Page 122 of Crowned In Venom

"No, little one."

Her fingers trace his face.

"I have spent years weakening him."

"Feeding it to him in small doses."

"Letting him believe he was growing stronger when, in reality, he was breaking piece by piece."

My stomach turns.

"No—"

She hums, almost gentle, tilting her head as she brushes damp strands of hair from Varkos’s face.

"But I never let it take him, no."

"I kept him alive."

"I watched his body struggle, then I pulled him back from the edge, over and over again."

A slow, torturous death, stretched out over years.

I feel sick.

She has been toying with him.

Letting him believe he was in control.

Letting him think he was winning.

And all the while, she was breaking him from the inside.

A long, drawn-out torture.

A lesson.

She has never wanted him dead.

She has only ever wanted him obedient.

"You monster—" I choke.

She sighs, as if bored.

"Take him away."

"NO!"

I lunge forward, trying to grab him, trying to hold on, trying to keep him from slipping away.

Hands wrench me back.

Varkos is ripped from my arms.

I claw at the guards, thrashing, kicking, biting, my body fighting for him on pure instinct.

"DON’T TAKE HIM?—"

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