Bound by Darkness (Bound By Series)

42. Ripped Masks

Chapter 42

Ripped Masks

THALIA

Dry chuckles bubbled from me as a sickening feeling coated my stomach. “Not funny.”

But Ivan didn’t chuckle, didn’t glance my way as he kept his gaze toward the sky.

“You’re… joking. Say you’re joking,” I half-screamed, my stomach curling within itself.

He stayed silent.

I took a step back. “No. No—I refuse. You wouldn’t do that to me. You’re not… you’re not him. Say you’re not him.”

He couldn’t be him. He couldn’t be one of them, because if he was, I’d slept with my enemy. I’d… I’d fallen for my enemy.

“Thalia,” he said, his voice wavering. “I wanted to tell you. I should have told you, but I was scared.”

A sob left my throat. “You can’t?—”

But he could.

The pieces all fit.

Why he was a skilled swordsman. Why he’d run away from home. Why Chiron was his Uncle. Why he seemed to hide in the shadows when we’d traveled. Why he knew so much information about me, because he’d had access to the records in the castle. The castle I’d been held prisoner to for years because his father had slaughtered my family for my casting.

“Was this… was this all a lie?” I seethed as tears welled in my eyes.

He took a step forward as I countered with my own. “Nothing was a lie. I meant every word I’ve spoken to you. I despise my father, and what he’s doing. I rescued you to bring peace to Cethales.”

The back of my hand wiped a few fallen tears away as rage seeped into my pores at every word he spoke. “You’re a liar,” I hissed. “You… you killed my family. You knew this whole time!” I screamed at him.

“I didn’t. I tried to stop him, but I was a young boy who was scared to defy his orders. I didn’t want harm coming to my mother.”

“I don’t care!” I cried, my tears falling faster than I could stop them. “Your family took away mine. I will never get them back. I will never see my sister again because of your father ,” I spat. “You chose to run away rather than face your father. You’re worse than any coward I’ve met.”

“Thalia,” he said, his eyes pleading as he looked at me.

“Leave me alone!” My fingers brushed the salt from my cheeks. “Do not come for me. Do not come to my tent. Do not… do not look at me again.”

“Please, Thalia, wait,” he said as his hand reached toward me.

“Do not use that name, Kaydn ,” I hissed. “You are a stranger to me and I am done.”

As I turned from him, I bit my finger to keep from wailing as I stormed up the hillside, leaving the person I’d grown to trust behind.

“Can I get you anything?” Moria said as she combed through my wet curls, her fingers working diligently to untangle the massive knots.

“I’m fine,” I muttered, my eyes distant as I stared at the fire roaring in her tent, heat sweeping the area around us.

“It’s okay if you’re not,” she said as she pulled the comb through a particularly thick section.

“I’m fine,” I repeated, my voice a bit rough.

“Right.”

A log broke, embers releasing into the air.

“Sorry, I—” Was I even sorry?

“You don’t have to explain anything,” she said as she placed the comb on the table. “You have every right to feel the way you do.”

My head leaned back, resting against her shoulder as the events played in my mind. It had been a few days since Iva—Kaydn’s reveal, but it wasn’t getting easier.

“I can’t believe how stupid I’ve been.”

I had given him everything. I had trusted him and he’d lied to me at every corner and opportunity available. Did I even know him? Had I known him at all?

“You weren’t stupid,” Moria huffed. “He’s a Fae male, Thalia. They all lie.”

“But I should have caught all the warnings. I should have seen all the signs people were giving me and I didn’t.” My eyes shut. “I feel so stupid,” I groaned, my head burying into the crook of her arm.

Moria smacked me lightly, her arms shoving me forward. “You about ruined all of my hard work,” she said as she pointed to my hair.

“I don’t care,” I muttered.

“Well it matters to me after you made me brush it for the past hour,” she grumbled. “The last thing you’re going to do is mess it up.”

“Alright,” I said as I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Good,” Moria said, but a bit of a smile shone through as she leaned back against her chair. “I don’t think I’m going to get used to us being in the same room without bars.”

A chuckle left my lips. “It is weird not having a barrier.”

“We’ll have to come up with a new system as I refuse to let my points wither to nothing.”

“Seriously? You still care about those dumb points?”

Moria placed a hand over her heart. “Why are you even asking? I worked hard for years to win every single time. I’m offended you’d even suggest they don’t matter.”

“Didn’t realize it was a sore subject,” I said as a bit of lightness returned to me. She was still amazing at cheering me up when I needed it the most.

“What about you?”

Moria glanced at me. “What do you mean?”

“How have you been? You’ve been focusing on me, but I know you’ve also suffered countless times since the prison.”

“You don’t even know,” she muttered.

“Then tell me,” I said, my eyes turning to hers. “I could use the distraction, and I’m curious what you’ve been up to all this time.”

Moria rolled her eyes. “Not much. I was stuck in Galar for a while.”

“I’m sorry,” I said softly. “I know it had to have been rough.”

Moria bit her lip. “I met a girl and we became close for the time I was there. I wouldn’t have survived without her.”

“Is she still there?”

Moria shook her head. “She died protecting me.”

“Oh… Oh Moria, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” Grief struck my heart for my friend as she glanced to the side, her eyes dimming.

“It’s okay,” she said meekly. “She helped me to survive and I plan on repaying her by living. By helping people like her whose lives were stolen.”

“What happened to you? Have you grown a backbone?”

Moria shoved me. “Shut up.”

“What? I’m happy for you,” I said. “I’m glad you’re finally starting to stick up for yourself.”

Moria rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth gave her away as they lifted.

“What else?”

Moria shrugged. “After Galar, I winded up here at camp helping Gia in the kitchen.”

I choked. “You… in a kitchen ?”

“Yes. I was her best helper too, thank you very much.”

“Lies,” I teased.

“Ask her yourself.”

“I will,” I said in challenge.

Moria simply shifted, her shoulders rising as she continued to talk about her mundane life here at the Hideaway until Iyanna sent her on the mission with Naexi.

“How… was that?” I asked, my face lingering on the burning wood.

“A nightmare. She even puked on my shoes.”

“Gross.”

Tent flaps fluttered as the woman herself entered.

“Sorry to interrupt your… conversation ,” Naexi grumbled as she stormed into the tent, “but you’re needed outside.”

I turned to Moria then Naexi. “We’re not done talking. Piss off.”

Naexi reached down, clutching onto my arm as she hauled me from my chair.

It clattered behind me .

Moria stood. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t have time to explain,” Naexi huffed as she hauled me outside, the thick fog of winter settling.

Her grip tightened as I tugged against her. My arm burned at the sensation and my teeth clattered at the change in temperature.

“Let go!” I hissed. “I can walk by myself,” I spat as I shoved her fingernails from my forearm.

Moria appeared on my right a second later, her eyes glancing at me for any information.

I shrugged, having no clue why Iyanna’s right hand was guiding us toward the middle of camp.

“Will you please?—”

Naexi pointed to the sky and my eyes followed it.

Silver flickered above us in flashes of brilliant light. The scenery warbled, prisms of color spreading against the gray sky.

“By the Mother,” Moria cursed for all three of us.

The ward was breaking.