“Agripa will remember your role in this, Thalia. I shall remember.”
Then she was gone, leaving Thalia to tremble in her own puddle of bitter regret.
Chapter Forty-Two
She didn’t think she could facehim.
She couldn’t bear the thought of Cassius’s face when he realized what she’d done—that she’d betrayed him.
So she stayed in the cellar, next to the Vampyr, who every so often tried to lunge at her through the bars. Whose puddle of spit had grown until it threatened to spill out from under the cage.
“Fuck, Thalia.”
Thalia slowly lifted her head, finding Marcus on the threshold. He rushed to her, hauling her up.
“I didn’t know,” he got out, eyes wide. “I had no idea what your mother was trying to do—”
Thalia shook her head, hollowness ringing out like an empty bell. “I know.”
Marcus’s face fell as he gripped her arms. “You’re freezing.”
Thalia didn’t care.
Didn’t care that her touch was ice as Marcus led her out of the chapel.
Didn’t care that her feet had gone numb and her wrists were bruised.
She didn’t care when Marcus finally left her alone in her room, not even the roaring of the fire able to thaw the coldness thathad latched on to her. The horror of what she’d done—what she’d confessed.
The door creaked open, but she didn’t turn around. The scent of eucalyptus and mint enveloped her.
“Thalia?”
She didn’t deserve her name on his tongue. Didn’t deserve the pathetic part of herself that was comforted by it.
“What happened?” Cassius’s words rumbled out.
She stood abruptly, walking to the fire. She planted her feet on the stained rug, trying to put distance between them.
Put distance between him and what she’d revealed to her mother.
Because after this, Cassius would never speak to her again. He might even kill her, and she wouldn’t blame him for it. Not one bit.
“Look at me.” His voice softened.
She couldn’t face the look in his eyes when he realized she’d betrayed him. Her mother would use the information she’d spilled in whatever way she could to kill him and everyone else in Vaccarium.
Her eyes blurred, acid working its way down her throat as a gentle hand gripped her arm.
She couldn’t do it. Couldn’t let him see—
Cassius tugged her, forcing her to face him.
As soon as he saw her face, he stiffened, dropping her arm. “What did you do?”
Thalia could hardly see him through her tears. “I’m sorry,” she rasped.
“Thalia, what did you say?” Cassius’s words sharpened into a blade.
