24. Thalia’s POV
Chapter 24
Thalia’s POV
A few hours had passed, and the house was eerily quiet, except for the crackling of the fire. The shadows danced along the walls, flickering with each snap of the flames, but even the warmth of the fire did little to settle the chill that had lodged itself deep in my chest. I couldn’t sit still anymore. Anxiety gnawed at me, each passing minute feeding the growing sense of dread in my stomach. My mind raced, circling around the events from earlier—the cryptic threats, the strange pull I’d felt in the darkness. Something was wrong, and every nerve in my body screamed that I needed to do something, anything , instead of sitting here, waiting.
“Where are they?” I finally asked, my voice sharper than I intended as I paced in front of the fireplace. I could feel my heart pounding, the unease spiraling out of control. The silence was too heavy, the waiting unbearable.
Nox, who had been sitting quietly, looked up, his green eyes briefly widening as if I’d caught him off guard. For a second, he looked like a deer in headlights—an expression so uncharacteristic of him that it only deepened my unease. Seeing Nox, usually so composed, with even a hint of uncertainty made my stomach clench harder. But he quickly masked it, his usual unreadable calm slipping back into place, as if he hadn’t just betrayed a flicker of fear.
“They’ll be back,” he said, though his voice lacked its usual confidence. His eyes flicked nervously toward the window, betraying his own concern as his fingers tightened around the leather of the armrest.
I stopped pacing and turned to face him, crossing my arms over my chest, trying to hold myself together even as I felt myself start to unravel. “And where were you , Nox?” I asked, unable to keep the edge out of my voice. The question had been lingering in the back of my mind since he left, but I hadn’t wanted to push him before. Now, with hours gone by and no sign of Zarek or Damon, I couldn’t help it.
He stiffened slightly, his gaze meeting mine for a brief moment before he quickly glanced away. “I was… handling something,” he said, his tone clipped, almost defensive.
I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. The silence between us grew heavier, filled only by the popping of the fire. I could see the tension in his posture, the way he was avoiding eye contact, and it only made me more suspicious. Nox was good at hiding things—too good—but this was different. There was something he wasn’t telling me, something more than just concern for his brothers.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling up inside me, threatening to spill over. “I was holding it together, you know? I really was. But the fact that they’re not back yet…” I trailed off, my voice faltering as the worry clawed at me, each word catching in my throat. “It’s starting to eat me alive.”
The words hung in the air, my fear laid bare between us. I started pacing again, my footsteps echoing against the stone floor, the fear creeping closer, threatening to drown me. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was even worried about Damon—his cold, intense presence, the way he threw himself into the darkness without hesitation. And Zarek... Zarek, with his charm and easy banter. But now they were both out there, and I had no idea what they were facing. No idea if they were okay.
“Yeah,” I muttered to myself, shaking my head, trying to fight back the tears that were beginning to sting my eyes. “I’m losing it.”
Nox stood and crossed the room, his footsteps almost silent on the stone floor. He stopped just in front of me, his expression softening just a fraction. “You’re not losing it, Thalia. They’re strong. They know what they’re doing—” He hesitated, and for a moment, his eyes searched mine, as if looking for something—some kind of reassurance or maybe a sign that I wasn’t about to fall apart. “We’ll find them if they don’t return soon.”
His words should have reassured me, but the growing sense of dread only deepened, wrapping icy tendrils around my heart, squeezing until it ached with a dull, persistent throb. Something wasn’t right. And the worst part was the helplessness—the waiting, the uncertainty of it all was like a knife twisting in my gut, each rotation sending fresh waves of nausea churning through me. My hands trembled as I fisted them at my sides, trying to find some semblance of control.
Nox’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Are you worried about Damon?” he asked, genuine surprise coloring his tone.
“Well yeah, he may be a complete asshole, but that doesn’t mean I want him hurt or dead,” I sighed, running a hand through my hair again. “Gods, maybe I am losing it if I’m worried about him .” I let out a short, manic laugh, the sound brittle in the quiet room.
Nox didn’t smile, but there was a flicker of understanding in his eyes. “He has that effect,” he said quietly.
I let out a shaky breath, my chest tightening again. “I just want them to be okay.”
Nox’s eyes softened at my admission. He stepped closer, his presence grounding in a way that Damon’s intensity or Zarek’s teasing charm couldn’t be. For a moment, we stood there in the quiet, the fire crackling softly behind me.
