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“Aren’t you? I see what you’re doing. Using your carefully crafted lies to get me to think you care about me and what I have to say. All the while you’re just a temptress luring me in for your king to use,” he says with pure disgust.
I shake with a rage strong enough to destroy.
“If you still believe all of this,” I gesture wildly around me, “everything we’ve done together and said to each other,” my voice escalates to a shout, and I smack my hands on his chest, causing sparks to ignite along my palms, “has been to serve a devious ploy by King Asher, then you’re the liar here, Captain.”
He grabs my wrist, trying to push me off, but I don’t let up. His grip tightens as lightning flares up my arms. The threads around my heart are vibrating with new intensity. He lets go and steps back, noticing the change.
I fist his shirt and pull him back toward me.
“I don’t take orders from anyone. You got that? What I do, I do because I want to. For me!” I scream, inches from his face.
He opens his mouth to respond, but I’m not done.
“If you would shut your mouth and use your mind for a moment, we could talk about what’s really happening between us and what we can do about it.” His face begins to change as his anger seems to subside.
The musky, smoke scent of leather hits me too late.
“I told you not to touch her!” Nyx shouts as he enters the library.
“Again, she’s the one touching me, General,” Theo says without breaking our eye contact but raising both arms in surrender.
Nyx reaches us and shoves Theo hard, breaking my grip. Theo stumbles into the table, knocking the books to the floor. Nyx steps toward him, but I put myself between them.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Nyx’s voice is dark and low.
Before I can discern whether he’s addressing Theo or me, Theo charges forward at Nyx. Grabbing Theo’s arm, I yank him backward until he’s back behind me, and Nyx lunges toward Theo in retaliation.
“Knock it off, now!” I shout, pressing a hand into each of their chests, attempting to force them apart. If they get their hands on one another, they’ll end each other. A strange pulling sensation tugs at my heart as I bridge the space between them, as if the cords are strung together as one.
“Care to explain why you’re still here with him when he is supposed to be in his cell?” Nyx demands, pointing at Theo and staring at me. Theo swats his hand away, drawing Nyx’s glare to him.
“Put your finger in my face again, and I’ll break it off,” Theo threatens.
The two men stare at each other as if hurling silent insults at one another. They’re in full attack mode.
“That’s enough,” I say with a smack to their chests. They both wince.
The crisp crunch of an apple breaks the tension in the library, and we all turn toward the sound. Hiram stands leaning against the door frame with a smirk on his face.
“Please don’t stop on my account. This is very entertaining,” he says and takes another bite of the apple.
“Hiram,” I say through gritted teeth, trying to control my frustration at the entire situation.
“Come, Theo. Let’s get out of here before these two really start fighting and we are caught in the crossfire,” Hiram says, pushing off the frame to stand.
Without a word, Theo backs up, picks the crimson book up off the floor, and walks to Hiram. I dare bring my gaze to Theo, hoping to see a sliver of the spark that was growing between us. But all I see is confusion and annoyance wrinkling his brow. Hiram leads Theo down the hall and out of sight.
“Care to explain yourself now that he’s gone?” Nyx asks, forcing my attention back to him. I drop my hand from his chest.
“Explain what? That I’m doing exactly what I said I was going to do, trying to win him over?” I answer curtly.
“Sure, and how well is that working out for you? We both know you can’t break through the mind veil Leopold placed on him without the antidote. And he seemed pretty agitated when I got here,” he retorts.
“I don’t have to break the veil when the threads of fate are still there. He knows, Nyx. Even if he doesn’t want to admit it to me or himself. He knows,” I say, emphasizing the words. “No elixir can stop the cords from calling out and leading you back to your Amari. I’ve been seeing signs. He’s feeling the tug.”
“And what if he’s playing you? What if everything you think you are seeing is just him messing with your head?” he asks, stepping into my space.
“That’s a risk I have to take, but I know I’m right, Nyx.” I try to step around him to leave, but he stops me with an outstretched arm.
