The snake tightens around my neck, as if my own tattoo is somehowchoking me.
My lungs constrict—air stuck with no way out.
I gasp for a breath,knowingmy mouth is open, but the reflection of myself in the mirror is…different.
Ice spreads across my chest.
The me in the mirror…smiles.
As I stand here, stuck and clawing at my throat, my reflection stands perfectly relaxed with a cocky grin stretched across his face.
Not real, not real, not real.
The me in the reflection chuckles, amusement sparking behind those dead eyes.
Darkness dances around the edges of my vision, and the world goes dark as I watch my reflection’s smile turn sickeningly vile.
Fifty-Seven
Hydrous Phosphate
The momentthe door clicks shut behind me, my muscles tense.
Soren lingers by my side, but must sense something in Adrian because he ambles over and curls up at the foot of the bed.
I know Adrian isn’t going to hurt me—well, I know I could kick his ass if he tried—but being back in this room with him is a stark reminder of the last time we were here together.
When he told me he knew how Linnick died and kept it from me.
When he admitted to killing his own father.
When he tried to force me to become his queen.
Adrian clears his throat from behind me.
“I made sure to put Graylen in the room next to us so he could travel through the hidden passageway without the guard knowing,” he says quietly, looking anywhere but directly at me. “I’ll sleep in my old chambers, and he can sleep here. We’ll switch before the morning.”
I raise a brow. “And if someone comes in before that?”
At this, Adrian finally glances at me. “They’d have to have permission to enter.” He shrugs and walks over to the door we came through, turning the lock into place. With his back to me, he adds, “Keys are stored in the captain’s quarters on the first level. In the time it’d take them to unlock it, we’d be able to switch back.”
I snort. “That sounds safe.”
Adrian looks at me over his shoulder, his face relaxing as he nods in agreement. “I used to think nothing could touch me here.” He sighs and faces me, staying near the door and leaving a wide berth between us. “I was wrong.”
I nod, because what else is there to say? I’ve tried to tell him how he’s misunderstood things for weeks now.
“About a lot of things,” he continues—almost rambling—as he rakes a hand through his hair. “I was raised to see the world as Iwishedit to be—a kingdom that’s perfect and loves its king, a neighboring realm that’s evil beyond repair. And you.” His gaze briefly flicks to mine before he turns toward the frosted window. “You’ve been trying to tell me that my people are hurting, but I didn’t want to listen.
“But I see it now. I’ve seen it in the farms that have been reduced to shambles; I’ve felt the hunger in the eyes of children in the towns we stayed in.” His jaw tightens. “The market that once thrived turned into nothing more than a memory. My uncle did that—I don’t know how, but I know he did.”
I swallow. He’s so close to figuring out the truth on his own. Weneedhis help, and he’s done nothing but prove he’s willing to give it to us since we’ve gotten to Crea. Despite locking him and Opal’s brothers away in Penyth, he’s still choosing to help us.
Adrian could’ve turned us in the moment we got to thecastle. But he didn’t. He’s still here, offering to see our side of things.
“You can’t fix what you’ve chosen to be ignorant and selfish to in the past,” I finally say. “But you can change what you do in the future—how you choose to help those who need you moving forward.That’swhat matters now.”
Adrian nods stiffly, blinking rapidly as tears form in his eyes. “Let’s get that thing off of you for tonight,” he croaks out, gesturing to the collar around my neck.
