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My feet feel heavy as I drag myself back to the dining hall for breakfast. The vial is too warm in my hands, and I place it in my pocket. I go through the motions of gathering food on my plate. My mind lost in Loma’s words, shaking me to my core.
Taking a seat at the table I usually share with the queen, I pull out the vial, setting it atop. I stare at it, debating if I should take it or not. My stomach turns as anxiety builds. Pain flares across my mind, and I rub my temples, trying to force it away.
“Please tell me you’ve come to your senses and have taken the antidote,” Nyx says, dropping into the chair in front of me. I don’t look up from my plate. “Well, hurry up. Loma said it’s fast-acting. Then you can go apologize to Lily for all the horrible things you said to her last night.”
My grip tightens on my fork, the metal bending with the force. “Don’t say that name,” I scream at him. He narrows his eyes at me.
“Why? That’s her name. She lost it trying to protect you,” he sneers at me, showing his teeth. I shake my head and glare at him, matching his anger.
“It’s not. She’s not Lily. I’m so sick of the lies you all want me to believe.” I try to focus on my food and ignore his eyes burning into me.
“Take the antidote, Theo. Your mind will clear, and you’ll see we are not the ones lying to you.” Nyx pushes the vial toward me. My eyes snap up to him.
“What’s in this for you? Why are you so determined to get me to drink that?” I shove the vial away. His jaw flexes as I take an aggressive bite of bacon.
“I’m sick of putting her back together because of you. I’ve been doing it for the past seven years, and after last night, I can’t anymore. You’re breaking her to a point I can’t bring her back from. Drink it before it’s too late, and we both lose her to the darkness.”
I drop my fork, letting it clang against my plate. Sitting back in my chair, I cross my arms. “And why should any of that matter to me?”
Nyx groans loudly.
“Because you love her, and she’s your Amari. Just as she is mine.” His voice is a harsh whisper. I pick up the mug of coffee and take a sip before setting it back on the table.
“A mortal can’t have two Amari, General. It must only be you then.” My heart pings as if warning me about lying.
His hands drag over his face in frustration. “You know that’s not true, Theo. You’re tied to her heart, and I’m bound to her soul. Two Amari tethered to one.”
The wooden chair scrapes loudly across the floor as I shove it back. It slams into the floor with a violentcrack. I lean on the table, towering over Nyx in his seat. “Your king murdered my Amari,” I scream at him.
Nyx stands to match my temper. “No, he didn’t, and you know that. Your mind may want you to believe the lies Leopold has fed you, but your heart knows better. She’s here, begging for you to see her,” he yells, echoing through the hall. Everything falls silent as we stare at each other. Our breaths are rapid from anger.
Rushed footsteps click beside me as Hiram grabs my shoulder, forcing me to face him. “What’s going on over here? Why are you so mad, Theo?” He looks me over as I clench my jaw hard enough to hurt. I push at him, trying to get him off. He slaps my shoulder, and I grimace from the sting of pain.
“Do we need to go for a run? Or maybe a sparring session with the queen will help? I am sure she can knock some sense into you,” he smiles at me. I knock his hand from my shoulder and shove him hard away from me. He stumbles backward. His eyes go wide as he stares at me.
“If you die, I won’t be able to put her back together, Theo. She’ll never recover from that. Losing you for good will destroy her,” Nyx speaks softly from the table.
I snatch the other chair from beside me and take a seat. Grabbing my coffee, I sit back, staring at him. “That’s not my problem. Now, leave me alone.” Hiram grabs Nyx’s arm, pulling him from the table and out of my sight. I close my eyes, trying to calm the rage surging through me.
Taking a sip of coffee, the taste of iron blooms in my mouth, and I wonder if I cut it from clenching so hard. I run my tongue along my teeth, looking for the source but come up empty.
I take another sip, swirling it around my mouth to rinse away any lingering hint of blood. The metallic taste coats my tongue, and I take another bite of bacon to get rid of it, but it doesn’t help.
Pushing away from the table, I stride back to the front in search of water for some relief from the awful taste. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Nyx leaving Hiram to chase after me. I take long strides, hurrying to the kitchen to put distance between us.
Abrupt pain shoots through my mind, and I stumble forward, slamming into the serving table. Dishes and mugs clink as they shake with the impact. Nyx grips my arms as my legs threaten to give out with another fiery burst of pain.
“What’s wrong?” Nyx’s deep voice rings in my ears.
“My head. It hurts,” I answer, my words uneven. Nyx helps me stand as the wave of pain subsides and I can finally take in a breath.
Nyx releases me and backs up a few steps, shaking his head. “Loma said it would be a headache. It’s not supposed to be painful like that. Something’s not right. We need to go see her right now,” he says, reaching for me.
I jerk out of his reach. “Did you put the elixir in my coffee? I said I didn’t want to take it. What happened to having a choice?” I shout at him as the pressure builds in my head.
He steps into my space, nose-to-nose. “You get a choice if it doesn’t harm the woman we love. She’s my priority, not you. I did what I had to do to save Lily.”
I throw my arm out to punch him, but the pain overtakes me, and I lean on the table. Fire and lightning streak across my mind, ripping it apart. Images flash behind my closed eyes—all of them of Lily.
