Chapter Sixteen #3
“You’re not my mate.” The words carve through me. “You never were. Just convenient. Just there. But I don’t need convenient anymore.”
The platform shifts, rising higher, pulling away. Legend’s figure grows smaller, more distant, and I’m still in the water, still drowning in this impossible space.
“Don’t.” The word breaks on my lips, raw and desperate. “Don’t leave me.”
He turns his back.
Just…turns away. Like I’m nothing. Like I never mattered.
The walls start closing in.
Slow at first, then faster. Stone grinding against stone, the chamber shrinking, water rising as the space compresses. My pulse hammers in my ears, too fast, too erratic, each beat stuttering like it might stop altogether.
I can’t breathe.
Can’t move.
My limbs turn heavy, leaden, and the water drags at me, pulling me under. I kick weakly, but my body won’t respond right. Won’t fight.
Because what’s the point?
He left. He walked away. He doesn’t want—
My vision tunnels, darkness creeping in at the edges. My heart skips. Falters.
Flatlines.
I take a deep breath, flying off the floor with a rush of pain I never knew existed. I fucking hate this place. I hate everything about it.
“Well, I guess you don’t hate me as much as you thought, huh?”
Legend sprawls on his back like he owns this gods-forsaken void, grinning up at me with that infuriating smirk that makes me want to carve it off his face.
“Stay the fuck out of my head.” The words rip from my throat, raw and vicious. My chest heaves, lungs still burning from the phantom drowning, heart hammering against my ribs like it’s trying to escape. “You manipulated me.”
His eyes roll—actually fucking roll—and he props himself up on his elbows. “I can’t do that. That’s more Sinner’s specialty and it’s more an illusion than a manipulation.”
“Bullshit.”
“Not bullshit.” He tilts his head, studying me with an intensity that makes my skin prickle. “It was real, Hellpet. Your first task was to see if you hold the same power as me. Calm.” His gaze darkens, something almost like disappointment flickering across his features. “Which you clearly don’t.”
The words land like a slap.
Heat floods my face—rage, humiliation, something uglier I don’t want to name. My fists clench so hard my nails bite crescents into my palms.
“Fuck you.”
I spin on my heel, boots scraping against stone—or whatever the hell this dark void is made of—and stalk away. Doesn’t matter where. Just away. Away from him, from his stupid grin, from the way my chest still aches like something vital got ripped out and stomped on.
His hand catches mine before I make it three steps.
The touch jolts through me, electric and unwanted. He tugs, and despite every instinct screaming to yank free, my body obeys. I stumble back, landing hard beside him on the cold ground.
“Don’t.” My voice comes out sharper than intended, brittle at the edges.
Legend doesn’t let go. His fingers lace through mine, thumb brushing over my knuckles in a gesture so unexpectedly gentle it makes my throat tighten.
“I’m sorry.”
The words hang between us, foreign and strange coming from his mouth. Legend Deveraux doesn’t apologize. He commands, he teases, he threatens—but he doesn’t apologize.
I stare at our joined hands, pulse still racing, body still trembling from whatever fucked-up illusion he put me through. The memory of his voice—you’re worthless, you were never fit enough for a royal—echoes in my skull, sharp and cutting.
“For what?” My tone stays flat, guarded. “For making me think you were abandoning me? For being a manipulative bastard?”
His jaw tightens, a muscle ticking near his temple. “For all of it.”
The admission surprises me more than it should. I chance a glance at his face, expecting that cocky smirk, that arrogant glint that says he’s already three moves ahead and enjoying every second of my discomfort.
But his expression is serious. Almost vulnerable, if Legend Deveraux is even capable of vulnerability.
“You needed to be tested,” he continues. “We needed to know if you carried the same Ethos. If you could calm the masses like I can.” His grip tightens slightly. “But I didn’t expect—”
“Didn’t expect what?” I cut him off, a bitter laugh escaping.
His eyes lock onto mine, dark and intense. “That you’d flatline.”
The words steal my breath.
“Did I fucking die?” I ask, brow raised.
He snickers. “Fuck no, like I’d let that happen.”
I notice it for the first time. The dark rings around his eyes. Not obvious, but there. I wince a little. “Don’t do it again.”
“Can’t promise that, little monster.” He flashes me a smirk that shouldn’t look so sexy on a man who looks so fucking exhausted. “Since tomorrow, you have Knight.”
“Knight?” I ask, folding my arms around myself. “And what exactly is his royal gift?”
He sprawls back against his hands, bending his head to look up at me. “One I think you’ll like, but in the meantime, want me to show you a trick?”
Legend pushes to his feet, swaying slightly before catching himself. The movement’s so subtle I almost miss it—would’ve missed it if I wasn’t already cataloging every exhausted line of his body.
“Come on.” He extends his hand, that cocky grin firmly back in place. “Time to learn something useful.”
I eye his hand warily. “Like what?”
“Portalling.”
My brows shoot up. “You’re going to teach me how to portal?”
“Unless you want to keep relying on me to drag your ass everywhere.” He wiggles his fingers impatiently. “Though I’m sure you’d love that, being at my beck and call—”
“Shut up.” I grab his hand and let him haul me up. The motion brings me too close, our chests nearly touching, and heat floods my face before I can stop it.
His eyes darken, tracking the flush spreading across my cheeks. “You make it too easy, little monster.”
I shove him. Not hard—just enough to create distance. “So how does this work?”
“Close your eyes.”
“Why?”