Page 40 of What Lies Beyond the Realms

“My head is hurting. How long was I asleep?”

“Just a couple hours. It’s not even midnight yet. I had to use a compulsion on you. I’m sorry for that.”

Oh gods. I am starting to remember what happened before I fell asleep.

“Let me get this straight. I was basically trying to devour your body to the point of you having to force me to sleep it off.” I cringe as I recount the night’s events in my head.

“Did Colton give you stardust to drink?” Nyx asks, his lips pressed together.

“No, he didn’t.” I’m remembering what Colton told me now about my father. He confirmed that my father was a Faery. “Why was I the only non-Faery at the party?”

“It’s not often people from other realms visit Nighthold. No one in Cloudrum really likes the Fae, especially the Sorcerer Realm. Your people despise us.” His words ignite something inside me.

“Funny how you say individuals in the Sorcerer Realm hold disdain for the Fae. They once had a Faery rule as their king.”

Nyx looks at me, and his brows furrow. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you dare lie to me, Onyx. Not now.” I don’t take my eyes off him.

“I don’t think you know what you’re talking about, Lyra,” Nyx says, reaching out to touch me like he’s trying to calm me. It has quite the opposite effect.

“I saw the notebook in your office today. I know about the Lewis lineage. You received mail from Samael too. I won't even ask what it says, because I’m sure you’ll just lie about that too,” I say between clenched teeth.

Nyx doesn’t say anything. He just stares down at his drink.

“How could you keep that from me? Why wouldn’t you tell me about my father? Am I part Fae? Why did you even have that notebook about my family?”

I push off the bed. I can’t stand being next to him if he can’t even tell me the truth.

“Lyra, please let me explain.” He puts his hands up as if to calm me down.

“I trusted you. You’re just like everyone else. You lie and just want to use me for your own benefit. I trusted you, Nyx.” My voice breaks, and I feel my eyes swell with tears, but I won’t let him see me cry.

Before he can say anything else, I move toward the door. He grabs my arm but not hard enough to stop me.

“Don’t touch me.” I swat his hand away and flee to my room before he can say anything else. I don’t hear him follow me, and I’m thankful I know the way back to my bed chamber after exploring earlier today.

Chapter Nineteen

I step out of my dress, the fabric falling to the floor as I make my way to my bed. I let out a sob as I crawl under the covers, tears streaming down my face. My mind is a mess. I don’t understand why I’ve been so emotional and unpredictable lately. It could be the lingering effects of stardust or the excessive drinking. Or maybe it’s this place and its magic that’s getting to me. I bury my face in my pillow, desperate for some kind of solace. The truth is, my chest aches because of my feelings for Nyx. Despite my best efforts, I can’t deny the attraction I feel toward him. Something about him makes me feel happy and safe, like I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. And that’s why this hurts so much. I thought I could trust him, but now I’m not so sure. He’s been keeping secrets from me, and it feels like a betrayal. He doesn’t know me well, but it hurts that he’s been investigating my family history without my knowledge.

After speaking with Colton earlier, I can only assume that Nyx must have known my father. And it’s possible that Nyx was even the one who banished him from the Faery Realm.

I probably shouldn’t have blown up and left so dramatically. Maybe I can partially blame my heightened feelings on the stardust drinks. He’ll never tell me the truth now after that scene I made. I don’t know what he’s going to do with me. Maybe he’ll just start locking me in this room, or maybe he’ll trade me back to Samael.

There’s a knock at the door, and I know it has to be Nyx. I keep the pillow over my face and stay quiet. I don’t know if I’m ready to talk to him. Of course, when I don’t respond he comes inside anyway. I feel him sit on the end of the bed.

“Can I help you with something?” I say, muffled into the pillow.

“You can start by showing me your face.” He grabs the pillow and tosses it aside. He looks stressed, and I feel bad for a minute, but then I remember he’s the one hiding things. I scowl at him.

“I know you’re upset. I was planning on talking to you. I was just waiting for the right time and didn’t think you would go looking through my office while I was gone.” He runs his hands through his hair, flustered.

“You can talk to me now,” I say under my breath, looking away from him.

“Your father, Euric. He was Fae, and I knew him. We were friends once,” he says, gravely looking at his hands in his lap. “When I was young, I used to look up to him. He was about a hundred years older than I was. When Bim and I’d get into trouble, he was usually the one to bail us out. He was very close with my father, Callum, and like a second father to me, then they had a falling out. My father never talked about it. Just one day Euric was gone. He’d never tell us what happened. I don’t know if my own mother even knew what happened between them.” He looks at me, sorrow in those gray eyes. “It was after my parents died when I took over as king. I went to Cloudrum to see the other territories and meet their leaders. My first stop was Tempest Moon to meet the king and queen of Cloudrum. You cannot imagine the shock I felt when I found out Euric was the king of Cloudrum. That he was not only king but pretending to be a Sorcerer as well.”

“What happened? Did he tell you why he left?” I need to know the truth behind my father’s actions. “Colton told me he was banished from Nighthold, and some now believe he rules in Zomea.”