Act.
Rue was slow to rise this time, exhaustion thick in her veins. It weighed her down like the heaviest of stones on her shoulders. She could almost see the chains on her ankles and wrists, the ropes hooked to her flesh, the restraints. But in the blink of an eye, they were gone.
This time, there were no birds in the sky.
You need to tell them.
The memories trickled into her head. His mouth on hers, warmth on her lips. The knife pressed against his throat. The bubbling blood. The sickening laugh. How many times had he replayed that scene? How many fucking times—
Three times.
She remembered only two. What felt like the first time: when Halcyon had pressed a knife to his own throat, when she'd scrambled against his command like a little pet in his cage. And then the second when he kissed her and begged her to kill him. She did not remember the third, and that fucking terrified her.
There must be more. More times. More fucking loops.
Her panic whistled between her teeth. It took everything for her to remain calm, to blink bleary eyes at her new captor. Halcyon greeted her once more with a stunning smile.
He was not Halcyon.
His eyes flashed white then black.
She was sure of it.
The sun was far too bright. She smiled, played along with his fucking script. Two fucking times was déjà vu. Three? Three was a fucking play. He should have known that she'd break free. And he must. The monster was toying with her mind.
You need to tell them that he's trying to break you.
Scepticism burned within her, along with a nice big fucking dose of confusion. How the fuck was she to know what was real and what was false? Fear pulsed in her throat, pulling her muscles taut. And when had it all begun? Her mind spiralled, trying to pinpoint the moment the monster had arrived. When had Edmund planted himself on the fucking island? When had things all gone to shit? The dreams of Valentino? The nasty roots? The wound on her ankle?
Was this all just a side effect of some kind of drug?
What had happened to Cetus?
Her eyes drifted to the sea. She did not see the familiar dark silhouette, the ghost of the sea creature that guarded her prison. There were clues in her memories, little crumbs of information that Edmund had thrown her way in tease. But she couldn't really remember them all. Her thoughts felt like soup.
Only one is the soulmate of seven emperors.
She frowned at that.
Soulmate?
Her body itched; she yearned to claw at herself, to scratch hard. Gods, if this was all just a fucking simulation from the Council, she'd rip them to shreds. And what if it were all an illusion? What if this was just another fucking mind game created to break her spirit? Her conspiracy theories grew. She pinched her skin; the pain flared.
My Alpha is the strongest when your Omega is at the surface.
She realised now that the trapdoor was just her size. A space built just for her, and when Halcyon descended, he seemed to almost shrink in the darkness. She was sure it was a fucking illusion now, glared at walls that seemed to expand and contract like a lung.
A toxin.
She sat in her chair, ate the fucking steak that was only real thanks to a goddamn hypnotism. Rue knew that the ache in her chest was too real, that the dread in her gut could be trusted. This wasn't just some fucked-up prison cell.
She was sure of it now with her eyes on Halcyon, watching as he twitched and writhed. He was like a marionette, like a puppet with strings. There were moments when his eyes turned glazed, when a dreamy smile emerged across his lips. There were moments when he seemed broken. And she trusted her heart, her Omega. Her Omega knew that Halcyon was real. There was something wrong with her Alpha.
In the next loop, try to kill me.
Something had gone horribly wrong.
And the Halcyon before her was sometimes…Halcyon. She knew that because he felt like him. He smelled like him, vanilla spiced bakeries. Her body…Her mind…Her soul. She knew it was him. The Omega within her seemed to wail, keening within her as if she were breaking apart. She tightened her grip on the knife in her hands; it glinted silver.
A knife for her steak.
Fuck.
She stared at the man before her.
But if Halcyon were here, she decided, then the others must know. The six other Emperors must know. The Council must know. An Emperor kidnapped. It could not be easy. Her gaze hardened. They wouldn't sacrifice him. He was too important. So why weren't they coming for him? Why the fuck was she playing house with a possessed alien—
"Rue?"
She jumped, fingers tight around the handle of the knife, eyes snapping up to him. The monster blinked; his eyes were too black. Edmund… What did he want from her? He'd tried to kill her once, flood her body with ink. Was it to turn her into his puppet? But he'd failed, and now…what the fuck was he doing?
In the next loop, when he catches one of them, you need to remember to tell them.
One of them.
Who?
Halcyon's voice echoed in her mind. More goddamn riddles. More fucking mind games. But Rue was done with the bullshit. She was raised in a place that was worse than nightmares. She was raised to meet problems head-on, to slap ghosts in the face, to storm into the darkness and yell at the shadows. Rue didn't quiver, crying about monsters under the bed. She was the type of bitch to go on her knees with a dagger and torchlight, roaring at the demons.
And usually, it was all just in her head. Usually, it was all bullshit. Smoke and mirrors, drugs and conditions. Her eyes darkened. She was sick and tired of whatever the fuck this was, and if there was any command left in her…if she still had a fucking voice, she was going to use it or die trying. Rue could be fucking crazy, and she would be.
She smiled.
She was going to slap that motherfucker.
"Are you done?"
The puppet blinked, tilted its head.
