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“Feel my heart beating?” he asked, his voice cracking. “It’s beating because I’m still alive, Mari. I’m sitting beside you, and I’m here. No one hurt me, I promise.”
Tears leaked out of her eyes. “You’re still alive?”
Adrien wanted to roar, anger surging so close to the surface. How dare anyone do this to his friend? Marinette didn’t deserve the torture she’d endured the past twenty days. He’d make Hawk Moth pay for this. Once he had the chance, he wouldn’t hold back, no matter who hid behind the Butterfly mask. The man would pay for hurting Marinette.
Keeping a tight lid on his anger, he kept his voice gentle, murmuring, “I’m still alive. We all are, Mari. Whatever Hawk Moth said, it’s not true.”
More tears dripped down her cheeks, the rivulets converging at her chin and dripping large droplets onto her tank top.
“Mari?” Using his free hand, he tried to wipe away the tears, but they proved too numerous. “Tell me what you need. You want to talk about what happened?”
She hesitated, spurring him to add, “It’s okay if you don’t. We can just sit here until you’re sure I’m real.”
She stared at their joined hands resting over his heart. Her mind whirled with everything he’d told her if he could judge by the strength of her stare. Her nails dug into his shirt and the skin beneath, but he didn’t mind. Short breaths puffed past her lips. A determination he missed more than he’d thought possible swept through her, her breathing hitching as she fought whatever demon tried to undermine her.
“Hey, Mari,” he whispered, his hand caressing her cheek to gain her attention. “We’ll find him. We’ll take him down.”
The first hint of smile blossomed. “You sound like you’re one of Paris’s heroes.”
“Maybe I am. You never know. They wear masks, so who’s to say I’m not behind one?” He chuckled, happy to see some life coming back to her.
Her smile brightened a bit more as she admitted, “You remind me of Chat Noir sometimes.”
“I do, huh? Well, I’ll take that as a compliment then.” His lips lifted at the corners, reminiscent of his superhero persona.
“I need to find him,” she whispered, her smile dimming. “Hawk Moth has Ladybug’s earrings. Chat’s going to be alone. He needs to be prepared.”
Dread slammed into him. Not only had Marinette gone missing, but Ladybug hadn’t been seen in the same amount of time. He’d hoped his partner had been waylaid by something else, not daring to believe the worst or what that would entail. Marinette’s words transformed his greatest fear into reality. Ladybug had been lost to him, leaving him the lone defender of Paris.
“I failed, Adrien. I should’ve fought harder, but she was too strong.” Tears began to leak from her eyes again, the small flood worse than the one earlier.
“Hey, you did what you could. You survived, Mari. That’s all that matters.” He loosened his holds to wrap his arms around her, dragging her closer.
“It all felt so real. Everyone I loved faced a fate worse than death itself, especially you. She took such pleasure in doing it, too. I wanted to die, too.” Sobs wracked her body.
Confused, he held her, his hands running up and down her back. Tears soaked through his lightweight shirt to drench his skin with her sorrow.
“Who is this she, Mari? Who tortured you if it wasn’t Hawk Moth?” He pulled back far enough to see her face, see the misery she couldn’t hide from him. “Tell me, please.”
“Volpina.”
Nausea rolled through him, threatening to send him racing toward the bathroom below.
“She knows, Adrien,” she whispered, her voice almost too soft to hear. “She knows I’m Ladybug.”
Ice water would have shocked him less. The nausea increased. His blood froze in his veins, the truth slapping him harder than he’d ever thought possible.
Staring down at her, he knew. He could see the proud blue gaze staring from behind the spotted mask. The smirk she wore whenever he made a silly pun. The two incredible women in his life melded into one.
“Don’t worry, my Lady.” His voice remained steady, his resolve solidifying. “No one is going to hurt you or anyone you love anymore.”
He had no intention of breaking his promise. His top priority was Marinette, his partner and best friend. His next would be the downfall of Hawk Moth and all his retched akumas. The man would pay for his role in torturing Marinette. Adrien would see to that.