Page 66 of Revenant

Cold air brushes the side of my neck where Eryx’s fangs were buried, and the sting is immediate, intense enough to make my breath hitch. Each inhale I attempt to take in feels thin, like the air isn’t reaching deep enough in my lungs.

Pryce is saying something, but it’s all muffled like I’m underwater. The room tilts slightly, the edges of everything blurring. The only thing I can hear clearly is my own breathing—ragged, uneven—and the faint rush of my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

Still, I can’t look away from Eryx.

There’s blood running from the corner of his mouth to his chin. My blood.

He’s staring at me like he’s trying to measure the damage or convince himself he didn’t go too far. But all I see is the truth behind his pathetic mask—a selfish monster that almost drained me dry.

A moment later Pryce is crouched in front of me. “Tesoro,” he says gently, forcing my gaze to meet his. “Look at me.”

I do—because right now, he’s the only thing that makes sense.

“You’re safe now,” he says, though his eyes flick to the blood plastered to my neck. “Are you okay?”

Safe.

The word feels ridiculous.

My throat constricts. “He–I’m–”

“I know.” Pryce’s jaw flexes. “I know.”

Behind him, Eryx scoffs something under his breath, and the sound causes my entire body to flinch.

“Get out.” Pryce growls.

Eryx doesn’t move. Of course not. He just stands there like he’s a fucking statue above consequences, above guilt. It makes me feel even worse.

I look away, swallowing hard. The magic under my skin stirs again, reacting to the fear, to the violation of it all. I press my hand to my chest, attempting to quiet it, but it only pushes back harder.

Pryce notices. “We need to get you out of here.”

I nod, because staying in this room with his scent of oakmoss and saffron still clinging to the air, with the memory of his body weight pinning me down, makes me want to vomit.

Pryce helps me stand. My legs wobble, but I force them to hold. I won’t break in front of this asshole.

“Christ.” Eryx laughs. “You’re being proper dramatic. You didn’t have to make it so difficult,” he continues, rolling his eyes. “This would have been easier had you submitted the way you did for my brother.”

Pryce goes completely still beside me. “Brother?” he says slowly.

Eryx’s stare breaks, replaced by a razor-edged smile as he turns to face Pryce instead. “Oh,” he says lightly, almost cheerfully. “You didn’t know?”

It takes everything in me not to flinch. Pryce finding out like this is a nightmare, and Elias running to tell his brother minutes after? Unforgivable.

“Your precious little witch didn’t seem to have any trouble spreading her legs for Elias,” Eryx teases. “Funny how she spills her tragic little story and then falls onto the cock of the first person who offers her attention.”

This motherfucker. “Are you calling me a slut?!” I take a step toward him, the frazzled haze burning off in a rush of white-hot rage. “You have no fucking idea what you’re talking about. I suggest—”

“You suggest, what, little wraith? Because I think I do know what I’m talking about. In fact, from what I saw, you’re far better at submitting than you are standing your ground.”

Wait, he…saw? The buzzing intensifies, more persistent than before, every nerve in my body suddenly alive with electricity. The lights in my dorm room flicker, struggling against the pulse of power thrumming through the room, like all of Vesperian Hall is bracing for me to explode.

“Enough,” Pryce snaps, his hand closing around mine.

The contact hits like a grounding wire. My magic stutters, then steadies, and I drag my gaze up to meet his.

“Alicent,” he says, softer now—and hearing my real name from him cracks something open in my chest. “Come with me.”