“How awful can it be?”Aimilia appeared in the water, and Hypatia let out a sharp, elated noise. She also drew a hiss from Nikias as her nails pierced his skin. Hypatia whispered something in her tongue, but Nikias was wholly focused on Aimilia following him through the room.“You haven’t told anyone, not even Gavril. For months now, you haven’t shown me. What could she have possibly done to you?”
Nikias choked. Was this a vision of the future discussing the very events he was living through at that moment?
In the vision, Nikias whipped around, reaching up and unclasping the left side of his chiton, letting it fall and exposing his chest.
Aimilia jerked back, eyes widening and letting out a horrified gasp.
Nikias stared at his chest.
At a scar he didn’t have.
Yet.
Inamatus.
“N—Nikias—”Aimilia took another step away from him.“That-—That’s what she did?”
In the water, Nikias stood there, staring at Aimilia with a cold, marble expression.“She carved it into me with her own hand.”
Hypatia’s grip on his head loosened, but Nikias could not dare look away.
He could see his left wrist now. The religo scars… were no longer scars. He bore a wedding bracelet.
And so did Aimilia.
Were they married?
Nikias shifted closer to the bowl, even though every limb he had screamed in agony at being jostled. He could not look away.
If this was real, if the demon’s abilities could be trusted…
Nikias married Aimilia?
He almost laughed. He didn’t care if she wanted to carve into him after this. She could carve a thousand scars into him; it would not change his elation.
If he had Aimilia’s love and her hand in marriage, he would endure any torment it took in order to reach this moment before his eyes.
“Well?”Nikias took a step toward Aimilia. He spat out each word.“Now you have nothing to say? This is all it takes to render you speechless?”
Aimilia stepped back, shaking her head.“What… What do you want me to say?”
He grabbed her by the shoulders, and Nikias could count on one hand the number of times he’d sounded so desperate.“Tell me it’s not true! Tell me that you love me.”
Aimilia reached up, brushing her fingertips over the scar. She whispered,“Don’t ask that of me.”
What?
Hypatia behind him gasped, letting go of his head and dropping to her knees beside him.
In the vision, Nikias pulled Aimilia closer so she was pressed against him.“Please, Aimilia, I love you. Tell me it’s not hopeless. You must.”
But Aimilia pulled out of his grip and started backing away from him. She shook her head and the disgust was palpable. What was worse was the pity.
“You know I can’t. That scar… You deserve it. Asking me to lie to you proves you do. After everything you’ve done, howcould you not? After everything you’ve done, how could anyone ever love you?”
“No—”
“Don’t. Don’t make this any worse than it needs to be. You didn’t need that scar to tell you what you already knew to be true. Everyone knows it. No one loves you. Stop this futile endeavor. No one will ever love you. No one ever could.”
