Page 126 of Of Spindles and Nightfall
He had never takenanyone like that before, always too afraid of his own lack of self-control and the need to hide who he truly was. But the vampress had freed him, and more than that, she had proven he could control himself when it mattered. Zarathos had to ensure she made it out of this mess alive.
Grabbing the potion from the table, he walked back to her. “Drink this.”
She regarded it in confusion. “What is it?”
“Neutrolisis. The potion that negates spells. I’ve finally gotten my hands on more.” He placed it in her palm. “I want you to take it. Break our bargain, Aryana. The potion will allow you to do so and not die. There is enough for one person. Put an end to the power I have over you and leave this hellscape behind.”
She blinked, staring at the liquid in the vial, her brows drawing together in confusion. “You wish me to go?”
“The next trial will be worse than this one. The council is desperate not to have a vampire queen on the throne, and now that they are aware I am an incubus, they will be just as anxious to take me out as well. They won’t let us win the demon crown. Not after everything. The only way to save you is for you to disappear before the final trial.”
She sat up, giving him an alarmed look. “But if I leave and take the potion, since you gave me the means to do so, wouldn’t it beyoubreaking our bargain?”
“I’m willing to deal with the consequences of that.”
“If you break our bargain, Zarathos, your other deals will also be broken. Your power will be gone, and when you need it most.”
He laid a hand on her shoulder, trying to hide the icy fear that gathered in him at her words. “I know what will happen and I can live with it.”
“No. No, I take this and our deal is broken, right?” Hope sparked in those lovely eyes. “So you can come with me.”
“I cannot leave with you.” He ran his fingers tenderly through her hair. “If I break the contract I signed with the council, I’ll be the one who will perish. I have to compete to the end. However, taking Neutrolisis will also negate the contract that you signed as my kalator.”
She recoiled, glaring at him. “You think I’d take this and then leave you behind to die?”
“Did you hear what I said? There is no way we’ll survive the next round.”
“I don’t care. I won’t leave you.”
The sincerity in her eyes nearly shattered him. If his goal was for her to take the potion, he had to tread carefully. “I don’t need you making this harder. You saw what I had to do in the last match. I’ll handle this on my own.”
She flinched at his words, but her jaw set in quiet resolve. “You can try to push me away all you want, but I’m not taking it. I’m not going, Zarathos. I won’t.”
“Aryana.” He took her hand in his. “Please, for me. Take it. Leave here. You may believe you’re undeserving, but find a place that brings you joy. Find someone who doesn’t trap you in deadly bargains. You have nothing to prove, about life, about love.Youcanlove deeply. And you deserve it more than anyone I’ve ever met. So go and be happy. For me.”
She held his face in her palms. “Listen to me, Zarathos. I am a lot of things, but I am not so selfish as to break my bargain to end all your other bargains. Marbas and the mimps told me. They informed me of the lives you hold in your hands. How you help them. They are relying on you. This is your kingdom, and the one and only way to get them to respect you after everything that has happened, is to win the Demon Trials no matter the odds. And I will not leave your side until we’ve secured your crown or died trying.” Her eyes flashed with the determined fierceness that he so loved. “Whatever happens, I will stand by you. Now put that potion down and come back to bed.”
The more he pushed, the more unwavering she became. This was pointless. He needed to find a moment before the next trial to have her take it. Maybe make her hate him. But not now. She was expecting it too much. “As you wish, my love.” He rose and set the vial on the vanity.
He wouldn’t give up. Zarathos never gave up that easily. He would devise a way to trick her into taking the potion.
As he laid down next to her and she curled into him, he sensed her heart pounding in her chest. He gently ran his fingers over her shoulders and arms. “Sleep, Aryana. Get some rest.”
She clutched him, a bit of fear tinging her voice. “I won’t let you go, Zarathos. We will fight to the end, you and me.”
He nodded. “You and me, together.”
She buried her face against his torso and even while he held her, he knew.
He would do whatever it took to get Aryana to safety before the trials concluded.
Chapter 41
Aryana
Aryana snuck through the blackened corridor toward Xaphoron’s room. The halls stretched long and dark, shadows shifting as if warning her of the risk she was about to take. Her fingers brushed the potion in her right pocket, and her throat tightened.
She’d caught a servant in the hall and they’d pointed her in the direction she needed to go.
