''t need you. Why would you take the bullet for me? I don''t want you to. I want to hate you forever. How am I supposed to hate you if you do this?


    no


    I want to hate you forever..."


    "...Don''t cry."


    With effort, Lysander lifted his hand to wipe her tears, but he couldn''t keep up. He managed a rueful, helpless smile. “I don''t want a divorce."


    "This is better, really."


    "I hate... I hate the word ''ex-husband." His voice faltered, growing weaker. "Being


    a widower... is so much better. The Montgomery family... never divorced... and I... I don''t want to..."


    "You"


    Her tears fell, sealding as theynded on his blood-streaked face. M tried to speak, but her voice broke into sobs. She couldn''t form a single word, her chest tight with grief and fury and a thousand tangled emotions.


    She was furious.


    How dare you take the bullet for me?


    How am I supposed to hate you now? Overwhelmed by the storm in her mind,


    vision blurred by tears, she barely heard his next words.


    "Could you... Would you... kiss me?"


    No.


    I don''t want this.


    M took a ragged breath, lowering her head, but she couldn''t see his face through her tears. Suddenly, a warm, wet kissnded on her cheek, and Lysander''s voice, barely a whisper, reached her ears.


    "Darling..."


    "M, I love you."


    In that moment, all the words she had never dared to say-all the love she had


    buried deep-rose up, unstoppable, pouring out with the blood from his lips.


    I love you.


    From the very first moment I saw you, I loved you.


    Only you.


    I wanted a lifetime with you-no matter what. I''m sorry I always made you cry. But


    even if it''s selfish, I hope... I hope you''ll never forget me.


    I hope,


    you''ll love me.


    His words hit her like a hammer.


    Her body felt impossibly heavy.


    Her mind ràng, her heart caved in, the pain so sharp it nearly stopped her breath. She coughed violently, blood spilling from her lips. Her body swayed, unable to hold itself up any longer, and she copsed beside him.


    Through her fading vision, she saw Francis-his red hair unmistakable-fighting


    his way through the fleeing crowd, shouting her name.


    Leonard was right behind him.


    And then the darkness swallowed her whole.