Those questions lingered with her, even as she watched the sun change position in the sky, even as the thick pines turned to twisted and colorful trees that blanketed the setting sun. Even as she crossed over that line that separated Alvaros and gave way to Eadyn, she pondered.
Angry or satisfied?
But fear always gave way to anger in her heart—a catalyst to her tumultuous behaviors. And when she saw the rounded towers that peaked over the rolling hills that would lead her back to the heart of Eadyn, she balled her hands into fists and simply stared.
“Change your mind?”
Nymiria located Owen in her periphery and she took one of those clenched fists and let it unfurl over her pounding heart. She thought of Aziel, of the smug look on his face when he looked down at her in the ship’s cupboard, as he whispered those alarmingly arousing words to her before she found her release pressed against his body. She thought of the way he looked at her when he found her there at the bar, like he was disappointed in what he saw.
Her pulse gave a solid thud, the muscles around her heart constricting painfully.
That bastard. A true demon.
“No,” she sighed. “No, I’m not changing my mind.”
With those final words spoken, she took a step forward and walked until Aziel’s palace was in full view, looming over her. She stood at the edge of the large open field that led to the palace steps, glancing back and forth between the stairs and the edge of the forest, trying and failing to push memories out of her mind. Memories of his lips devouring her, of his body wedged between her legs, her back pressed against the wall of his room.
“He used your feelings to manipulate you.” She reminded herself quietly. “And you… you are the daughter of a monster. The least you can do is learn about your abilities and then justgo.”
She didn’t know where she would go after she’d fulfilled her godly duties, once she took claim of her destiny, but she knew she couldn’t stay here—couldn’t allow herself to feel what her memories forced her to face.
“Heartless.” She sighed. “You are heartless.”
And with that, she approached the palace.
The moment she positioned her hand to knock, the door to the palace swung open. Nymiria’s stomach plummeted to her feet, her hand frozen in the air as she stared at the herbal witch.
Hilla.
“Good morning.” Nymiria chirped, forcing a smile onto her face and securing her paralyzed hand behind her back.
The witch’s eyes roved around, looking from the sky to the landscape. “It’s nearly night.”
Foolish.
“Oh, well, goodevening.I must apologize for my intrusion, but it seems as if I am needing a place to stay.” She explained. There was absolutely no way that Hilla believed this facade.Even Nymiria was cringing at the sound of her own voice—too cheerful and too high pitched.
Moving away from the crack in the door, Hilla pulled it open further, waving her hand to welcome Nymiria inside. They walked in silence for a moment, neither of them knowing what to say to the other until they finally arrived in the foyer. It was exactly how she remembered it. Rock and gems in every corner, plants scattered about as if no one knew where to place them. Black and purple everywhere. Nymiria sighed. “Once again, I do apologize—“
Hilla waved her hand nervously, letting out a forced chuckle. “No, no. There is no need to apologize. It’s just that we weren’t—“
“We?” Nymiria’s finger paused on a blossom crawling up one of the tall pillars, her brow arching.
“Your room isn’t prepared just yet. I mean, it isprepared, but we haven’t had the chance to dust or polish anything.” While she hadn’t known what to expect at all in showing up here unannounced, she was certainly a fool to assume that she’d be in Aziel’s room. A very foolish assumption, considering his…company.
She must have notruinedHilla for him.
That was rude.You were the one who left, remember?
When Aziel first returned to Yaar, their first encounter with one another hadn’t been entirely too pleasant. He hadn’t been rude to her, not entirely. She had barged into the game room and saw him fucking Hilla on the billiards table. It hadn’t bothered her at the time. Now, the thought of it made her sick. Even though her stomach was in knots and she felt like emptying its contents onto Aziel’s new, pretty purple rug, she forced a smile. “I haven’t had a bath in two weeks, Hilla. A little bit of dust is the least of my concerns.” Nymiria assured her, finally releasing theflower in her hand, only to find that she’d completely crushed the poor thing in her grip. “I wasn’t aware that I had a room.”
Hilla was now guiding her up the stairs, turning to the left instead of the right. Another frown, her brow crumpling at the thought that he’d really wanted her this far away from him.
Your fault.
She ground her teeth, inwardly urging that nagging voice in her head to keep quiet.
“Aziel has had a room waiting for you for months. It was his first request upon returning.” Hilla explained, offering her a kind smile.
