Page 76 of Prince of Ruin

“For as long as I’ve known them, I’ve been the only star in their sky,” Aden says. “They’ve never had to manage two relationships before. This is all new to them.”

I snort. “I’d hardly call what we have a relationship.”

His grass-green eyes meet mine. “No? Then what would you call three adults who consensually fuck each other?”

“You mean the hate-sex that just happened?” I offer a small grin. “Yeah, they’re horny for some version of Clavicle I can’t give them. A version they both love and hate. But they don’t know the real me at all.” I shrug. “You can’t exactly be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t truly know you.”

Aden nods slowly. “Give them time. There’s trauma they’ve yet to unpack, but I’m convinced they’ll soon accept that you’re not the Clavicle who betrayed them.”

I swallow hard and nod. “Unfortunately, by then, I’ll either have died in the heart of the volcano…or returned to the fearsome version of Clavicle that haunts their nightmares.”

~*~

It’s still dark when I open my eyes, telling me it’s not quite dawn yet. The space beside me is empty. Across the bed, Aden is curled up, deep in sleep. I prop myself on my elbow to find Tarsus sitting at the edge of the bed, hunched over, their head in their hands, fingers woven through their straight white hair.

Always brooding. Always scheming. Even in the dead of night.

This is what I did to them when I betrayed them in my fae form. I lost all their trust, and made it so they didn’t trust anyone, save for Aden. And now they’re always watching their back, always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I’m feeling brave as I move to the edge of the bed bedside them, determined to turn that frown upside down.

“Hey, you.” I nudge their elbow. “What’s got you down in the dumps after that amazing fucking we shared?”

They lift their head from their hands abruptly, very clearly annoyed with my presence.

“You know what you gotta do when you feel down?”

Their piercing silver eyes meet mine. “I don’t give a damn what yougottado—”

“You sing the Dory song. You know. FromFinding Nemo? ‘Just keepswimming, just keep swimming, just keep swiiimming swiiimming swiiiming…”

Tarsus glances to where Aden is peaking over the top of his blanket, that sleepy grin deepening on his face as he watches us.

“He’s insufferable,” Tarsus says to him.

“He’s good for you,” Aden responds.

My own grin spreads across my face, and I bite my lower lip. “So. What are we worried about?”

Tarsus’ silver eyes slide to mine in obvious disgust. They hate me so much.

“You know, the state of my empire. The end of the world. Whether Mother Terra will even listen to you, or if a certain bat will take the love of my life away and toss him into an active volcano. Just little things like that, that don’t concern an evil king likeyou.”

“We’ll get through this.”

“Mm-hm.” They study their hands, their long fingers, and I take this moment to scoot closer, to wrap my hand around them. Their back turns rigid, but my utter shock, they don’t pull away.

“Mother Terra will listen to me,” I reassure Tarsus, though I don’t believe a god-damned word I’m saying. But I hate seeing them like this. “She’ll know who I am, right? Human or not.”

“Perhaps I should transform you into your fae form, you know, just to be sure.” They’re still studyingtheir fingers, as if they didn’t just suggest something they’re entirely against. Me becoming fae again would potentially mean their ending, as well as Aden’s. I couldn’t live with that.

“Please don’t.” My voice comes out in a hoarse whisper, and they angle their head to search my eyes.

“You truly don’t want to be a fae king again?”

My throat convulses in a swallow, and their eyes lower, tracking the movement. “I mean. If you think it would help, go for it. But if Clavicle takes over this body, this mind…I don’t want tot think about what he would do to you and Aden.” Or to the many humans who had been set free in this city.

Tarsus’ eyes soften. “Sometimes I want to believe that you are as innocent as you claim.” Reaching over, they cup my cheek with those long fingers, and a shudder rushes down my spine at the contact.

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