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“Cassius?” Confusion coursed through me.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered before he pushed me back, so I fell through the darkness.
I sat up and sucked in a deep breath. A room full of eyes shifted to me. I looked around the room expecting it to be mine, but it was much nicer. The room was huge and had two big windows. The bed I was in was three times the size of mine and I had dark green blankets covering me.
“Thea.” Cassius rushed over to my side and sat next to me on the bed. He grabbed my hand, but I pulled it away. His brows furrowed at the movement but didn’t try to grab it back. The king and a few others I didn't recognize were watching me.
“How long was I out for?”
The king spoke first. “Four days. We were worried you wouldn’t wake up.”
When I looked back to Cassius, a sense of familiarity washed over me. Were those my real memories? Did he know me before? Uneasiness filled my chest. Why was everyone lying to me?
“What’s wrong?” He frowned at me.
“I’m just confused and tired.” I didn’t feel sure enough to tell the truth. The more I learned about myself the more deceit I saw from those around me.
“Riven said a lot to you before he stabbed you. What did he say?” Cassius was tense and his eyes filled with worry. He was not telling me something. Everyone around me seemed to know me more than I knew myself.
“I don’t remember. Something about my points.” Another lie. A noticeable relief washed over him and the king. I wondered if it had been a mistake to come here at all. I should have stayed in Exile and found a way to free everyone from there. Why was everyone so fucking cryptic and misleading? Maybe I was a monster, and they didn’t want me to remember that.
“That’s all he said?” Cassius asked, eyes wide with skepticism. His shoulders were slumped as if he knew I was deceiving him.
“I’m sure he said more, but I just remember that and trying to think of how to stay alive.”
Cassius nodded as his golden eyes scanned over me. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to.
“I’ll be back in a moment,” he assured me, but it brought me no comfort. He and the king disappeared out of the room, and then the other men followed. I stood up quickly and went to the door hoping to sneak out, but I paused when I realized they hadn’t actually left.
“She’s lying to me,” Cassius whispered.
“Cassius, she may not remember. What Riven did was traumatic and he truly might have not said anything to her.” The king sighed. “She seemed genuine when she said she didn’t remember.”
“I know her better than anyone and she’s lying straight to my face. He either told her something or she’s having more memories. It’s just like last time.”
Last time?
“It’s not like last time, Cassius.” The king was angry now. “We don’t know anything, and it would be stupid to make assumptions. For now, all we can do is trust her and what she tells us.”
“I’m not assuming. I know Thea, and she is not being truthful.” Cassius didn’t sound angry. He sounded sad. “I can’t keep doing this year after year.”
“You can and you will. You heard what the Gods said. She’s done so much better this time around with Sybil’s magic. Besides, I know you’ll do whatever you must to save her.”
My heart pounded in my chest.
Cassius had been lying to me.
The king was lying to me.
Everyone was lying to me.
I couldn’t bear to hear anymore, so I went back to bed and curled up under the blanket. When I heard them come back in, I pretended to be asleep. I couldn’t look at anyone without more confusion consuming me. Everyone knew who I was but me. If Cassius cared, then why was he keeping things from me?
“Thea?” Cassius whispered. I didn’t move and kept my breathing steady. After a long pause, I heard him shuffling around before the bed dipped and he crawled into the bed next to me. He lifted the covers and pulled me close to him. The warmth of his body lulled me to sleep quickly.
?????
I abruptly woke up, startled when Cassius moved next to me. Within a split second, he had me pinned to the bed with his knife at my throat. His eyes were black as night as they bored into mine. His breathing was short and choppy as if he was in a fight.
