Page 97 of Darling Wildfire
“Unfortunately, I know all too well what you just went through.” My voice was ice even as my blood boiled with my own repressed memories of trauma I hadn’t unpacked in years. “When I was ten, a family member raped me—repeatedly—using psychological manipulation by threatening my family.”
Nyx went still.
“I’m not telling you for any other reason than to help you hold this. North was right; Vetticus will break us, I know its coming, but he will regret every touch, every word and every fucking bit of what he’s put us through when all of this is said and done.”
Both of our chests were heaving with emotion and I realized through my anger, I still had a death grip on the front of his shirt. I released him and took a step back.
“I’m sorry that happened to you,” Nyx said.
“And I’m sorry too, Nyx. But don’t you dare pity me—I didn’t once pity you during all this so don’t you fucking dare turn it on me now.”
“Never,” he whispered.
We stared at each other for a long moment and then I took a hold of his hand and examined his bruised and bleeding knuckles.
“Did it help?” I asked.
“No,” Nyx said in a tone that was finally close to his usual dry humor.
I looked up and flashed him a quick smirk.
“You know what will?” I grabbed a paper towel and ran the water. I dabbed gently against the cuts before looking back up into that black abyss I was in danger of getting lost in. “Winning. Planning our escape. And getting the fuck out of here.”
I took his other hand and put it over the paper towel before I turned to head back to bed.
“Atlas,” Nyx said. I looked over my shoulder. “Thank you.”
One step brought me back in front of him and I bravely brought my hand up, gripping the back of his neck.
“You matter—to us, to me—we can do this.”
He nodded, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the defeated look was nowhere to be found. Instead, the deadly look of resolve was back, and I knew he was eventually going to be okay.
“Together right?” He said quietly.
His hand rose to match mine and his fingers curled around the back of my neck sending something hot and visceral flashing through my blood.
“You better fucking believe it.”
We pressed our foreheads together, the closest we’d ever been. I longed to step over the line and explore this feeling rising up through our friendship and connection, but not here, not now. Not in this place where our demons were fighting for control, threatening to consume our humanity.
I gave him one last look before heading back to bed. As I lay down and closed my eyes, I wondered if we’d be able to stay sane through this—to stay human.
If we did manage to escape, would there even be anything left to save?
48
THERON
SIXTEEN MONTHS CAPTIVE
The weeks turned into months and Nyx slowly came back to us. A week before the next game, he’d pulled me aside and told me what Vetticus had done to him. By the time he was done, he had to physically grab me to stop me from attacking the guards who had just dropped off dinner. I had every intention of storming that god forsaken mansion and beating Vetticus to death.
“Hey, whoa, T—stop,” he’d said. “I told you all this because you told me not to hide. I know how dangerous someone who isn’t all mentally there is out in the field and I refuse to be the liability because my mind isn’t clear.”
I’d grabbed him by the shoulder and watched his shadows rise to meet mine. “I am going to get us out of this and then we will spend however long it takes getting our revenge.”
The sneer on Nyx’s lips and the dangerous glint in his eyes made my words all the more potent.
