Chapter 20 Forgotten #2
“You say no as if it is that simple,” she whispered.
“But what do you know of it, brother? Have you ever sat at the bedside of the one who is bound to your soul and watched her breath falter? Have you listened to the rattle in her throat, knowing each sound could be the last? Have you seen her reach for air, eyes wide with terror, and known you could not so much as brush your fingers across her skin to comfort her?”
Her voice broke, thin but piercing. “Every hour I watch her fade. Every hour I hear the silence stretch longer between her breaths. Do you know what it is to count the spaces between those breaths and wonder which space will be the one that swallows her forever?”
Her throat worked as if the words themselves cut her raw. “You do not. But I am asking you, begging you, please!”
Narietta's voice shook, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. The weight of it all was too much. The guilt of leaving her mate to the Rot, the grief and fear that consumed every moment. The knowledge that each day could be the one that took Silvyr from her forever.
“Narietta…”
She shook her head, silencing me. “There is no more time. There is only this, and I will do anything to give her one more day. One more hour. One more breath.” Her eyes burned, fierce and bright. “You must let Miralyte continue. You must let her try to heal my mate. She is the only one who can.”
My gaze flicked to Miralyte, her eyes wide and wary. She stood in the center of the room, her back stiff, her chin lifted. Defiant. She was always so goddamn defiant, even when she didn’t know what she was fighting. It was like she was born to challenge me.
“Miralyte, leave us.”
She didn’t move. “No. I’m not a dog you can just dismiss when you’re tired of me. If this is about the bloodletting, then I have a right to be here. I have a right to know.”
I sighed. “This isn’t the time for a fight.”
Mira’s jaw clenched. “Then don’t start one. Just let me stay. This is my decision.”
The tension in the room thickened, a cord strung taut. Narietta stared at me, her gaze unwavering. Her face, so lovely, so like the porcelain dolls we'd played with as children, was now a mask of pain.
I took a deep breath, my chest tight. “Fine.”
Mira blinked, her expression wary. “Fine?”
I nodded. "It is Miralyte's decision. If she chooses to continue, then she is free to do so. Just know that I don’t support it, and if I see even a hint that she cannot continue, that her life is at risk, I will end it immediately. Do you understand?”
Mira nodded, her brow furrowing. She glanced at Narietta. “I’ll do everything I can to help your mate.”
Narietta smiled, the expression small, fragile. Like a snowflake that would melt with the slightest touch. “Thank you, Mira. You have no idea how grateful I am.” Her eyes turned back to me. “And I thank you too, brother.”
I sighed. “Don’t thank me. Just make sure you’re ready for the consequences of this. Whatever they may be.”
Narietta’s eyes met mine, a spark of something fierce and determined flashing in their depths. “I am.”
I nodded, then watched as she turned on her heel and strode out, her gown trailing behind her, a ghostly whisper in the air.
The door clicked shut. Mira and I were alone.
I turned to face her. Her expression was a mix of apprehension, confusion, and concern. I could see the questions swimming in her eyes, but I didn't want to answer them. Not now.
“What are you not telling me?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She took a step towards me. “What is the truth you're hiding?”
I shook my head. "It doesn't matter."
She frowned. “It matters to me. You say it's my choice, but how can I make a choice when I don't know the whole truth?”
I looked away, my jaw clenched. “You're not ready to know. And I'm not ready to tell you.”
“Why?” she demanded, her eyes flashing. “Why are you keeping secrets from me?”
“I'm not keeping secrets from you,” I said. “I'm protecting you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “From what?”
From the truth. From the reality of what she truly was and the danger she was in. From the truth of what the other courts would do to her if they found out. From the horrors they'd subject her to, not just to torture her, but to get at me, to break her, to break me.
"Trust me, Mira. "
Her lips curled, the smile bitter. “You're asking me to trust a fae, a high prince, a warlord who keeps secrets and controls every part of my life.
Everyone has tried to keep me broken and beaten and I'm finally on the road to finding out who I am, Zydar.
Don't take that from me. Don't stand in my way. "
My hand reached out, brushing her cheek before I could stop myself. "It's not that easy. The answers aren't that simple. And I think you know that, deep down."
She jerked away from my touch. "I can decide for myself."
I took a deep breath and stepped closer to her, my hand dropping to her chin and lifting her head so she could see my face, so she could see that I wasn't lying to her.
"I know you can," I said. "You've already proven yourself more capable than I gave you credit for. I underestimated you, and that's on me."
Mira's eyes were still hard as flint, her chin tipped up in defiance. She held my gaze with her own, unwavering and determined. A strand of her hair had slipped out of place and hung over one of her eyebrows. I wanted to sweep it aside, but I held back. It wouldn't help my case right now.
"You will continue the bloodletting."
This woman, this creature, she was so vulnerable, so strong, and so utterly fascinating.
"But know this." My hand dropped from her chin to trace a path along her collarbone, the curve of her throat. "If the magic eats away at you, if it draws your mind into madness, I will stop the treatments. Even if it means locking you up."