His grip tightened and he stared at her, her words hanging between them in the silence, punctured only by Nikias’ breaths. He stared down into her eyes, and Aimilia had no idea what could be in them that would require so much study.
Was he judging the truth of her words? If there was only one thing Nikias knew about her, it should be her love for Gavril. It was burned into her soul, so deep she could live a thousand years without seeing him again and still it would be within her.
After loving him, there was no loving anyone else.
Nikias had to see in her eyes her love for Gavril was cut from the same cloth as his love for Faustina.
They would both go to their graves never loving another.
“Then…” Nikias’ grip eased. “That is what you will get. I am promising you now, Aimilia, I will do everything in my power to give you what you want.” He swallowed. “Undeserving of you as he might be right now, if my brother is who you want… I will make sure you get Gavril back.”
“How? He’s married. There’s no undoing what’s been done.”
“Trust me. I have a plan, and when all of this is over, Gavril will be grateful we saved him before this she-wolf destroys him completely. He’ll see how loyal you are, and when he sees how much you love him, even through this, he will be on his knees begging for your forgiveness and your hand. He’ll break out of the spell this she-wolf has over him, and nothing will ever make him doubt his love for you ever again.”
Aimilia wanted to believe him more than she’d ever wanted to believe a word out of Nikias’ mouth before.
But…
“What about what you want?”
Nikias stared at her, and she’d never seen that look in his eyes before. She couldn’t identify it. It certainly wasn’t the annoyance he usually looked at her with. There was so little distance between them, but it cut through what little there was. Had Aimilia ever been this close to Nikias before? With the way he was looking at her it was hard to remember. It was hard to even think.
Her heart raced in her chest. Had Nikias ever looked at anyone this way?
“Aimilia… I want…” His hand came up around the religo scars on his wrist as he didn’t break her gaze. His voice was husky and ragged as he said, “It doesn’t matter what I want. Thewoman I love is wholly out of my reach. Since I cannot have what I desire, I will have justice in its place.”
Aimilia took a deep breath. His grief was palpable in the air. “Alright. I’ll do it.”
“The person who gave you that ring… a façade.”
If only she’d known then every word out of his mouth that night had been a lie.
Aimilia jerked awake, gasping as she reached forward clutching her chest at the memory of that fateful night Nikias pulled her into his spell, manipulating her so she danced to his tune all so he could get Marcella to pay for Hypatia’s crimes.
Hypatia’s warning settled over Aimilia’s shoulders.
Aimilia stumbled out of bed as it warred with the memory she had of the night before, being in Nikias’ arms.
She pressed a hand to her stomach.
What was shedoing?
She stared down at the gold ring, mocking her.
Had she lost her mind?
This wasNikias.
“Stay away from him. Stay as far away from him as you can.”
“I will.”
Nikias had turned her into a liar. What a traitor she was. The next time she saw Gavril and Marcella, how was she going to be able to look them in the eyes? Even if she never told them, she would still know. Letting Nikias kiss her, almost kissing him, clinging to him… The man who was the reason they would never have a family of their own.
Her grandfather was barely cold and she’d spent most of her time thinking about a man who had already deceived her and manipulated her into doing exactly what he wanted once before.
Beautiful, perfect Faustina. She’d been the only thing about Nikias Aimilia had approved of. Nikias belonged to her. He would always belong to her even in death. If Faustina were in front of her, how could she look her in the eye now that she knew what it felt like to have Nikias’ lips on hers and his hands clutching her to him the way he once had Faustina?