"Are you done with your fucking mind games?"
Halcyon twitched, and she smiled, raising a glass to him. She could play those games too if she wanted to. She could tease the goddamn monster and see what he'd do. Rue was never the type of person to go out screaming. At the very least, she had to land one last punch.
"Halcyon," she spat, glared at him, daring the fucker to reveal himself. "You made me think I was important. That I was special." She made a face, lips pressed together. "Don't you think that this is all so fucking stupid?" She exhaled, eyes steady on him.
The puppet stared.
"Talk," she snapped. "I want to hear your words. You're no pussy." And she could almost see Edmund loosening the reins, pushing Halcyon back to the surface just so he might twist out the most authentic of answers. "TALK!" She roared, slamming her glass onto the table with a snarl. She could remember the way the monster laughed, and she fucking hated it. But sweat was beading on her brow, fear teased in her belly. "Or I'll fucking kill you."
"Rue," he said. "You know that's not true."
"A plaything," she listed for him. "A toy. A tool. A woman. I can go on, and on, and on." She looked at the goblet with the stupid fucking ink. She knocked it over with a growl; liquid splattered on the ground. Red turned black. She ignored it.
"An Omega," he said, staring at her softly, eyes going gentle. "My guide."
Her lips quirked. "Yeah? Little shit, you have so many. Girls, boys," her thoughts roared in her head. It was always easier to push fear into anger. She wanted Halcyon to come forth. She wanted to see him again. "They're mostly dead." Her voice went too soft then. "No guide lasts with an SSS-classed Esper. No guide."
"You're…You're my moon."
"I thought about it," she told him, spun the fucking knife in her hands. Her heart pounded. "I had a lot of time on this island. I thought about how I played in your little hands, how I danced to your tune." She shook her head, whistled a low sound. "Christ, you set me back, blocking my entrance into school just because you didn't like what I told you. You didn't like that I rejected you."
She gave him a dramatic pause, then stood with her hands behind her back. The knife was cold in her grasp.
"Oh, I couldn't even fucking choose something else. What if I wanted to do medicine?" she shrugged. "Fuck that, she has to be a guide because I want to fuck her." She exhaled, pinning her eyes on him. She snarled. "Fucking psychopath."
"No, it was not like that—"
"Honestly, I didn't care about that; I didn't give a fuck," she admitted, spinning truth with the lies. The rage was easy to coax out of her because it was all real. "I just wanted to make money; I wanted to be free." She tilted her head. "I had to make my demands," she spun fingers. "Had to twist my way around things when you became so fucking crazy." She cocked her head to the side, raised a brow. "Why do you do so much just to get me?" she asked. "I really don't think I was playing hard to get. You literally took my first fucking Heat."
"It's not—" His expression grew pinched, and was that…Tears? Alarm sprouted within her. "It's not the same—"
"From the beginning, I didn't want you there." She trailed a finger along the table, strode up to him with a scowl. "You're the one coming for me. You were the ones begging for me. And then you used me as your guide. So, what happened there? Are all Heras like that?" She motioned to herself. "Bitches who unwillingly lure men in like idiots? Damn, that doesn't make any fucking sense." She made a face, glared hard. "I'm not even the most attractive Omega, so I don't think so."
Halcyon's eyes went wide.
"Because I was literally dying on this island, and you all did not give a fuck," she hissed. "So, someone is lying. Is it you or is it me?"
"I…" Halcyon whispered, hands clawing his heart. "I love you."
She was surprised by the admission, eyes snapping to his, noticing the gold that flashed. "Yeah?" she snorted, but her hands quaked. "You sure? I'm not controlling you," she said, slamming a palm on the table. The knife trembled in her fist. Stab him. Her mind cried. Kill the monster. She was so confused, and yet— Rage flared within her. She fed its flames, righteous indignation; it twisted deep. "I hate you."
There were tears in Halcyon's eyes, real tears and they frothed from him. She didn't understand why he collapsed on his knees, why it seemed as if she'd destroyed him from the inside out. "T-Tell me that's not true." He cried out.
"It is." She stepped closer, eyes on his face. His beautiful face, sobbing so hard, cheeks flushed red. Weird. Weird. Weird. She hated him, she could kill him. She could do it. His real body would live. He wasn't real. He was Edmund. "I hate you all, every single one of you. You can leave me here to die, and you should."
"Rue…" he spluttered as if she were tearing him apart. "Please don't say that."
"I hate you for putting me here. You," she said. "You made it seem like love."
"It was."
"It was obsession," she snarled. "And when I wasn't good, you threw me to the curb. You dropped me out of here to die. You know that, everyone fucking knows that. And I'm going to die. I will. You think they'll come for me? Fuck no. So who fucking cares, I don't give a fuck. I give up. I fucking give up. Yeah, I'll just rot and die—"
"But I'm here," he insisted, and she could almost see the monster battling within him, confused. He was confused, eyes flashing black and gold. She liked that he was confusing him. "I'm with you—"
"Yeah, fuck that," she said, middle finger in his face. "You think I'd believe this shit? Listen, little bitch, who the fuck walks into the cell and eats with the prisoner?" she taunted. Gods, Rue was going mad. "If I were you, I'd pull me out of here. But we're here, in a hole, in a lighthouse. What the fuck does that mean, huh?" she growled. Her Omega was frothing within her, pacing, roaring, feeding on the flames of a bad mate. Her bad, bad mate. "You don't intend to free me. You're playing with me like a dog."
