I leaned closer . . .
On the inside of me, a little voice whispered,Anchor.
“Say yes to Briar Rose,” Cyrus repeated, dancing me back into the ballroom. “Becoming her host will eradicate your bond to Domino, making it a problem for us no more. Experience her power. Grow your gardens. Rule the worlds at my side.” He released me and stepped back to extend a hand in my direction. “Be mine.”
Anchor.
I stilled and sobered, the effects of the drug fading fast. In that moment, I knew I could reach for Cyrus or Domino, but not both.
I smiled, a little sad. “You can’t give me peace, safety, or security. You aren’t Cyrus.” No need to change my argument. And no need to elaborate. My mindset hadn’t changed.
I reached for Domino, and strength poured through me.
Cyrus dropped his arm and calmly stated, “If you refuse, you’ll be a liability to me. I don’t think you need to be told again what happens to liabilities.”
“Oooh. A threat.” I clicked my tongue to the roof of my mouth. “It’s not a lure. It’s not even original.”
“We’re past threats. I simply tell you the truth. Thatiswhat you prefer, yes? I cannot allow you to run around, wreaking havoc on my plans. With or without you, I will continue to build my army and take what rightfully belongs to me.” Resentment dripped from his words. “One way or another, I will claim Soal’s library. I will take the power of his pen, and I will rewrite my story.”
“Why do you need his pen?” This was the first I’d heard of it. “Why can’t you edit your own?”
He breezed past the questions, sweeping me back into his arms and twirling me over the dance floor. In the background, leaves rustled in the breeze, creating a soft, romantic song. “Look into my eyes. See my sincerity. Hear my certainty. You will enjoy being empress. A goddess.” His eyelids hooded. “Mostly, you’ll enjoy being mine. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Under your rule, everyone else will suffer.” Eventually, I would too. A liar lied. A killer killed. A thief stole. No exceptions. “Seemysincerity. Hearmycertainty. I will never be yours unless you reject Astan.” I clutched the lapels of his jacket and held him close, letting him feel my softness. “Reject Astan,” I repeated.
“Reject Domino,” he snapped, and guilt seared me. Deep breath in. Out. “Do you truly believe Soal is the better leader?”
“I judge a tree by its fruit. Your people are maddened, his aren’t. So yes.” I plowed my fingers into Cyrus’s silken hair and peered into his eyes, hoping to reach his heart. “Please, sugar. Time is running out.” At the first opportunity, I intended to bolt. “Reject the god or lose me.”
His irritation intensified. He looked over my shoulder and nodded. “I’ll give you one last chance to make the right decision.”
A whisper rolled through my head.With me comes more than power. You’ll be loved and adored by all. And the abilities you’ll have. Never again will you be helpless. My power will flow through your veins, becoming our power. We’ll use it to save both worlds. Seeds and soil will be ours to nurture and command.
Briar Rose, here to deliver the final blow. More persuasive than Cyrus and Astan, seducing with my wildest dreams.
To resist, I had to scrape fragments of strength from the bottom of a barrel. If I did it, if I said yes, it meanthelpingthe very beings who were responsible for twenty years of misery for me.
I pressed my fists into my temples. “Enough.”
But she wasn’t done.At least this way, you’ll have influence over Cyrus. You can steer his decisions the direction you prefer. All you must do is say yes to me ...
A logic more tempting than any threat. It battered at my resolve. Because she wasn’t wrong. I could influence him for good. Keep tabs on him. Weaken Astan’s influence. Help people. So why not do it? Wasn’t the future more important than the present?
Ugh. Here I was, doing exactly what Cyrus must have done: rationalizing. Flirting with monsters and their agenda. Briar Rose played on my emotions, nothing more, eliciting a lethal mix of hopelessness and helplessness. An expert manipulation tactic.
Anger bubbled up, and I intoned, “No. I reject Briar Rose. I reject Astan. I reject ... you.”
He pinched my chin between his fingers and lowered his other hand to my injury, squeezing the freshly patched gash. “Is this really the end you want for us?”
Sharp, searing pain rocketed through me. “Hurting me isn’t helping your cause,” I grated through panting breaths.
“You think you know hurt? I assure you, you don’t. None of you do. But everyone will learn, if Soal wins. How do you think I won over your precious fiancé? By proving the depths of Soal’s evil.” He squeezed harder. “I’ll do anything, even destroy those closest to me, to oversee his defeat.”
I waited, desperate for Cyrus to push to the fore and take over, not daring to breathe. But seconds passed ...
His fingers clamped tighter.
Air hitched in my throat. “No.”
