I turn just enough to see her standing frozen at the edge of the destruction, fear and fury warring in her eyes.
Talos laughs.
“Too late,” he says.
I slam him into the ground and press my foot into his chest until the floor caves.
“Swear,” I repeat. “Or I end you here.”
He wheezes, body cracking under the pressure. “Fine,” he spits. “I’ll leave her alone.”
I lean closer. “Forever.”
“Forever.” He snarls. “But she’s already gone from you. You don’t know it yet.”
I throw him.
He crashes through the far wall and disappears into the night, retreating on scorched air and wounded pride.
I turn to Cassia.
She’s already moving toward me, hands shaking, eyes scanning my injuries.
“You’re bleeding,” she says. “Sit down. You need to sit down.”
I shove her hands away.
“How do you know him,” I snap.
She freezes.
“How do you know what he is?” I demand. “How do you know about gods, Cassia. Don’t lie to me.”
Her mouth opens. Closes.
I see it then. The instinct. The old habits. The way she shields truth like it’s muscle memory.
That fucking hurts worse than the blade.
“Answer me,” I bark.
“I was trying to keep you from it. Keep you from my problems,” she says, voice breaking. “You don’t get to interrogate me like I’m the enemy.”
“I just fought a god for you,” I roar. “You don’t get to keep secrets from me.”
Her eyes flash. “I didn’t ask you to.”
The words enrage me even more simply because they are true.
I lose my temper.
“Then maybe you shouldn’t be here,” I snap. “Maybe you should stop pretending you’re some innocent little human who stumbled into this world by accident.”
Her face goes white.
That’s when I know I fucked up.
She steps back.
