Page 124 of A Dose of Agony
Jarron’s mind winds through all the next steps that would have taken place. The tribunal would have announced to the capital city that Prince Jarron’s claims are substantiated and Vincent’s are false.
There may have been riots in the streets, fighting among the rebels, but slowly over the next few days, the number of rebels would have dissipated and the pressure would have eased.
The war would be all but over.
And my sister would have died,I insert.
The Cosmic Council would still remain, cast out of their plans for war in Oriziah with a jinn as a liability. They would have killed her.
The agitated monster in front of me groans deep in his chest.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper for the first time. “I had to.”
He stops, eyes cast to the floor, taking labored breaths. Then, he pivots toward me and stalks forward. “My priority has always been you,” he growls.
My shoulders are hunched forward, arms curled tightly around myself.
“I am not angry with you. I am frustrated. I am thwarted at every turn. They have weapons pointed in multiple directions, making it impossible to attack them without being wounded from the other side.”
He’s mad at them, not me. That’s what he’s saying. But I can’t help but feel like it’s still my fault. If he had chosen someone else, not me or Liz, then this—
He swipes out and grips me by the back of the head, the monster’s black eyes staring down at me. “You are perfect. You are the correct choice. You arenotthe problem.”
I shiver at his words.
“I want you, no one else. I have never once regretted my choice.”
He steps even closer to my place in the armchair, forcing my knees to part so he can press his body up against mine. My chin rests on his stomach, still looking up at my monster.
“You do not blame yourself for someone else’s evil.”
My eyes flutter closed.
“My brother should have chosen different,” he says, releasing his grip on me. “But that is not our burden to carry.”
Bea? He’s still blaming Bea for this?
“You were blaming yourself for simply existing and being desirable,” he chides back to my thoughts. I roll my eyes in response.
“We can still fix it,” I say. “We can still kill the council.”
He growls. “I will not trust her.”
I close my eyes and glance up at the ceiling. “Then, what? What now?”
He heaves in a large breath. “I go back to Oriziah and keep working.”
I drop my face into my hands. He’s not safe there. He’s not safe there because of me. Because I chose my sister over him.
“Today was not a loss, Candice.” He sighs. “It’s frustrating, knowing that we could have proven our case, but the council began sincerely believing Vincent’s claims and left believing either could be true. It’s—it will not make things worse. It may even help.”
Considering the palace was literally attacked days ago, saying that it “may help” is not enough to take away my fear.
The demon’s eyes soften. He runs the back side of his claws over my cheek. “I will be back. I will not leave you. We will be okay.”
Both of our uncertainty and fear mingles together until I can’t tell which is whose.
“Okay,” I mutter, only half-believing it.
