Queen of Ruin(Book three of the Immortals Series)
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX THE SIN

The storm beat against the infirmary window as Teddy glared down at the street below. He stood cross-armed against the cool, damp metal frame as he watched the beads of water bounce up off the street under the orange glow of the lamps. When he glanced back over his shoulder at Tessa, he choked out the guilt and shame of it all as he slapped his hand over his mouth to keep quiet. Bent over in agony, Teddy hiccupped back the soft sobs of his contrition for what he failed to do and what he was about to do.

Tonight was a blurry mess of chaos, but standing there by her bedside now, Teddy realized he had no one to blame but himself, and it broke him. Everything that followed this moment resulted from sheer panic.

He replayed the whole day in his head and looking back now, it was so obvious what the tricky little witch had planned. As the thumping in his head set in, Teddy closed his eyes.

Walking by the courtyard window as he exited the stairs earlier that day, Teddy caught a glimpse of Tessa dancing in the breeze by the fish pond. The way she giggled and sang as she wrapped her arms around herself made him grab at his chest as the ache of it made his throat burn. There was little that brought her any joy, and seeing the peace on her face was moving.

When he heard Billy and Haldir in the parlor, he decided to let her have her space for a while. With his hands on the hips of his designer slacks and his leather shoes clacking against the marble floor, Teddy walked into his father's parlor and went to the server.

"You sure you don't want me to stay home?" The old leather chair squelched as Haldir drove himself back into the seat and crossed his feet on the ottoman. "You could probably use a night out on the town more than me."

Teddy rubbed the back of his head and turned around. He shook his head and stirred the liquid as he swirled the glass in his hand. "No, it's alright, have a good time. We're just going to watch some movies and stuff."

A soft sigh left Haldir's mouth as he set his glass on the table beside him and pulled his hand down his beard. Tessa was a wreck, and Teddy was along for the ride whether or not he liked it. "It's not a sin, you know. You're a grown man, you should be out with people having fun."

Fog rose from the inside of his glass as he scoffed into it when he sucked back a drink. "And how am I supposed to have a fun time when she's like that?"

Leaning forward in his seat with his hands clasped, Haldir pointed to him. "You two feed off each other. You always have. You're making each other miserable. She cannot help what she's feeling, but you can. You need a break from her now and then, Billy and I can entertain her."

There wasn't enough neck cracking to ease the stress in Teddy's shoulders, so he finished his drink and sat in his father's worn-in club chair. "Maybe next weekend. So, what's on the menu this week?"

"Thanks to the three of you, all our contracts are filled, but I have a present for you." Billy threw the dossier on the cocktail table, then rubbed his thumb over his lip. "We found the housekeeper."

"The hell you say!" For the first time in months, Teddy was excited to get a contract in his hands, and he snatched the file off the table and opened it. The smooth paper made his skin crawl as it slid across the course grooves of his fingertips while he flipped through the pages. "Orlando? You mean this bitch is hanging out at the Magic Kingdom?" Sighing out in amusement, Teddy shook his head at the irony of what they were about to do to that traitorous woman. Throwing the file back down, Teddy snorted through his nose as he laughed. "Well, when Tessa's finished with her, I guarantee it will no longer be the happiest place on Earth."

When he heard the creaky courtyard door open and close, he took the dossier back and slid it on the table between him and Haldir. Wiping her eyes as she crossed the threshold, she sank on the sofa across from the men. With a smile brighter than he'd seen in months, Teddy sat up straighter in his chair and narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion. "So, what's the plan tonight, Tess? Pizza and superheroes or Chinese and Kung-fu? Your choice." She turned up her nose at it all and shrugged. "I don't know. Why aren't you going to the party with these two handsome devils?" Smirking at the ugly outfit he wore, she lifted her chin at Haldir. "Nice suit." Twisting his arms as he peered down over the dark brown fabric, Haldir shrugged. "Eh! As long as the ladies like it."

As he shrugged it off, Teddy swirled the drink in his hand. "There'll be other parties."

Seeing the file on the table, she raised her brow and lifted her chin to Teddy. "What's that?"

Not wanting to ruin what he thought was a better mood, Teddy wasn't sure how to answer. Tapping his fingers on the file, he finally just spit it out. "The last piece, Tessa. She's in Florida."