“They will be,” Nox finally said, his voice steady and reassuring, though I could tell even he wasn’t entirely sure. “Damon’s strong, and Zarek…” He trailed off, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk tugging at his lips. “He’ll charm his way out of anything, as usual.”
I tried to smile, and though it was weak, it didn’t feel entirely forced. There was something in the way Nox looked at me—an openness I hadn’t seen before—that made the fear feel just a little more manageable.
“Thank you,” I said, my voice quieter now, the words carrying more weight than I intended. It wasn’t just for his reassurance. It was for being here—for standing by me when everything felt like it was unraveling.
Nox’s gaze held mine, and for a moment, the space between us seemed to narrow, the tension shifting from anxiety to something else—something deeper. His eyes searching mine as if trying to find the right words, the right way to bridge the gap that had always lingered between us.
“I’m not going anywhere, Thalia,” he said, his voice low—almost a whisper. There was a promise in those words, a sincerity that made my chest tighten.
Before I could think better of it, I took a step closer, the pull between us growing stronger, undeniable. It was like an invisible thread tugging us together, defying the space that separated us. His eyes flickered, widening slightly, surprise swirling within their emerald depths, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he mirrored my movement. His hand lifted, hesitant at first, then brushed lightly against my arm, sending a shiver down my spine. The contact was electric, igniting a warmth that spread through my veins, chasing away the lingering chill of fear and uncertainty. His touch was gentle and careful, and my heart pounded louder in my ears—a frantic rhythm against the sudden quietness of the world around us. The air crackled with an energy I couldn't name—as if we were two halves of a whole, finally finding our way back to each other. I held my breath, waiting, hoping he wouldn't break the spell, and wouldn't shatter the fragile connection that was forming between us.
I could feel it—the sense that maybe, in this chaos, there was something steady. Something real. Something worth holding onto. Nox leaned in, his face inches from mine, his breath mingling with mine as the tension tightened, thickened—the world narrowing down to just the two of us. The scent of cedar and rain enveloped me, a comforting presence in the midst of the storm raging inside me. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for… a kiss? A touch? I didn't know. But I was ready for whatever he offered.
But just as the distance between us seemed to vanish, the door to the house swung open with a loud creak, and we both jerked back, startled. My heart leapt into my throat as I spun around, my pulse racing for an entirely different reason now—a mixture of guilt and the unwelcome intrusion of reality. Damon and Zarek stood in the doorway, shadowed figures against the dim light spilling from the hall. They both looked utterly exhausted.
The air between Nox and me shifted instantly, the unspoken moment we’d been leaning into shattering as reality came crashing back. The warmth of his nearness vanished as he straightened, his expression slipping back into its usual calm mask, though I could have sworn I saw a flicker of disappointment in his emerald eyes before it disappeared.
Relief surged through me, almost overwhelming, and for a moment, I couldn’t speak or even move. Damon’s cold blue eyes were the first to find mine, his expression as unreadable as ever, though there was a flicker of something softer—something like relief. Zarek, on the other hand, gave me a tired, lopsided grin, trying to brush off the weight of whatever they had just faced.
Before I knew it, my body moved on instinct, pulling both of them into a hug. I couldn’t stop myself; I needed to feel them, solid and real, to know they were truly here, safe. The tension that had been coiling in my stomach since their departure finally began to unravel.
“Awh, were you worried about us?” Zarek teased, his voice light and playful as he wrapped me into a tighter hug, pulling me flush against him. “Maybe she’s got Stockholm syndrome if she just hugged Damon .” He shot Damon a sly grin, which only deepened the faint crease of irritation on Damon’s face.
“We need to go,” Damon said, his voice cutting through the moment with cold precision, clearly unamused by Zarek’s jab. His jaw was tight, the muscle ticking beneath his skin.
Zarek’s playful smirk faded, his grip on me loosening as the gravity of Damon’s words settled over the room. The teasing atmosphere evaporated instantly, replaced by a palpable tension that crackled in the air like static electricity. Whatever had happened out there, it had changed everything. It had shifted the very air we breathed, replacing the lighthearted banter with a heavy, suffocating dread.
"And where exactly are we going?" I asked, confusion knotting my brow. The academy had always been the one place I thought we could count on—a fortress, a sanctuary from whatever was out there. A place of learning and magic, not a launching point for some unknown danger.