"I can't," he insisted, and she could feel him, feel him rising. His expression twisted with rage. Was it Edmund or was it Halcyon? "Cetus keeps us here; Cetus is the reason why no one can get on or off this island. We're all trapped. All of us."
"So, it's a fucking dead end," she snapped. "A fun little fighting ring?" But, her pulse raced. That seemed real, like real, solid information. "And you've come here to blow yourself up with me. That's fucking stupid. What did you plan to do? Huh?"
"I was going to save you," he begged. "All my power is with you. My dragon, my soul—"
"Were you really?" she raised a brow; her lower lip trembled. "This is all the Emperor of Artemis can do?"
"They were holding me back!" he cried. "They kept us apart, all seven of us. I couldn't see the rest of them. We were separated, and by the time I realised it, it was too late—"
"What? They held you in cells?" she laughed. Those words seemed like truth, and his eyes flashed. "Put you on a fucking island with no fucking water?"
"It was drugs; my mates are on drugs," he snapped. "Only Pack Alpha has the right to take you back. I couldn't do anything; they didn't tell me anything. I didn't know where you were. I believed you had food and water—"
She smacked her lips, pointed to the food. "Well, that shit seems fake," she snapped. "Y'know what?" she addressed Edmund then with a smirk. "I think we'll all starve first. And then you and your stupid plans can go fuck themselves."
"The others will come," Halcyon insisted. "They will—"
"You just said they can't," she snapped. "You just fucking said the giant squid has trapped us all. We're just waiting to die now. Maybe they'll come for you, but me? Fuck no. I've been here for days. Whatever powers you think I have it's all used up."
"They will come for you." He reached forward, hands out, reaching for her. "They will do anything for their Omega. You have always doubted them. You've always believed that no one loves you, but they do because they have to. They must love you because you are their soul—"
"Must?" She choked out a laugh, tongue between teeth. "Why?"
"You're ours," he insisted. "My moon, our heart, our queen—"
She snapped.
She fucking lost her shit.
"Don't touch me!" she shrieked, strung up with tension. "I don't believe you. I don't fucking believe you—" Her snarl rose into a scream. "DON'T YOU DARE FUCKING TOUCH ME."
Her hands raised, the knife flashed. Go for the arteries, her mind crooned. The neck. KILL HIM. KILL HIM. KILL HIM. She slammed her weapon down with a scream. Her Omega sobbed, sobbed as she tried to kill him with a roar. And then at the very last second, she dropped the knife, heaving, eyes wide, fingers fisting in Halcyon's collar. She released him with another cry.
Fuck.
She almost fell for it.
She almost fell for Edmund's lies.
He stared, stared as she panted. The knife was on the floor. His eyes were solid black, pupils not dilated. They were gone. He stumbled back, staring at her as if horrified.
"Rue?" he whimpered with wide watery eyes. But she could see through him, see the shudder of a laugh. "What are you doing?"
"You wanted me to kill him," she panted, shaking her head. "You wanted me to kill him, you sick fuck." And the monster crept in with a big, fat laugh. He swayed, laughing like a lunatic. It horrified her, had her climbing back, back pressed to the shadows. The thing brayed, ink dripping.
He straightened with an expression too cold. "What gave it away?"
"You're too pushy," she answered. "The eye thing was a bit too obvious. And," she glared then. "You knew where it was going. When I pushed you, you pushed back. You wanted me angry. My fucking hand was behind my back the whole time. I waited for you to do something, you didn't."
Edmund smiled. "You've always been a sceptic." He sighed.
"I don't trust anyone not even my own mother," she told him. "Why can't you kill him yourself?"
Edmund snorted, rolled his eyes, and ignored her question. "Pity."
"I don't understand," she hissed. "You're playing with me, why not take me away? You wanted me, and I'm here. Just fucking kidnap me already. What the fuck are you doing with all these fucking mind games? You're wasting your time."
He clucked his tongue.
"I'd play different game if I were you," she snarled. "If you have Halcyon, you'd use him to torture me. Use him to break me apart, to make me hate him. Or you'd torture us both, make those fuckers up there beg. But you can't, and you're not doing that, which means you can't always control him." She huffed. "So, all you're doing is making me confused. What were you trying to do? What the fuck—"
And then she stepped back, body pressed against warm bodies, one too familiar, scents wafting in the air. Her head turned, eyes wide. Levi and Kieran stared back, mouths agape, sweat flowing down their cheeks. The shadows and the light danced. They collapsed to the ground twitching, dark ink flowing. A spiderweb of darkness running up their throats.
Ink.
Rampage building.
No.
How the fuck—
"I needed them to come," the monster answered with a smile. "Well done, my dear, for completing your first drone summoning."
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