Blinking away towards the window, she nodded and said the words that Teddy now wished he had paid more attention to. "Good. I want this all to be over. I'm tired of living like this."

After Haldir and Billy left for the Saturday night party at the Order, Teddy slid down on the sofa beside Tessa and clicked on the television. "Is Big Trouble in Little China alright? I think we've seen everything else anyway." "That's fine." She pulled her feet up under the blanket and snuggled up against his arm. "When's the food coming?"

"Shit!" Teddy pushed himself up on the couch and grabbed his phone from the side table. "I completely forgot." Dialing the number, Teddy clicked pause on the movie. "Yes, ma'am. I want to place an order for delivery, please." As the person on the other end explained why they couldn't deliver tonight, Teddy trilled his lips and pushed his hair back off his forehead. "Alright, that's fine. Can you put me down for the beef and broccoli and the shrimp fried rice? Yes, maʼam. Mason. Thank you."

Teddy elbowed her in her arm as he set the phone down. "We got to walk down; their delivery boy's out."

Her eyes darted around at the choices in front of her before she glanced at him. "Do you mind if I stay here?"

"You sure?" Teddy slid his feet down in his loafers and glanced back at her. "I won't be gone long."

She nodded and smiled at him as she finalized her plans for tonight. "Yeah, I'm already in my jammies. I don't feel like getting dressed again."

Looking her over as he pushed his lips together, Teddy slapped her knee. "Alright. You need anything else?"

With the wave of relief washing over her, she stood and hugged him. There were a million things she wanted to say to him, but she didn't want him to stop her. "No, I'm fine. Be careful, Teddy. I love you." Before he pulled away, he gave her a quick peck on the top of her head then grabbed his phone and wallet from the table. "I'll be back in twenty."

Walking across the foyer, he yelled back to the sitting room. "Don't start without me!"

As he strode down Jones Street, Teddy took a deep breath of the stormy air moving in and peeked up to the sky. The moon glowed an eerie red against the black night, and the little hairs stood on his arms. His mind went back to the night his parents died, and the similarity in the sky as a shiver ran through him.

Unusually quick with the order tonight, Teddy tucked the bag under his arm and checked his Rolex as he hurried home. When he got to the front gate, the first flash of light crossed the sky, and it sent a pain right through the center of his chest. Grabbing the rail at the steps, he doubled over in pain and realized it didn't belong to him. "Tessa."

With his sneaky little counterbalance slipping further and further away, Teddy's wobbly legs stumbled up the stairs, and he threw the door open. "Tessa!"

Billy's booming voice vibrated the house as he tried with all his strength to stop the bleeding. "Bedroom, Teddy! Now!"

His pulse bounding through his head like a drum, Teddy ran up the stairs and down the hall. Grabbing the doorway to slow him as he rounded the corner, the sight of it all made him groan out like a punch in the gut.

Her bag of holding was dumped out on the floor, and Haldir's shaking hands fumbled with the little metal case. Billy had his hand firmly over her chest as the blood spurt out between his fingers. "Talk to her, Teddy."

Crashing to his knees, Teddy crawled to her, then bent down to her ear and saw the knife in her little hand. "Hold on, Tess. Don't leave me. Please, don't leave me." He kissed her cheek and watched as Haldir dumped a vial of something down her throat, then threw it against the wall and fell to his rear with his bloody fists balled in front of him.

Rubbing his temples as the sight flashed through his mind again, Teddy heard her soft whimpers as she started to wake. He crawled into the bed beside her, took her hand, and then brought it to his chest as her eyes opened. "Hey, good looking."

The pouty little girl showed herself again as she sniveled out in a mixture of pain and shame. "I'm sorry."

He pressed his forehead into hers and whispered to her. "Shh! You don't ever have to apologize to me."

"I keep hearing the music; he's haunting me." Tessa's whole body jerked, and she slapped her hand to her chest to brace against the pain. "He hates me. I killed them."

Pulling her closer, Teddy leaned down into her ear and put her out of her misery. As he swept his fingers across her forehead, the blackness washed over his eyes, and hers closed tight again.

He looked down at their joined hands and slid off her rings, then the ghostly voices seeped from his tongue and claimed all her pain for themselves. "Ón oíche a wed tú, ná cuimhnigh."