Page 80 of Xantera
It’s Arad’s voice from the hallway, loud enough for her to hear. The vibrations of the Eleventh Guardian’s footsteps recede, the door slams shut again, and Sylvia exhales against the floor with the key still tight in her grip.
The memory spirals into a new one again. This time, Sylvia crouches in some kind of internal courtyard, where rose bushes circle a set of benches and a fountain tinkles merrily in the middle of a placid pond. When she peeks out from behind a thorny bush, it becomes apparent who she’s here to spy on: Arad himself.
His laugh reaches us, a darkness vibrating through it that makes acid rise in my throat.
Peering up at Arad through the leaves, we watch as he holds upmynecklace, and a sick smile twists his lips.
The chain graces his throat. The vial now trapped in his clenched fist.
And he can’t help but speak aloud, angled in a way that Sylvia can read every word on his lips.
“You know, it’s such a beautiful day. I really wish you could see it. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, everyone in my city adores me, and they all loathe you. How wonderful is that?”
Lucan. He’s talking to Lucan, and hatred crackles in my bones as I get my first taste of the taunting my Monster has had to endure for centuries. I’d give anything to rip the necklace from Arad’s cold, undeserving fingertips so that past Lucan wouldn’t have to hear the slimy words dripping from his lips.
But this is Sylvia’s memory, so all I can do is listen with curdling disgust.
“Oh? You loatheme? Well, why don’t you do something about it, then?” Arad waits for a response with a smile widening his face before he brings the vial close to his mouth and says, “That’s right. Because every time you try, you just end up whimpering like a little puppy. You are not a Monster. You are just pathetic. And there is nothing left for you to try. Ialwayscome out on top.”
I want to swing my fist into Arad’s face, but Sylvia just cocks her head at him through the leaves of her hiding place, eyeing the necklace with gleaming interest. She doesn’t know why he’s talking into it like it’s an intercom, but it might be the most interesting thing she’s had an itch to steal yet. And maybe whoever’s communicating with him on the other side canhelp.
Slowly, she rises from the bushes, pretending she’d been bending over to smell the roses. Arad jolts and stuffs the necklace away, his mouth opening as if to admonish her—or perhaps worse—but Sylvia throws on her most flirtatious smile and begins her game.
The next memoryfeelsdifferent. Sylvia’s resolve has hardened, but so has she. Almost physically. Sluggish, disoriented, and exhausted, her limbs seem to weigh a ton. But her desire has never wavered, and she’ll do anything to take the necklace.
She’s lying on a bed, counting in her head, and when she turns slowly, I’m horrified.
Arad is sleeping shirtless next to her, his chest moving in a slow rhythm, the sheets rising and falling with every breath, as if even they obey him.
I’m not the only one horrified. Sylvia hates herself—for liking what just transpired between them. The feeding. The sex. The multiple orgasms. She’s drunk on power and revenge, loving that Arad became putty in her hands over the last several weeks. Loving how easy it was to manipulate him with a few fluttering eyelashes and wiggling fingers.
Sylvia’s eyes travel south along the grooves of his stomach muscles, somewhat sad she won’t experience this again.
She smiles, thinkingwhat a waste.
When she reaches one hundred and one in her head, she reaches over his body and plucks that gold necklace off his bedside table. For a second, she eyes another silver chain hanging around his neck, but taking that one would be too risky. So she simply leans over to place her puckered lips at the corner of Arad’s mouth, knowing she’ll pay for this steal.
And slips away.
Afterward, I tried to run away from the Blood Moon Palace and found myself in some kind of dungeon, Diggory’s daughter says finally, opening her eyes again.But the sentries caught up to me before I could find my way out, so I dropped the necklace in the tunnels. Just so the Third Guardian wouldn’t ever find it again.
I gape at her, the pieces clicking together.
Diggory…I shake my head, gripping the chain tighter.Your father went missing two Choosings ago, right after you stopped coming to the balconies. Since you’d already given him a key to the catacombs, I’m willing to betthat’swhere he went. Down in those same tunnels. And he found the necklace right where you dropped it, and put it on…
Pride shines through Sylvia’s eyes.I knew he’d stop at nothing to try to save me. He was too late, but he tried. And that’s all that matters to me.
She closes her eyes with a slight smile on her face, but the absolute horror of all her memories and everything she went through still has me disoriented, blinking down at her as I try to remember who I am and where we are.
In a small, coffin-like bedroom, relatively safe. For now.
Did the Third Guardian…I can hardly bear to form the question in my head.Did he find out you were the one who stole the necklace?
As sadistic as Arad seems, I can’t imagine how Sylvia is even stillaliveafter defying and betraying him so openly.
Oh, yes.Her eyes shutter.I was already in trouble for trying to run away, but when he realized one of his necklaces was gone… let’s just say I didn’t break. I never told him where it was.She clenches her jaw.Finally, the Third Guardian told me death was tooeasy for me, and then he drank. Drank from me within an inch of my life—calculated, strategic—and when he was finished, he brought me here, more than happy to watch me fade away. He still comes just to watch sometimes and smile.
My shoulders slump as I take it all in. The Guardians know what they’re doing, then, using their venom like a weapon in small or big doses to get to their desired result. The only thing I can offer isI’m sorry,but it will never be enough. Diggory’s daughter is more courageous than I could ever be.
