Page 71 of When Day Breaks

Whether someone had been compelling his belief in seeing Amy or not, one fact remains…

We've all seen her. We've all heard her. But Lucynda and I . . . we've touched her. Whatever is going on, someone is playing avery dangerous fucking game, and I will find who is causing this mayhem and they will perish for this traitorous act.

I have to think. We can't let these daunting revelations trip us up. And I need both of my siblings to be level-headed, but I need Travois to retrace his steps today. Maybe we can figure out who he's been really spending his time with.

"Travois, I need you to think," I start. "Where have you been today?" I know he wasn't tailing Zharus like I had asked him to, so I wait for his response which comes just as I expected.

"I was…" he furrows his brows, staring at the ground and trying to come up with a memory of where he'd spent most of the day. "I was doing what you had asked," he finally admits and I watch him as he brings his eyes to mine. Then looks at his twin sister who is also aware of the problem behind his statement.

"Travois, someone has been compelling you," I explain. "I don't know how or who. But I was with Zharus most of the day. He's in the Vitrival as we speak." I wait alongside my sister; bated breath and an adrenaline laced heart are the only things audible as we analyze the way he takes the news.

"So…" he fades off, trying to understand what this means for him. "Do not gaslight me, Rivian. I saw him. I watched him as he lay like a pathetic imbecile in the Guard’s Room all day and then he followed everyone else to this meeting. I-" He catches himself, rambling off like a lunatic trying to explain his delusions.

Both Troy and I deflate as we watch his realization unfold. I failed him. Despite our differences and the petty fights we wage between each other, he doesn't deserve to be humiliated like this.

Travois starts to pace angrily around the room, his breathing turns heavy and irate. His reaction is that resembling a loose thread, being pulled tighter and tighter against the seam and with just the right amount of force, it snaps.

"No, there's no way that someone has the capability to screw with my head this much." He sounds delirious, madness caressing his tone as he pulls at his hair. "There's no fucking way!" His shouts reverberate off the walls as he tears a whole row of books from the shelves.

"Trav," Troy tries to calm her brother down but he doesn’t relent and he has every right to go mad.

Someone has been using him as some kind of puppet in their disgusting game and all I know is that it has to be a Royal. No other Nocturne can fathom performing compulsion on a Royal. But if it's not me, nor my sister, and Viktrum, Dominek, and Ameliana are all dead, while my wife is locked away floors below us, then who could it possibly fucking be?

"There has to be someone. Someone who knows something." Troian is nearly pleading with the fucking sky at this point.

Trav kicks his foot at the books that now line the floor around him and scoffs in disbelief. I know he wants to be angry with me and I know he wants to tell me how my selfishness has bested us all. Demised us all. He's right. But he's been fucked with too much to want to try and fuck with someone else. Though I'd deserve it.

Instead, he sits on the couch in front of him, lowers his head and laces his fingers in front of his forehead, rubbing circles around his temples with his thumbs.

"We have to help Lucynda first," he murmurs. "I obviously can't be trusted. Who knows when I've been forced to compulsion or what might trigger it." His awareness holds truth. We can't trust what's been done and what's going to take place.

"We need our queen," he whispers, his statement transfixing. Setting aside his convictions and stubbornness to focus on the need to help someone else; I don't expect sincere sentiments to come from Travois these days, but I guess a good case of mind control can really up the desire to end the war.

He's right. We can't leave Lucynda down there much longer. I just invited the whole Society to a party tomorrow night, I can't have her here alone and at risk of whoever is doing this to get ahold of her.

"Is there anything that you can remember hearing about this curse? Anything at all?" Troian stands and faces me.

I search my brain for anything that might be of use, but I can't say I'm well informed of anything other than the knowledge of the curse's existence and certain symptoms that are caused because of it.

"I don't even know when the last time something like this has occurred," I state, not remembering if I've even been alive when the curse last coursed through anyone's veins.

"Maybe a little visit to that witch might be of us," Trav says to us as he lifts his head, his tone seemingly stern and calm.

His exhaustion is also harrowing, taking over and driving the fear of our undoing into us all. We aren't creatures who affright easily. Lamented allies who just happen to be stalkers of the night and tangible illusions of the day. But we aren't bested and we will manifest the shadows that haunt those and seek the slaughter of anyone who tries to outsmart us. This will be no different.

I think of what I might need to ask of the coven. I know their likeliness to help me once more will be a slim chance. But if anyone knows of a cure, it's Nathairia…

A memory of words immediately floods my mind.

"But maybe if you let someone believe they are worthy of love…"she had said after handing me the herbs to give to Lucynda,"then whatever light they have left might be able to stand a chance against the darkness they were born with."

She didn't just say that to seem charming and all-wise like I had assumed. She was telling me something.

But maybe if you let someone believe they are worthy of love…

I walk toward the desk, throw Troian's findings in my top drawer and lock it with a key before heading toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Troy asks as Travois stands from the chair.

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