Page 230 of The Tribrid Princess and the Taste of Chaos
My neck zaps with a sharp sting, a cruel reminder of the oath I made. I pull away.
“You don’t know what you’re saying. That’s absurd.”
“Is it, Darling? There’s no way you could’ve blocked me out unless a god was involved,” Jayce snarls, his eyes simmering with anger. “It makes sense now, but it doesn’t matter. Don’t forget that I’m favoured by Zeus-”
“This has nothing to do with you, Jayce!” I scream, my voice shaking. “Please… just go.”
His jaw clenches, refusing. “No. Not without you.”
“You have to.” I step back. “It is none of your business. You have it all wrong!”
“It has everything to do with me!” he says icily, but even then, I don’t miss the pain etched into his voice. “He’s a coward, targeting you because he knows he’ll never win against me!”
The pain inside me builds until it’s a wave threatening to drown me. My magic pulses outward, wild and suffocating. I want to scream. I want to hold him. I want to just stop being strong. I want him to fix it… But he can’t.
“Please go,” I whisper.
But Jayce is Jayce. He won’t back down. I know that.
“Helios!” he now growls, the sound vibrating through mybones, his voice echoing like thunder in the darkness. “I know you can hear me! You duelled Andronikos for his mate and fucking lost! So if that’s what this is about, then come do the same for mine! Prove you’re not afraid of a mortal!”
Come to me if you want him to live.Helios’ voice in my mind makes me freeze, the threat and anger sending an icy wave through me. He’s angry.
“No!” I whisper, panic flooding me. “Jayce, please, you’ve got it wrong, so just go!”
“I don’t. I know you can’t tell me everything, but I don’t care,” he says, eyes blazing with unwavering love as he looks past me at the crack in the veil. “I won’t let you face this alone.”
I’m sorry…
The pain in his eyes…
I know what I have to do, and for him to trust me, I’m going to have to use that very trust one last time… My wolf whimpers, wanting to stop me from hurting our mate.
I drop my shoulders, letting the tears come. It’s not hard when doing this is breaking me.
“Ok.” I sob.
A wave of relief floods him, but he’s still wary.
“We’ll work on this,” he promises, his heart thudding loudly. “Ok?”
I nod, but there’s still worry in his eyes. “Ok,” I whisper.
“Together. We’ll get help; you’re not alone. We are all here for you.”
“I know,” I say softly, closing the distance between us, and throw my arms around his neck. He catches me as if he’s never letting go. His arms wrap around me like a shield.
“Promise me, Sienna, you will let me help you.”
“I promise,” I whisper.
He’s on edge as if not sure if I’m telling the truth. “Swear it.” He moves back slightly, cupping the back of my neck as he presses his forehead to mine. “Swear it on our love.”
The most sacred thing…
I break as I nod. “I swear it.” Tears stream down my cheeks, but I refuse to let a sound out as I hug him around his waist. “I’m sorry,” I whisper through the tears. “I’m so, so sorry.”
Before he can answer, I do what I never wanted. I slip a small square of paper from my sleeve. It contains a lethal dark purple powder, a poison created by the witches from the venom of Apophis’ snakes.
