Her mind blanked, only to recalibrate in seconds, a scene taking shape...
Suddenly, she was lying on a familiar stone altar, her mind nothing but noise. No, no. Not her. Anything she experienced now, she experienced as Roux. But the altar. Wow. It reminded her of the one Roc had built for Taliyah, when he’d intended to sacrifice her.
Roux wasn’t bound, but he wasn’t free, either. He remained motionless.
He wore a loose white shirt and matching pants. Not to mention his customary blank expression. Above him, lavender sunlight shone from an azure sky. Around him, a crowd of—whatwerethose? Shadow people? Or something else entirely? Dark outlines matched the shapes of many of the Astra, even those of Chaos and his attendants.
Eerie, yes, but tainted? No. So how had a memory like this killed an immortal in a matter of seconds, simply because she’d viewed it?
One of the almost-people approached the altar. This one had the shape of Commander Roc. Wait. Was Roux about to suffer the same fate as his leader’s previous brides?
Yep. Sure enough. The silhouette of Roc tore into Roux, shredding his body. Tissue and blood flew in every direction. Through it all, Roux made not a peep. He lost limbs. Organs. Even his head.
So. Hecouldrecover from a beheading.
Abruptly, the scene spun into another. As the new one crystalized, she realized she was—no,Rouxwas standing before a shaded outline of the Astra named Halo...who pinned and shredded him just as Roc had done.
The scene spun again. Again, Roux died at the hands of a shadowy Astra. Then again. And again. It happened over and over, one murder revolving into another. Once the lineup finished, each one repeated, only faster. Same order. Same outcome. Then came another repeat, faster still. It came again and again and again. A never-ending spinning wheel of blood, pain, and death, leaving Blythe dizzy.
Sickness churned in her stomach. Hers, not Roux’s. Or maybe theirs? She felt the burn of it through the haze of memories. Then the screams started. One after another, soon blending into a familiar cacophony of horror. She struggled to keep her thoughts together. A colossal chore, yet somehow she managed it. Kind of. Intelligence came in bursts. The Astra’s blessing task. Had he been forced to relive the tasks completed by his friends? Only, he took the place of their victims?
Did it happen in real life? Or was this some type of mental torture?
Mental torture, she’d bet. Meant to be reminders of his childhood, when he’d been physically tortured by someone else who was supposed to love and care for him.
Poor Roux. How many times had he relived his friends’ blessing tasks? Once? Or an endless cycle until a clock ran out? Either way...
How was this male still able to function? As she’d suspected, he’d known nothing but torment and betrayal throughout his life. How did he not hate the males he considered compatriots and friends? Or did he? Did a part of him resent them for what happened, whether it was real or not?
Blythe attempted to extract herself from the memory, but the spinning wheel held her captive. Roux died again. And again.
No escape? Stuck here?
Panic gripped her, but she fought it, focusing on her goal rather than the failure.Disengage! Abort!
She clawed and kicked, attempting to evade Roux’s stream of chaotic consciousness, but an invisible tether held her in place. With no other options, she wrapped herself in that tether, letting it choke the life out of her...
Blythe came to with a gasp. Her eyelids popped apart, and she sagged to the floor beside her Astra. Or rather, sagged on top of him, resting her head in the crook of his arm. Though she tried to shift positions, she was too weak.
Sweat soaked her. Probably blood, too. Breath sawed in and out of her mouth as if she’d just sprinted across three different galaxies, chased by a posse of her worst fears. Roux had calmed, at least. He wasn’t flailing anymore.
As she lay there, her mind ravaged into oblivion and her body absorbing his heat, her eyelids grew heavy and slowly slid shut. Darkness teased the edges of her mind.
Panic sparked.About to fall asleep. With the Astra.Her greatest foe. Her sworn eternal enemy. The object of her death vow. Yes, circumstances between them had somehow changed irrevocably, for better or worse. But this... No!
Blythe fought with everything in her, prying open her eyes and refusing to blink. But it wasn’t long before her irises burned and new tears welled. Her lids got heavier.
She didn’t care. There would be no sleeping with Roux. Adult harpies only drifted off with their consorts. No exception other than death. Unlike his carry to the palace, tonight’s nap couldn’t be explained away.
There was no way Roux was...he couldn’t possibly be...she refused to believe...
Boulder-heavy eyelids sank low...lower...
What are you doing? Stop this!
Gathering what little remained of her strength, she attempted to rise. Her body betrayed her, refusing to obey her mind’s commands—and she snuggled more comfortably against him.
Lower...