Burning for Love by Evangeline Anderson
32
Rissa sat there, shocked, her hand still held to her mouth though the teacup she had been holding just moments before was now in pieces on the floor.
“What…why…?” she began, looking up at James.
But the big Kindred was already lifting the lid of the teapot and looking inside.
“No!” Rissa gasped, putting out a hand to stop him. “No, you mustn’t!”
“Mustn’t what? Find this?” James demanded.
Using his metal hand—which was impervious to heat or cold, he fished out the limp tangle of honeybell vines Rissa had stuffed into the teapot. He dropped the sopping mass on the table, where it proceeded to leak tea and poison-green sap all over the white tablecloth.
“Why, Ka’rissa?” He was glaring at her now, a dangerous glint in his metallic blue eyes. “Why were you trying to kill yourself?”
“Kill myself? I wasn’t trying to kill myself!” Rissa protested weakly.
“Bullshit,” he growled. Rising, he snatched the teapot off the table and walked to the double doors that led out to the balcony beyond.
“No, wait!” Rissa exclaimed urgently. “Don’t do that!”
“Too late—it’s done.” James upended the teapot, pouring its steaming contents into the decorative oolie hedges below.
Rissa felt a terrible weight growing in her chest.
“James, I needed that tea!” she protested as he came back and plunked the now-empty teapot back on the table with a dull thud.
“Needed it for what—to kill yourself?” he accused again.
“I told you, I was not trying to kill myself!” Rissa protested hotly.
“Then why did you put poisonous honeybell vines in it?” He pointed to the soggy mass of vines in the middle of the table.
“I…” Rissa shook her head, her heart pounding and her throat tight. “I cannot…cannot tell you,” she whispered.
“Ka’rissa…sweetheart…” His voice went suddenly soft and coaxing and he came to kneel in front of her. “I can tell something’s wrong,” he murmured, looking her in the eyes. “You haven’t been yourself since last night and now this morning, you try to drink poisoned tea—tea that you poisoned yourself.”
“I…I needed the tea,” Rissa protested again in a small voice. Her chest was so tight she could barely breathe and her hands were beginning to tremble.
“Tell me why.” James took her hot, shaking hands in his large, cool ones and pressed gently. “Tell me why you think you needed the tea, Ka’rissa,” he murmured.
Suddenly, she couldn’t hold it inside any longer. Though she was certain it would make him despise her, the ugly secret came pouring out.
“Because,” she whispered, her eyes overflowing with tears. “Drinking tea with honeybell vines in it is the only way I can get rid of the baby.”
