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"Oh, yes, of course!" Riggs bobs his head and smiles at me. "I hope you enjoy the rest of your day, Princess."
Nyx is already ushering me toward the door when I bid Riggs and Dane goodbye. The second the door closes behind us, Nyx removes his arm and dips down to catch my line of sight.
"You're panicking." Not a question, a statement. He snatches my hand in his and tugs me down the hall. "Come with me."
Other classes let out and students in different color robes spill out into the hallway. There are so many people weaving around that my claustrophobia flares up, causing my panic to intensify. I keep breathing as steadily as I can, hoping and praying I don't give up and crouch in the middle of the corridor and cry. But with Nyx in front of me, gently pulling me along, his enormous figure is enough to part the sea of Tronovian faces. He doesn't even break stride once as he takes me to one of the archways that leads to a small garden. When we step out onto the warm pavers in the quiet garden, the floral scent and the soothing trickle of the water fountain puts my fraying nerves at ease.
Feeling dizzy and nauseous, I plop down on the ground, press my back against one of the knee-high stone garden walls, and take a deep, steadying breath. Even though my eyes are closed, I sense Nyx crouch in front of me, but several seconds pass before he asks:
"How often do you have these panic attacks?"
My eyes slowly flutter open, and I meet his concerned gaze. "It's only happened a few times." I brush the back of my hand against my forehead, wiping the beads of sweat from my brow. "I'm alright, Nyx. I just need a second."
"Do you need anything? Water? Food?"
I shake my head. "Once I calm down, I'll be alright." He quirks a brow, clearly convinced I'm downplaying this, so I slip my hand in his and squeeze. "I don't intend to go through with marrying Bastian, and even though I know that's the right decision, I can't help but think I'm going to hurt him. I know my parents will be disappointed, and my people will most likely deny me as the rightful heir to the throne once they discover what I am."
"Fuck them."
My eyes widen in surprise. "What?"
"Your parents drugged you and lied to you your entire life. Bastian isn't who he portrays himself to be and sent actual demons to fetch you." Nyx's brows nearly touch as his frown deepens. "And your people would be fools if they denied you being their queen, just because you don't have a man sitting by your side. So, fuck them." He drops to his knees and plants his callous hands on either side of my face, forcing me to hold his intense stare. "Do not feel guilty because you chose yourself. Sometimes you have to leave those you love behind, especially when they didn't love you the way you deserved."
My bottom lip quivers when I whisper, "I know they love me."
"They love you on their terms, Kitarni. You trusted them, obeyed them without question, and put their expectations before your own needs." His voice softens. "At the end of the day, you deserve better."
Tears slip down my cheeks and Nyx gently thumbs them away.
"Princess Ilaria?" Headmistress Radcliffe's voice shoots through the humble garden, drawing my gaze and forcing Nyx to release my face. "Is everything alright?" Her pointed stare hardens on Nyx. "What is going on, Mr. Harland?"
I clear my throat and force myself to my feet. "Everything is perfectly fine, Headmistress. I needed some fresh air, but I'm so clumsy, I stumbled and twisted my ankle, so Nyx helped me sit down. He was kind enough to deal with my tears as I rode out the pain."
Her judgmental gaze immediately turns to one of concern. "Oh my goodness, do we need to get you to the medical wing?"
"That won't be necessary." I wave her off, exchanging a quick look with Nyx. Bless him, he understands what I'm needing him to do and slithers his arm around my waist, so I can play this twisted ankle bit off. We slowly make our way to the doorway and the headmistress steps out of our path.
"Please let me know if there is anything you need," she calls out as we hobble down the hallway.
"I will, thank you!"
We carry on the charade until we turn the corner and Nyx drops his arm from my waist and laughs. "You little shit."
All comebacks die on the tip of my tongue, and I laugh with him as we ascend the spiral staircase to Atlas' classroom. But instead of seeing the shadow wielder waiting on us, I'm pleasantly surprised to see Ronan lounging in the bleachers.
He flashes a regal smile our way and hops up to greet us. "Well, hello there."
"What brings you here?" I meet him in the middle of the room.
Ronan stuffs his hands into his pockets, teetering back and forth on his heels. "Thought I would see how you were doing and observe what Atlas is teaching you."
"So, spying for your father, are we?"
He winks. "You're quick, Princess."
I glance around the room, expecting Atlas to be hiding somewhere watching but I still don't see him anywhere. I know how he hates tardiness, so I'm surprised he's absent.
"He's not here," Ronan interrupts my thoughts. "I passed him on my way up. He said he needed to grab something from his office."
