No—this couldn’t be real.
Itcouldn’t.
But itwas—
“Darling, I’ve been so very worried. Yet here you are. With my enemy no less.” There Cyrus stood, surrounded by what had to be at least 50 guards. My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest as Cyrus’s smirk drilled into me.
“She’s not your darling. She’s notyouranything.” Calix hissed at him, and Cyrus raised his brows, amused, as he turned to him.
“I’d be careful how you speak to me. After all, I have something you may want.” Cyrus taunted, a smile growing across his face.
“Doubtful.” Calix snarled. His face was…I could really only describe it as murderous. He partially shifted, his teeth growing into large dagger like fangs, and I could hear the gruffness in his voice that surely resulted from the fire billowing low in his throat.
Cyrus just smirked, that amusement never leaving his face, which made my heart sink into my stomach. He knew Calix wasmore powerful, which meant he had something up his sleeve to remain so confident. And that he somehow knew to be here, knew what he’d face…
He motioned someone forward and I gasped as Harpina was dragged out in chains. She looked as murderous as Calix, even chained up. She glared at Cyrus like she could burn him with a look. Calix growled low, and it should have been a warning Cyrus took seriously. The fact that he didn’t, made me incredibly nervous.
I couldn’t go back.I couldn’t.
Looking at Cyrus now, remembering as he held me down, as I screamed and fought—I thought I might throw up. My hands shook, and Calix squeezed mine hard, centering me back to reality.
“Iron chains.” Cyrus smiled, delighted by the reaction he was getting.
“How?” I murmured, my brows furrowing as I tried to figure out what had happened, how he was here. Cyrus smirked at me, and it took everything in me not to flinch back. I wouldn’t give him that power.
“Oh, you’ll love this, my dear. Come here, girl!” Cyrus smiled widely, and I watched in horror as Emmie stepped through the guards. She gave Cyrus a smile, and I was sure I was going to throw up now. Emmie turned to me and glared. She glared—at me. Atme.
My heart shattered. I let them in, I letherin. I had been firmly against forming attachments, but I grew weak. I let her weaken me to her friendship, and now,nowshe was stabbing me right in the back. I should have known better—should have known her miraculous turnaround was bullshit.
“I told you I wanted to stay with the king!” Emmie spat at me, like everything was my fault. I supposed to her, it was. “I washappy there. I had everything I could possibly want. And you ruined it!”
“Emmie, he’s a fucking monster!” I argued, trying to appeal to her logically, but it was useless. What had happened to the girl I first met?
“Who cares?” She scoffed. “So he kills some humans—even some Fae? What does it matter? As long as I was living in luxury, safe and sound, that was all that mattered.” It was at that moment I realized I never truly knew her at all.
She smirked at me, like she could read my realization on my face. “I told you when we met, Asteria, you can never trustanyoneat court. You were so easy, too. So unaware of how the world worked. I knew Cyrus wanted you, and you would give me access to the royals. I refused to live the life of a damn slave forever. I deserved more! I deserved jewels and fancy dresses instead of having to deliver them to others. I wasn’t made to scrub pots and do laundry.” She tossed her blonde curls over her shoulder, a smug smile crossing her face. “I was born to be taken care of. And that’s exactly what King Astraeus did. Exactly whatyoutook me away from.”
“You see, Asteria? She knew to take advantage of what was offered. You could have had that too, but instead, you refused me at every opportunity.” Cyrus snarled, his voice dark with resentment. “Emmie had been given an enchanted pen by my father. Anything written with it would go right to him. It made it oh so easy to get information on what you were up to.”
Fuck.This was all my fault. If I’d just left Emmie to Astraeus, our plans wouldn’t have been exposed. How much did Cyrus now know? Were the rest of Calix’s operations now at risk?
Cyrus looked at Calix, a fake smile lingering on his mouth. “If you want Harpina back, you’ll hand over my slave without a fight.”
Calix roared, his face a furious snarl as fire blew out of his mouth with a lick of flame. “Asteria isn’t a slave. She’s a free human.”
“You’re outnumbered, old friend.” Cyrus chuckled, raising his arms to indicate those with him. “You can’t kill all of us before I kill Harpina.”
Harpina managed to work her gag out of her mouth as Calix fumed silently at Cyrus. “Kill them fucking all, Calix!”
Cyrus’s head whipped over to her, but that was all Calix needed to hear apparently. Darkness came from him in a rush, and a wall of it formed—a wall of shadow between me and everyone else—including him. My heart rose that his first thought was to protect me, but fell in the same breath that I was trapped behind a wall as they fought.
I could still see through it though, and I put my palms up to it, wanting to see what was happening. I was struggling to breathe, the idea of going back with Cyrus too much to contemplate. All of my worst nightmares were coming true before my eyes.
Cyrus here to take me back.
A friend betraying me.
Another friend in mortal peril.
