Page 93 of Of Shadow and Moon

Kaelion leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees,his dark eyes glinting with malice. “You’re both too focused on the obvious,” he says, his voice low and taunting. “She doesn’t need sweet words or stolen nights. She needs doubt. Make her question herself. Make her think she’s losing control. And then… when she’s desperate, she’ll come to us willingly. You are all obsessed with her too much and it’s getting in the way of doing what we were fucking told to do.”

Nazriel remains silent, his gaze bouncing between them. “And how is that going?” he asks finally, his voice even.

Kaelion shrugs. “She’s already teetering. I’ve seen the way she looks at you, Nazriel. The confusion. The frustration. You’ve wormed your way into her head just by existing.”

Nazriel’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t respond immediately. Instead, he turns to Matheus, the only one who hasn’t spoken. “And you?”

Matheus doesn’t move, his expression still and stoic. “I don’t play games like this,” he says quietly, his voice carrying an edge of disapproval. “If you want to manipulate her, do it without me.”

Yeah, he may not be involved, but he knows what is going on, whatever this is, and chooses not to stop it. Not standing up for what is right, is another form of betrayal than the act itself.

Tomas snorts, rolling his eyes, while Kaelion leans back, looking thoroughly unimpressed. Rhyker shrugs, crossing his arms. “Suit yourself, Matheus. More fun for the rest of us.”

Nazriel finally speaks, his tone colder than the night air. “We don’t have time for your pissing contest. She’s a threat, and you know it. This isn’t about fun. This is about power.”

They’re talking about me like I’m some kind of puzzle, a game they’re all playing.

I want to scream. I want to storm into the courtyard and demand answers, but my legs feel frozen, my body pinned to the stone by the weight of their words.

“Does she know anything?” Nazriel asks, his gaze sweeping over the group again.

Kaelion grins. “If she does, she’s not saying. But it doesn’t matter. She’ll break eventually. They always do.”

Tomas chuckles darkly. “We know she works for Alexander. We just need a little more time for her to tell us who the Shadow Reaper is.”

I bite my lip hard enough to taste blood, the metallic tang grounding me as my mind spins.

They’ve been working together this whole time. Every word, every glance, every touch. It was all a lie.

Matheus finally speaks again, his voice quiet but firm. “You’re playing a dangerous game. If she figures it out?—”

“She won’t,” Nazriel interrupts, his tone final. “She can’t.” He looks almost regretful when he says it, but his mask is quickly put back into place. A cold indifference that I know too well.

I can’t stay here any longer.

By the time I reach the dorms, my hands are trembling, and my chest feels like it’s going to explode. My mind races with their words, the betrayal cutting deeper than any blade ever could. Nasarea. Nazriel. The other princes.

They’ve all betrayed me.

I trusted them—trusted her. And they’ve been using me, manipulating me, breaking me down piece by piece. How could I be so fucking stupid? This is exactly what I have been trained to avoid, to never get close enough.

I thought I was alone before. But now, I know for certain, I can’t trust anyone. Not anymore.

I feel so stupid. I was so desperate to be liked and liked in a genuine way; I fell for their shit, swallowed their lies whole, even though I’ve spent my entire life learning not to trust such deceptions. The bitterness of it all cuts deep.

No one could despise me more than I despise myself right now.

Chapter 54

Selestina

Istep into my room, feeling the weight of exhaustion crush my shoulders, pressing down with a force that eats at my very soul. Tonight starts the two day celebration of life and Tonalli’s perpetual darkness. Día de Muertos. It’s fitting really. Every step feels like wading through thick mud, my limbs as heavy as the betrayal that clings to me. I was naïve to hope—to believe, even for a moment, that I could be something more than a weapon.

How foolish.

My heart clenches, a cruel twist of the knife as the truth settles. They never saw me. They only saw a pawn, another piece to be maneuvered, used, then discarded. They wanted a player they could control in their ruthless game of power. And I played right into their hands.

My knees buckle, and I drop to the floor, my fingers around the bedpost as if it might keep me from floating away. My other hand presses to the cold, hard floor, the chill leeching into my skin. Everything around me spins. I fight to hold my breath steady, in shaky gasps, as though through a straw.

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