Page 106 of Of Spindles and Nightfall
The taste of it flowing past her lips was barely noticed. Everything inside her was numb. She’d given so much, fighting for her life and Zarathos’s life, and now… now she’d placed them both in worse danger than ever.
And despite all of that, Zarathos had basically declared her his queen.
A gentle caress brushed her cheek. “Aryana, it’s time to stop.”
Zarathos—the demon who’d trapped her, forced her into the bargain, and insisted she meant nothing to him—had protected her, even though it would likely cost them both their lives in the next trials.
Because of her. It was her fault, and she’d been willing to pay the price. But Zarathos must have known: some things couldn’t be undone.
“Vampress, you have to stop or you’ll kill him.” She released the man and sat back, her world having shattered into a thousand painful pieces.
“I messed up,” she murmured. A stinging started behind her eyes, and her hands curled into the tattered fabric of her dress.
“It doesn’t matter. You must rest,” Zarathos said.
It did matter. Somehow, she always managed to ruin everything. Regardless of her attempts, she failed to safeguard those in greatestneed. In that moment, she’d truly believed she might save the humans, get them out. But they hadn’t wanted saving.
What kind of world was this, where humans willingly gave themselves over to pain and sacrifice, rejecting the chance at life and freedom?
It was a world she didn’t understand. One she knew she never fully would. She was a single thread in a tapestry, woven into the darkest parts, never destined to see the light.
It’s my fault. It’s my fault.
She thought of those she couldn’t save. Her father. Joy. The human town. And now she’d acted so rashly she wasn’t certain she’d be able to keep her bargain and save the humans. Oh gods, and what about Zarathos? She was going to get him killed, too.
A tear leaked down her cheek.
“You’re safe, Aryana,” Zarathos whispered. The brush of his finger stole away the moisture. “I am here. I’ve got you, my beautiful, insane, brave, selfless vampire princess.”
She buried her face in his shoulder. “I can’t save them. I can’t save them…”
“You don’t need to save anyone but yourself.” He stroked her hair as he spoke in a hushed tone. “Do you hear me? You aren’t the monster. I forced you into this. You are not to blame, you are not broken, you are not weak.”
She felt weak. Her world had been blasted open.
And the only one who offered words of comfort for her was her captor.
Chapter 34
Zarathos
The following evening, Zarathos walked down the long, dimly lit hallway of his castle, each step echoing off the obsidian, the weight of his thoughts heavy on his mind. He kept circling back to Aryana—the events that had led to her being trapped within these cold, unforgiving walls, and the haunting images of her suffering. The very thought of her pain twisted inside him like a knot, the guilt gnawing at him. The ache to free her grew with each passing moment. He had to get her out of here, out of this dreadfulplace, before it was too late.
Since the trials began, he’d kept her safely secluded in his rooms, and with everything worsening, he’d remained adamant that she stay hidden, inaccessible to anyone.
But beyond the looming shadow of Aryana’s plight, his mind also wrestled with a practical concern. The council. Pithian was the only one whom Zarathos had been able to reach. The rest either pledged allegiance to their own kingdoms or remained too invested in their plots to get to.
Which was why he couldn’t fail, both for Aryana’s sake and for his own redemption.
He made sure he was alone, then reached into the shadows and pulled them around him, reappearing in an old broom closet in the castle’s depths. Pithian already waited there.
Zarathos stalked toward his servant, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him against the wall. “You will never touch Aryana again, do you understand?”
“I did what she wanted in an attempt to save you both—”
“All you care about is your fucking bargain. Don’t act like it’s not.”
“Yes, because that bargain protects demons,” Pithian gasped, not even fighting, though he struggled to breathe. “Nationsof demons. And it’s more than that.” He let out a wheeze as Zarathos’s grip tightened. “It’s knowing who will be the best ruler of all of us. And that is you. You are the only choice.”
