“Easy,” Naerysa cooed, her talons now digging into the skin of his wrists, drawing blood.
Irah’s eyes met hers, and for a heartbeat, confusion flickered in his stare. His body went relaxed beneath hers, even though her grip remained lethally tight as his blood dripped down his arms.
Something was off. Something was so very,veryfucking wrong.
Esmyra rushed to the side of the bed, her lips parted in horror as she watched. If Kaelypso could’ve clawed her way out of their shared body, Esmyra was convinced she would’ve done so right then and there.
Naerysa’s gaze deepened, twin whirlpools of golden light boring into his soul.
Esmyra’s jaw fell, her heart stopping in her chest.
She’s fucking compelling him.
He gasped, mouth parting, but the words caught in his throat, smothered by the compulsion as it took root.
“Look at me,” Naerysa whispered, voice laced with her magic. “You know who I am. Say my name.”
“You’re…” His brow furrowed.
“Snap out of it!” Esmyra screamed, her voice echoing as if bellowed in tandem with the goddess within her.
“Kae. My Kaelypso,” he finished.
“Fuck.” Esmyra had no idea what to do.
Whatcouldshe do? This was a godsdamn memory.
A vicious smile crept up Naerysa’s lips. “That’s right. The twin you love.”
The fight drained from his limbs, and she leisurely released her hold on his wrists. His hands instantly fell to her hips, now holding her in place on top of him.
Naerysa leaned down and pressed her lips to his, slow and possessive.
And he didn’t fight it. He welcomed it, groaning into her mouth.
Bile climbed Esmyra’s throat. The vision of Draevyn’s lips on Syrena, of him holding her possessively the way he had with her the night before everything went to shit.
Oh gods, what if…
No. No, Syrena wouldn’t do that.
But Naerysa had…
Doubt quickly crept in as Esmyra watched.
That day in Lephyrin, Draevyn said he wanted her to know the truth. Could the truth be what she was thinking now? That he had kissed Syrena at no will of his own?
She couldn’t let her mind wander down that path.
Inside of her, Kaelypso screamed in heartbreaking agony as she was forced to watch Irah and Naerysa ravage each other through Esmyra’s eyes.
Thunder boomed from beyond the open windows, lightning erupting across the sky in arching, violent strikes as if answering to Kaelypso’s fury. Everyone leapt, startled at the sudden noise.
Irah jerked back like he’d been struck by the lightning. Naerysa sat up on him, but horror worked its way across Esmyra’s features as he looked up at her. No longer compelled.
One breath he was pliant, dazed beneath her, and the next he was fire barely caged.
“What thefuckis this?” he roared, his voice cutting through the room like a blade.