Damon’s gaze met mine, his expression hardening. His voice was sharp, clipped. “For once can you not be difficult?” The words were laced with an icy undercurrent.
Zarek sighed, his amber eyes, normally sparkling with mischief, now held a shadow of concern. “Damon, stop. Thalia, we’re not taking any chances. We need to stay ahead of them.” He gave me a look that told me more than his words ever could—a silent plea for understanding.
“Okay, so tell me where we are going?” I asked, my voice steady despite the growing tension. My eyes flicked to Nox, and the memory of our moment by the fire sent an unexpected warmth rushing to my cheeks. The intensity of his emerald gaze, the way his hand had brushed against me… I quickly looked away, trying to regain my composure, but I could feel the pull between us still lingering—a magnetic force that drew my attention back to him again and again.
Damon let out an exasperated sigh, the sound loud in the quiet room. His hands ran roughly over his face, as if trying to wipe away the frustration, but my gaze caught on the dark streaks across his fingers. Dried blood.
“We don’t have time for twenty fucking questions right now,” Damon snapped, his tone harsher than usual as he stormed up the stairs, frustration radiating off him in waves. “We just need to go.” He yelled, the force of his anger slammed against me like a physical blow.
I stood frozen for a moment, watching him disappear, the weight of his words sinking in. Before I could even process the fear coiling in my stomach, Zarek slung a casual arm around my shoulders, pulling me close with his usual easy charm. The warmth of his touch was polar opposite to the icy chill Damon had left behind.
“Don’t mind him,” Zarek said with a playful grin, though his eyes held a touch of seriousness. “He hates going home.”
I blinked, turning to look at him, confused. “Home?” The word felt strange—foreign in this context.
Zarek nodded, his playful tone dropping just slightly, as if the word carried more weight than it should. “Yeah. You’ll get to meet who created that demon.” His gaze shifted toward where Damon had disappeared upstairs, a flicker of something darker passing over his expression. “Damon never handles it well.”
“The dark kingdom awaits, my lady,” Zarek added with a playful bow, his lighthearted grin returning despite the weight of everything going on. His ability to keep things casual, even in the face of chaos, was always a bit disarming. It must be a blessing and a curse for him. A way to shield himself from whatever darkness loomed over them all.
I forced a smile, trying to mirror his lightness, though the mention of where we were headed— the dark kingdom —sent a chill through me. It sounded like a place of nightmares, a place where shadows held dominion and light dared not tread. “I’m sure it’ll be… lovely,” I replied, though my voice betrayed the growing unease gnawing at me.
Zarek’s grin widened, but there was something almost sad in his eyes, before he brushed it off. “Oh, you’ll love it,” he teased, his voice laced with a hint of irony that I couldn’t quite decipher.
As Nox walked past us, heading upstairs, he patted Zarek on the shoulder in a silent exchange that spoke volumes between brothers. A wordless understanding passed between them, a conversation that excluded me. I watched him disappear up the steps, feeling a pang of guilt. Guilt for the warmth I felt towards him, for the connection that sparked between us. I bit my lip, my thoughts swirling back to the moment by the fire with Nox, to waking up beside him, the pull I’d felt between us still lingering in the air, a silent promise of something more.
“So you and Nox, huh?” Zarek’s voice cut through my thoughts, teasing but with a mischievous grin that told me he’d picked up on more than I’d realized.
I blinked, turning to face him, my cheeks warming. “What? No, it’s not like that,” I stammered, trying to shake off the sudden wave of embarrassment. But Zarek’s smirk only deepened.
“Oh, sure,” Zarek drawled, clearly amused. “Because that moment in front of the fire didn’t look like something at all.” He raised an eyebrow, his eyes dancing with amusement.
I could feel my face flush even more as I shot him a glare—though it didn’t help that he was still grinning at me like he knew exactly how to push my buttons. Like he knew exactly what I was thinking, what I was feeling.
“I don’t mind sharing,” Zarek added with a wink, his grin turning downright devilish.
I stared at him, wide-eyed, not entirely sure if he was joking or being serious—though with Zarek, it was always hard to tell. He was a master of flirtation, a walking enigma wrapped in charm and mischief. My brain struggled to come up with a response, but before I could say anything, he flashed me one last smirk and headed upstairs, leaving me standing there, flustered and a little off-balance.
Typical Zarek—always leaving chaos in his wake.