Jak stepped closer. “You think it’s still active? Like it’s doing this to you even now?”
“Aye.” Esmyra nodded. “It certainly feels alive in its own way. I’ve grown used to Kaelypso, but even then I knew it wasn’t her. This darkness is carving its way into my very essence, and it could consume me from within.”
Draevyn went rigid. “What do you mean?” He couldn’t help the anger-fueled fear in his tone.
“I know we shouldn’t believe Syrena and Azarian, but after feeling this all this time, I do think they were speaking the truth on this. Ifkept in a divine body long enough, the velsinyte could turn me into a husk. A barely living shell of what I once was.”
Draevyn was clenching his teeth so hard he thought they might shatter.
“And after what I saw it do to those in Anchorage Cove…I believe them. I saw a male get shot in the head, and his body caved in on itself.” A shiver rolled through her as she spoke of the memory. “It was horrifying to say the least, and not something I would prefer to live out in for all eternity.”
Jak blew out a breath, his brows creasing as he watched her.
“While she’s currently forced to be silenced, I doubt Kae has any interest in that either,” she added with a half laugh.
“Esmyra, this isn’t funny,” Draevyn growled. His eyes went distant as he nearly choked on all the thoughts consuming him. “I can’t believe Atlas did this.”
“I can,” she cut in and his stare slowly found hers. “If he’s anything like you.”
Draevyn’s brows furrowed, desperate to settle his anger. “You think I would do this to a woman?”
“No, I don’t mean that, and I’m not defending him either. But Idounderstand him.” She paused and sucked in a sharp breath. “Atlas is doing exactly what you are. He’s doing what he thinks is best to save the woman he loves. Your brother sees me as a monster for what I did to Elowynne, just as you see him now for what’s being done to me.”
Fucking Irah.
“That’s different.” Draevyn had never thought of it that way before, but even still, nothing would change his mind on this. “Atlas made this choice and it’s unforgivable.”
“Just as mine likely was to him,” she countered.
Jak rubbed a hand over his face. “Gods, what the fuck are we going to do?”
“Syrena and Azarian taught me how to treat the wounds, but nothing here will help us with what they had to do to save me. And also, the wounds were open, not closed like this is.”
Draevyn watched Esmyra as her hand gripped her opposite wrist, her nails tightly digging into the cloth of her shirt.
That’s the mark she hid from me on the deck.
Her gaze lifted to meet his, but she averted it quickly to the floor.
His breath hissed through his teeth. “So, what you’re saying is, they’ve only healed a festering wound?”
She shook her head. “The bullet holes were still open when I made it back to Maerinys.”
The way she casually brought up being covered in bullet holes made Draevyn nauseous, even though he was the only reason she made it out of that scenario alive in the first place.
“Fucking Irah,” Draevyn huffed. The thought of something vile crawling under her skin andfeedingoff her made his vision blur at the edges.
There has to be a way. Therehasto be.
Jak reached into his boot for his dagger. “Let us just cut it out of you.”
She gave him a knowing look. “While I love your enthusiasm, there’s a few issues here. The wound is closed and healed, but most of all, it’s on myspine.”
Jak’s face paled, finally realizing the severity of this.
“It could mean nothing,” Esmyra started with a shrug, “or… it could also mean, well,everything.”
“And if it means everything?” Jak pressed, his voice strained with the same fear Draevyn felt.
