He lied. My whole life, he said, she sold me just like others for money and status. But she didn’t. She didn’t. Every memory I’ve ever had of her feels poisoned now.
She died trying to save her baby—me—from a life of enslavement.
Tiberius turns, gripping my arm hard enough to bruise.
“Don’t worry, I’ll erase this memory. I don’t want my favorite son to remember I killed his mother.”
Son.
I have a brother?
Who watched my—our—mother die at the hands of this monster?
Is this a trick? Is he lying, or did he really…
I can’t think. I can’t breathe.
Maralyn. My mother. I have a brother. I don’t know where he is or if he’s even alive.
My head spins. The world tilts, and I can’t stand, I can’t think straight.
I don’t know what Tiberius was trying to achieve by showing me this memory, but all it leaves me with is rage. Something inside me snaps, not clean, not quick, but slow and violent. It floods my veins, my vision bleeding red until I rip free of his trance.
My hands shake as I push up. My knees buckle, but I force myself to straighten up, blinking out of the daze. I’m shaking with rage, tears streaming down my face, but no sound comes out of my mouth.
Tiberius gasps, shocked that I managed to escape his clutches, but I’m done playing games.
He took everything from me. I could’ve had a life.
He… hekilledmy mother, ripped me from her arms without any remorse.
Her pain still clings to me, choking the air from my lungs.
I never had a chance. He broke me until I didn’t recognize myself, and he’s doing it again… but I won’t be the only thing that breaks tonight.
I don’t care if I die, but he’s not walking away with his life after ruining mine.
A sharp pain explodes in my chest, grief twisting into something dangerous, blinding me before everything sharpens at once. My heartbeat roars as my wounds seal shut.
Tiberius goes for my throat, and I catch his wrist on instinct, twisting his arm until I hear a sickening crack.
Not enough. It’s not enough. Nothing will ever be enough.
I’m not scared anymore. I’m rage. I’m revenge. I’m his worst fucking nightmare.
Tiberius screams, tries to pull his arm from my grip, but I dig my fingers deeper until he’s howling in pain, forced to his knees.
A deafening silence blankets me, a blue hue drowning my vision. I can’t see anything but blurred shapes around me, but I know everyone has frozen in place.
My eyes squeeze shut. The urge to sing claws its way out, pain ripping through my chest as a whimper escapes me.
I look down at Tiberius, who is kneeling before me, expecting him to enjoy my pain, but his eyes are wide with fear.
I’ve never seen that look on his face before, and the fact that I put it there feels so good, a laugh bubbles out of me… but it comes out like a broken, raspy tune.
Instead of ripping his arm off completely, for some reason, I let it go, holding his head steady in my hands.
I didn’t know I could hold a king still. He’s screaming, trying to break free, but can’t escape my grip.
