Page 27 of Magic and Mayhem

In all the time I have been with Eryx, I’ve asked him over a hundred questions. With every answer he gave, I could feel the truth of it down to my marrow. There was no need to question him because it was clear to the universe that it was a fact.

Until now.

“Why are you lying to me?”And why does that knowledge hurt so deeply?

He won’t look me in the eye but presses my hand to his heart.

“I am simply offering you the part of the truth I can give you. Now, let’s go to bed.”

I pull out of his grip, stepping away again while a piece of me shatters. Trust is not easy for me to give, but I gave it to Eryx. But he’s betraying that gift right now and it hurts.

“No.”

This time he shifts, but the violet demon in front of me doesn’t scare me. If anything, it pains me even more to see him like this.

“Evolet, we are going to go to bed.” He dares use his demanding demon voice on me, but this monster has another thing coming.

What I said earlier was true, I know what real nightmares look like. And Eryx doesn’t scare me.

“No.” My voice is powerful, determined.

“Go.”

“No.” My bravery grows more and more as I put distance between us.

Just as the feeling of pressure builds at my back, Eryx appears in front of me, grabbing me and pulling me into his arms.

One second we’re outside, and the next it feels like time and space bends just for us. My head feels like it’s going to pop, and then we’re inside of our room.

I yell in defiance as I break away from him, rushing to the other side of the tent to glare at the demon before me.

“I will not hurt you,” he says. “But you will do as I say because it’s my job to protect you. If I feel you’re not ready for the information yet, out of a sense of safety for you, then you will just have to live with that.”

I cross my arms over my chest, refusing to give in. If he wants me to stay here and play this game with him, to trust him, then he will have to tell me the truth. Always.

“I don’t accept that.”

Eryx appears in front of me, the ether swirling around him and emanating with power.

“All I can tell you, Ev, is that you are powerful in your own right aside from me. That’s it. I cannot give you more than that because I don’t understand it myself.”

“Why?”

His fists clench, talons digging into his skin and making me wince as blood drips from his hands.

“Because I’m not the one in control here, and the one that governs us does not take kindly to outsiders. You and everything about you must stay a secret until Lilu and I can take back control.”

“And how are you going to do that?”

Worry lines his features and his perfect skin turns ashen. “We are working on it.”

I think on it for a minute. Eryx hasn’t done anything to make me believe he’s lying now, just withholding information. It’s clear he’s trying to tell me what he can, even if I don’t love the idea that it’s not everything.

As I stare across the room at him, a puzzle piece clicks into place.Eryx is afraid.

“Will you at least tell me when you have a plan? I want to help.”

He nods, his features softening again. I take a step towards him, then another. He meets me in the middle, wrapping his large arms around my small frame.

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