Page 67 of In The Shadows

“We can’t let him keep doing this, Tobias. He’s going to kill her!” Loma harshly whispers from outside my cell.

“You don’t think I fear that, Loma? We don’t have a choice. Oren will carry out his plans, no matter what. We can’t raise any suspicion, or she won’t have anyone to help her. We stay quiet and hidden so we can save her. She must live,” Tobias answer softly.

I let out a deep sigh, coming back to the present. Nyx’s breathing becomes harsh as he grips the chair so hard his knuckles turn white.

“If Theo never arrived, would you have ever told me any of this?” Nyx asks.

The question stings because I know I wouldn’t have. It was a secret Tobias, Loma, and I never wanted to share with anyone.

“No. I never wanted you to know how bad it got,” I reply, feeling raw and exposed—the worst parts of my past on full display.

“The night The Keep shook seven years ago was also because of Theo,” I say, ready to reveal everything.

Nyx’s eyes are cold and angry. “He’s the reason our home was almost brought down twice?” he yells.

I lean forward, bracing my arms on my legs.

“That night, everything changed. Oren chained me to the wall as usual, but this time he had opened a portal into the Lux dungeons where my mother hung from the ceiling,” I say, rubbing the back of my head, remembering the pain from when Oren slammed it against the wall.

Nyx’s eyes soften and his eyebrows furrow. I never talk about my mother. It’s too painful.

“Oren and Leopold had beaten her before they woke me. It was punishment for both of us, I guess,” I pick at my nails, trying to keep the memories at bay.

“She will end you all. You will fall and weep at her feet. She. Will. End. You.”I can hear my mother’s words as if she is here with me now.

“Oren offered me a deal. I was to listen to his every command and do what he wanted. In return, he would let her live. She begged me to not break, but all I wanted was for her to be safe, even if it wasn’t with me,” I say, wiping a tear from my cheek, expecting to see dirt covering my hands like it had back then.

I stare at the floor as the past and present melt into one. Hints of sweat and blood fill my nose as my mind fights to figure out what is real and what is a memory. Darkness creeps in, threatening to take me back.

“Listen to me, Nata. They can never truly break you as long as you follow the threads of your heart. They will always lead you to where you are supposed to be. The threads will lead you home. I will always love you. Make them pay, Lily.”

“I tried reaching her, but I wasn’t strong enough yet. And when I didn’t immediately accept his deal, Oren slit her throat. He forced me to watch my mother die,” I say, clenching my hands together.

My shadows swirl in the well at my core as I fight to keep my emotions in check. My skin buzzes as the darkness within me begs to be unleashed, to drag me into its black abyss.

“Lily,” Nyx’s voice is soft and low.

His eyes reflect the same heartbreak I feel. I swallow hard, preparing to tell him about my undoing.

“After they murdered my mother, I kept my resolve. I thought it was over—that Oren had taken all he could from me. But, somehow, Leopold knew that Theo was my Amari and offered him to Oren to try and use another person I loved to break me,” I scoff.

Theo remains loyal to the man who so willingly offered him up for slaughter.

“At the threat, I cracked. And, suddenly, the well with my shadows erupted, flooding me with a power I had never felt before. It tore through my body, and I felt like the darkness was consuming every part of me. Then, I was no longer in my cell. My mind was pulled somewhere else,” I say, trying to figure out how to explain it.

“What do you mean? What did you see?” Nyx tries to grasp what I’m telling him.

“A stone temple with three shapeless clouds colored blue, green, and purple hovering within. One pale man with black hair and solid-black eyes, as dark as the night, stood in the middle. He had a red-rimmed mist hovering around him. He was reaching for me. The air around him vibrated with energy. Then he spoke, and there was no denying who was with me: Thalos.”

Nyx’s eyes go wider than I’ve ever seen.

“Thalos was in your mind? Lily that is only heard of in lore! How? Why?” Nyx stammers, trying to make sense of it.

I’d love it if he could because it still doesn’t make sense to me, even after seven years.

“He forced his shadow power into me. By the gods, it hurt,” I say with a shiver. Thalos’ deep, demanding voice rings in my head,“Now!”

“When the power tore out of me, both Brightwick and our Keep trembled under the sheer force. The shadows went straight for Oren and Leopold, wrapping around their necks as if seeking revenge.” I pause, remembering the feeling of their racing heartbeats through my power.

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