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I froze.
I wobbled a little and balled my hands in my fresh clothes. “I never want her name on your tongue again.”
His face hardened. “You lied to me, Aslan.”
“What? How—”
“I’ve been asking you for months if you see numbers in colour. You took to running my books without any wars whatsoever. Even I’m blown away at the intelligence you possess. I’ve asked you numerous times if you inherited my trait, yet each time you sneer and say you would never accept any gift that came from me. Genetic or otherwise.”
“So?”
“So...I happen to know you do see in colour. That you were secretive about it back then, and you’re secretive about it now.”
My heart slowed to a dangerous beat. “Who-who told you that?”
“I also know that you’ve killed someone.”
“No, I—”
“You shot him in the calf with a harpoon—ironically in the same spot as I shot you with the tranquiliser. Unlike me, who has fought to make amends ever since, you cut off two of this man’s fingers, were about to cut off his cock, then threw him overboard.”
A blizzard filled my chest. All the strength I’d cultivated and power in my body vanished. My right leg threatened to give out; my voice resembled a churning storm. “Y-You spoke to her.” Pure fury fired through me. “You spoke to Nerida? What. The. Fuck?”
Launching myself at him, I managed to hop the short distance and swing a fist.
It landed against his cheekbone, but I didn’t have the power.
He grunted and retaliated.
He struck me in the jaw, sending me swaying to the side.
If I had two legs, I would’ve absorbed the blow.
But with only one, I fell.
My balance forgot.
My body believed it had two feet.
That awful fucking phantom feeling convinced me that if I just put my left leg out, I’d be stabilised and could throw another strike.
I cried out as I landed on the end of my stump.
Blinding pain shot through my remaining bones, and pain-sweat flashed over my skin.
“I told you you should’ve held onto the wall.” Cem stood over me and snapped his fingers. Two guards came running. They crowded into the walk-in wardrobe, towering over me on the floor.
Ducking to his haunches, Cem lost any signs of being my shame-filled father and instead turned into my torturer. “This is my fault. I see that now. I wanted to give you time to heal, and you’ve done that. You are strong. You are healthy. But your temper is corrosive, and your hate for me will only lead you down a path where I cannot save you.” Clucking his tongue, he added, “And yes, you’re right. I did speak to Nerida. We had a lovely chat. She’s here, actually—”
“What?” I looked up, riding through the waves of agony. “She’s in Turkey?”
What was she thinking?
She disobeyed me.
She broke her promise!
White-hot panic whipped through me at the thought of Cem selling her, using her, hurting her.
Of course, she came.
Of course, she wouldn’t let me go that easily.
She was impulsive and reckless and passionate and—
Fuck!
“Don’t touch her, you bastard. I-I’ll do whatever you want. Just leave her the fuck alone—”
“I’ve given her a few days to mourn you in our homeland, and then she’s aware she has to leave.” Cem sighed. “I won’t hurt her. I have no animosity toward her. She’s technically my daughter-in-law, after all, and I’m loyal to my family. Unlike some. She loves you enough to refuse to believe you’re dead—”
“She knows,” I breathed, a certain kind of unexplainable understanding slamming into my chest.
She knew.
She knew because we shared the same heart. We’d vowed to be one and she could feel, as well as I could feel her, that she was out there...somewhere...alone and in pain but alive. I had no doubt that if she died, I would feel it. I would know the moment she took her last breath because it would be the end of mine.
I’d heard her screaming for me when Ethan hurt her.
She heard me screaming for her now.
Neri.
I’m here.
I’m yours.
I’m going to find a way to get back to you...I promise.
“Please.” I swallowed back my rage. “Don’t let her think she’s going mad. Tell her. If you love me at all, you’ll tell her I’m alive and—”
“How will she know you’re not gone?” Cem asked suspiciously.
My eyes burned with motherfucking tears.
I didn’t want to tell this bastard anything about her.
I wanted her to be completely unknown to him.
But...if it made him pull her out of the awful pit of misery? If he helped me give her salvation?
“She...she’s always been in-tune. She knew when her childhood friend died from a dog attack. She...senses things.”
He watched me closely. “A talented boy falls in love with a talented girl, it seems.”
“Just let me talk to her. Let me tell her I’m alive, and—”
“The day you truly become my son, Aslan Kara, is the day I will willingly let you call her. If you still love her after you take your rightful place by my side, you have my blessing to bring her to you. You can rule my empire together. I am not such a cold-hearted man to deny two people who love each other—”
