“I never met your father, but I heard plenty of stories. That was his power, was it not? Convincing others to do his bidding, regardless of their intention?”
“This is different,” I insist. “He didn’t command me to help him. There was no influence other than that of a father and the son who was desperate for his approval.”
She hums, the sound unconvinced. “An influence, I’d wager, that is more powerful than you want to believe. Far older, more experienced people were caught in his webs. They did it for different reasons, sure. Fear or loyalty. Some have a hard time telling the difference. Others might have been commanded by him, as you say. Might’ve had their minds taken over by brute strength. At the end of the day, that matters very little.”
“Tell that to the people I’ve hurt,” I retort.
Nelly looks wholly unimpressed. “More words spoken like a child. He may have had a hand in shaping you, but that doesn’t make him your sole creator. It doesn’t mean he gets to rule you now. Stop granting him that power.”
If only it were that simple.
I’d giveanythingfor it to be that simple.
My breath saws from my lungs in harsh, frantic rasps as I fight the wave of panic that grips me. It’s like claws around my chest, squeezing until the world narrows to a suffocating tunnel. I suck in a ragged inhale that catches and stutters, and the air becomes elusive like I’m trying to breathe through water.
Bash’s hand strokes my back in slow, firm passes, the familiar rhythm of his touch cutting through the chaos.
“Take a deep breath for me, princess,” he murmurs. “Let it pass.”
I nod but don’t dare to move as I struggle to get my breathing under control. The urge to dig my fingernails into my skin or pull on my hair is almost overwhelming, but Bash’s gentle touches and whispered words slowly bring me down.
Embarrassment replaces my panic, and shame settles heavy in my gut.
Nelly’s voice has lost its edge as she reaches across the table to place a hand on my forearm. “You escaped him once, dear boy. Don’t give him that space inside your mind.”
I force a rough swallow. “That’s harder than it sounds,” I finally say.
She breathes a sigh as she nods. “Indeed. Finish your breakfast. You’ll need the energy.”
I obediently pick up my fork and take a bite, though the flavor is lost to the caustic anxiety on my tongue.
“What’s our plan?” Cato asks from the sink.
Bash watches me for another few heartbeats before he gestures out the window. “Things will be tough while the city is on high alert. I don’t want to inconvenience Nelly for longer than necessary, so we need to come up with a plan.”
“Yeah…” Ego’s voice drawls from the doorway, and everyone turns to stare as she saunters into the kitchen. “Got some bad news for you, boys. These are plastered all over the city right now. Like, wallpaper level. Congrats, you’re famous.”
She hands Bash a small stack of papers, and the top one has a very clear picture of my face staring back, with an artist’s rendering of the patch over my eye.
“Wanted for high treason,” Bash reads out loud, “and multiple counts of murder. Fugitive should be considered extremely dangerous. Known aliases include Mikhail and Alexise. Last seen wearing military leathers. Extreme caution advised. Do not attempt to apprehend, only report sightings.”
“That’s… not ideal,” I say.
Bash grunts his agreement as Cato leans over his shoulder, way too close for my liking. Something ugly flares hot in my chest at how casually they touch, and I bite down on my lip, forcing myself to focus.
“They don’t mention Zadeus,” Cato points out.
“That doesn’t surprise me,” I mutter. “With how secretive they are about their identities, they’ll never admit one’s been injured.”
Ego snickers. “We should make some posters of our own. ‘High Commander got his ass handed to him by his own kid’ has a nice ring to it.”
Bash flips through the stack, and Cato’s face pops up next.
Cato snatches it with a scowl. “What the fuck?”
“Watch the papercut, asshole,” Bash mutters.
Cato glares at his own smug portrait. “They’ve mixed me up with Gideon and slapped ‘escaped fugitive’ at the top of this laundry list of offenses.”
