Page 51 of The Other Side of the Mirror

“You did ask for answers, darling.”

I tried again to pull my hands together from where they were pinned against the wall. If I could just get a message out. Let Bash know I needed him.

I only succeeded in further searing the skin off my wrists.

Aviel was close enough I could feel the warmth of his breath on my cheek. But I wasn’t at his mercy, and I wouldn’t be contained. I wasn’t some defenseless princess—and never had been.

Closing my eyes, I gathered my darkness from deep inside me. The force of it echoed my hatred, raging against my captivity. It eddied around me in a blackening pool. I saw Aviel’s eyes widen as my own flew open—no doubt because they were now dark as a moonless night. My magic shot out at him like a wave, breaking apart my blistering bonds as it did so.

I lurched forward, but Aviel was already there; his light pushing against my darkness, his hand digging into my throat. Bruises blossomed under his grip. I grabbed onto his fingers as they pushed painfully into my windpipe, struggling to breathe.

His eyes narrowed to slits. Then, with startling ferocity, he crushed his mouth into mine.

I let go of his arm to reach for my dagger. But he was too fast, grabbing my wrist with his opposite hand. With a muffled hiss against his mouth, I lifted my knee toward his groin, but he turned just in time, taking the hit on his upper thigh. His body pressed me tightly against the wall, trapping me with his weight.

The feeling of his mouth, his body against mine, made me sick as I focused my swirling darkness on him. But his light held firm as he finally ended the forced kiss—a celestial tug of war revolving around us.

“They kneel before my throne unaware it was born of lies. Iamthe curse,” Aviel said coldly. “But I will own you, your power, and through it, both realms. Withyouby my side, I will become High King.”

With a wave of horror, I futilely bucked against him, my lungs screaming from lack of air. Clawing at him, I felt the wet warmth of his blood on my fingertips as I fought desperately against the body caging me, the hand robbing me of breath. He didn’t budge, a cruel smile stretching his face. My vision darkened.

“And you were so blind to my deception that you didn’t even realize it was youranimawho brought you to me.”

Even through the dizziness, the word hit me like a blow, my world spinning from more than the lack of oxygen. At the truth that now seemed so,soobvious.

Aviel released me, and I fell to my knees, gasping as I struggled to piece things together, trying to wrap my head around what he revealed. But I couldn’t think about what that meant yet.

With a grunt of pain, I forced myself unsteadily to my feet, stealthily unsheathing my dagger from my belt as I rose.

“Your predestined was so intent on doing his duty for me, he didn’t even realize who you are to him,” Aviel gloated. “When my golem finally found you in the same mortal town where I killed your parents, I thought it might be a problem that he was the one to retrieve you. But your soul bonded didn’t evenrecognizeyou before he abandoned you. Left you with the very source of the curse he sought to end.” He laughed darkly. “But it doesn’t matter who he is to you. You belong tome.”

Rage coursed through my veins. I nearly retched at the thought that less than an hour ago, I had willingly kissed the monster that had murdered my family.

“I’m going to kill you,” I said, my voice like hardened steel. “And I hope you rememberexactlywhat you took from me when I’m the very last thing you see.”

My hand tightened on my brother’s dagger, holding my ground as Aviel moved back toward me. Something glinted dully in his hand. Before I could do anything, a fresh wave of light singed through what remained of my darkness, blinding me.

Despite the pain, my body reacted on instinct as he reached me. Something touched my neck, and I plunged my blade into his side, a rush of his blood spurting down my arm as he let out a satisfying shriek. But I was too late to stop him from fastening the collar around my throat.

Time stopped.

Then all I could hear was my own scream as my magic was ripped from me so violently it felt like it had been torn from my soul. My darkness abruptly disappeared, lost to the endless light radiating out of Aviel. It felt like being pinched in a vise—one I had no escape from.

I couldn’tbreathe. Couldn’t see. The room tilted strangely.

My fingers flew to my neck, but there was no opening, no clasp to undo as I tried to pull it apart. Gritting my teeth, I tried again to lunge toward the mirror, toward freedom?—

But I wasn’t fast enough. With a hiss of pain, Aviel yanked me backward, backhanding me so savagely I hit the ground hard. The second he neared me, I kicked out half-blindly, refusing to go down without a fight.

“Oh no you don’t?—”

One hand blocked my foot then pulled sharply, forcing me onto my stomach. A knee dug into my back, holding me down. Twin bands of light seared around my wrists in a cruel mockery of the bracelets he had given me, binding them together behind my back.

“Bestill,” Aviel commanded as I continued to struggle. I felt a flash of grim satisfaction at the pain in his voice. At his blood splattered on the white marble, still dripping from where I stabbed him.

“Maybe when I’m dead,” I hissed,bucking against him.

My head still spinning, I didn’t see the syringe Aviel held before it was too late. He stabbed it into my arm, ignoring my weak struggles as he emptied it into me. Silvius backed away, sneering, an empty vial still in hand. I gasped as something cold and foreign flooded my veins.

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